“When winter winds are piercing chill, And through the hawthorn blows the gale, With solemn feet I tread the hill. That overblows the lonely vale.”- Longfellow
February is deep winter where we live. It could be full with snow or dreary with rain….but it is always cold and grey. This time of year can feel like a long drawn out slump. The holidays are over, the weather is bleak and we are back at the grind of things…it’s why I am so glad we have Valentines Day. I try to make the season of love last longer with plenty of tea times.
Why tea time? Nothing is quite as cozy as a beautifully set table filled with our favorite foods and drinks. When we accompany that with sing-song-y poetry, it changes the outlook of prolonged grey days. Here is five reasons why you should start hosting your own Poetry Tea Times.
- Creating Coziness around words will increase your vocabulary. When you increase your vocabulary, reading comprehension is improved. When you learn new words you give yourself more expansive ways to express yourself.
2. Studies show that rhyming can improve memory. Maybe its something about the lilting sounds or inflections, I believe it has a certain rhythm that helps us remember rhymes like “One, two, buckle my shoe.” Whichever reason, rhyming boosts memory, so go on and read a few nursery rhymes.
3. Poetry helps with creative thinking. You will be become a better writer when you read poetry often. More adjectives and alliteration will pop into your head while writing…as well as ideas.
4. Reading…anything really, allows time to detox from digital devices (providing you don’t read your poetry on your phone.) It gives us a chance to slow down and focus on the simpler things in life, which can lessen anxiety.
5. Reading poetry is known to boost and improve your mood. When your feeling down, go read some beautiful and uplifting poetry. Go learn about the authors who wrote the words and feel the emotions that come from the pages.
6. A bonus to reading poetry with friends and family is that it can deepen the bonds you already have. When you decorate the table and add your favorite food, share your own work, or learn a bit about the author or time period, the ties you already have only grow stronger.
Christine Owens, the author of “A Year Of Poetry Tea Time,” has collected a slew of poetry and organized them into a book. She has organized them into each month of the year. Along with all these poems she has the history of tea, poetry styles and terms, recipe and tea ideas, brief biographies of each poet, as well as field trip ideas that surround poets. It is an exhaustive amount of information that any one would love.
This Valentines month celebrate with some sweets to eat and sweet words to share with friends. Happy Valentines Day my lovely friends.
Tea Time Book Club 