The Poetry Pharmacy: Tried-and-True Prescriptions for the Mind, Heart and Soul
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- Create Date：2021-05-08 08:55:07
- Update Date：2025-09-06
- Status：finish
- Author：William Sieghart
- ISBN：1846149541
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Summary
In the years since he first had the idea of prescribing short， powerful poems for all manner of spiritual ailments， William Sieghart has taken his Poetry Pharmacy around the length and breadth of Britain， into the pages of the Guardian， onto BBC Radio 4 and onto the television， honing his prescriptions all the time。 This pocket-sized book presents the most essential poems in his dispensary: those which， again and again， have really shown themselves to work。 Whether you are suffering from loneliness， lack of courage， heartbreak， hopelessness， or even from an excess of ego， there is something here to ease your pain。
Reviews
Tasha Hill
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No rating but a good introduction and step in to poetry。
Justine
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review to come
Krishnapriya
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Bit of a preemptive rating as I'm only on Poem No。 5， but there are some great ones in here and I really really appreciate the sentiment behind this book， and am very grateful for it rekindling my poetry reading。 Bit of a preemptive rating as I'm only on Poem No。 5， but there are some great ones in here and I really really appreciate the sentiment behind this book， and am very grateful for it rekindling my poetry reading。 。。。more
Jess
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lovely wee book if you’re just getting into poetry！ really enjoyed the concept of the book and although a lot of poems are well known and i’d heard them before， it was nice rereading them within the context of the book！ it’s a great collection of poems， well laid out and a nice pick-me-up！
Marcus
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Unexpectedly therapeutic。
Jessie
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What a lovely book。 The concept of this - choosing a poem to read when you feel a certain way， then using the poem to try and make yourself feel better - is absolutely brilliant。 I feel this is how I was reading poetry anyway， but Sieghart managed to give it such a distinct form。 The poems that were chosen were great - albeit not all of them， but that is usually the case for me with anthologies。 So many of the poems in here felt comforting and disarming。 This will definitely be a staple on my bo What a lovely book。 The concept of this - choosing a poem to read when you feel a certain way， then using the poem to try and make yourself feel better - is absolutely brilliant。 I feel this is how I was reading poetry anyway， but Sieghart managed to give it such a distinct form。 The poems that were chosen were great - albeit not all of them， but that is usually the case for me with anthologies。 So many of the poems in here felt comforting and disarming。 This will definitely be a staple on my bookshelf which I will dip in and out of from time to time。 I can't wait to get the next instalment in the series。 。。。more
Sophie K
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Who needs therapy？
Marva
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A JourneyI read straight through and discovered useful nuggets for life。 Good therapeutic reference book to go back to as well。
Booklovingscotsman RS Green
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I’m divided on this - I love the idea and believe poetry is personal taste in many ways。。。。。however I cringed a bit with poems by the wonderful Maya Angelou as ‘an antidote to racism and sexism’。。。。。erm。。。。。not sure that doesn’t just sound like a glib， middle class response and a bit tactless？There’s a few beautiful poems by Rumi， Cope， Edna St Millay and Angelou。 There’s also a couple by Larkin。 Loads by poets ive never heard of （and I’ve read and own a lot） and my own personal bug-bear ‘If’ by I’m divided on this - I love the idea and believe poetry is personal taste in many ways。。。。。however I cringed a bit with poems by the wonderful Maya Angelou as ‘an antidote to racism and sexism’。。。。。erm。。。。。not sure that doesn’t just sound like a glib， middle class response and a bit tactless？There’s a few beautiful poems by Rumi， Cope， Edna St Millay and Angelou。 There’s also a couple by Larkin。 Loads by poets ive never heard of （and I’ve read and own a lot） and my own personal bug-bear ‘If’ by Kipling the most outdated pile of £&@# and Victorian masculinity rubbish。I bought this （which I only do 4/5 times a year as a library addict） and I was disappointed。 It is and sounds like a well-meaning， middle aged man giving some kind， cliched， average advice but there are many poems that could have been used instead。Daisy Goodwin’s compilations ‘101 poems to get you through the day and night’ and ‘101 poems that could save your life’ don’t waste precious pages on advice but merely introduce in a couple of sentences。 This book is 50% advice from a well meaning man， 15% blank space （v frustrating） and the remainder， poems。 Don’t recommend。 。。。more
Eman Elkfrawy
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the kind of self-help book we deserve。 كتب التنمية البشرية التي تستحق القراءة。
Zmandrekar
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One word - Beautiful。 I happened to chance upon a talk by William Sieghart on YouTube which then lead me to this book。 I love prescriptions given before each poem， it helps you get some context and enjoy the poem even more。 A must buy and must read for anyone who loves poetry or even somone who wants to start exploring it。 This is the first step。
Summer Abdullah
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Excellent prescription:I bought this book a year ago for a friend and this year a friend bought it for me。 And it’s been such delight next to my bed， it came at the perfect time in my life when I needed a little help for days when I am struggling with mental loads that sometimes feel too much to bear。 Highly recommend it。
Gemma
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This is a lovey collection of poems， some I have read before in other anthologies but most were new to me。 I really like the idea of the Poetry Pharmacy and a poem being prescribed to a person。 As much as I liked the poems， it was often the words of the author in the accompany explanatory page which resonated with me more。
Amanda
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This was an unexpectedly delightful listen。 I'm unsure why the delight was so unexpected， I love poetry and am featured as a contemporary poet on the Listen to Poetry website。 Perhaps it is because the experience of reading poetry has always felt so personal and deeply affecting， I was unsure how it would feel in someone else's voice， hearing someone else's choices。Sieghart loves poetry and his compassion is deeply affecting ， and essential， in his role as poetry pharmacist。 I listened to this b This was an unexpectedly delightful listen。 I'm unsure why the delight was so unexpected， I love poetry and am featured as a contemporary poet on the Listen to Poetry website。 Perhaps it is because the experience of reading poetry has always felt so personal and deeply affecting， I was unsure how it would feel in someone else's voice， hearing someone else's choices。Sieghart loves poetry and his compassion is deeply affecting ， and essential， in his role as poetry pharmacist。 I listened to this book in one go while my daughter went feral in a local park。 It offset the cold and my heart felt full。 。。。more
Harriet
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A book that everyone should own。 The perfect tonic to any symptom; it's mad how a smattering of words on a page written by a stranger can sink so deep into your heart and give you a cuddle。 A book that everyone should own。 The perfect tonic to any symptom; it's mad how a smattering of words on a page written by a stranger can sink so deep into your heart and give you a cuddle。 。。。more
Ellie J
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A good book to reintroduce me to poetry after a decade long hiatus。 This anthology is perfectly arranged to have something for every difficult moment， especially apt during this pandemic when so many are struggling。
Yusra Qazi
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The idea behind this book is such a wonderful one — where it falls short though， is the lack of variety in poems under each section。 While the commentary was beautifully written and offered insights into the human psyche， the list of poems chosen for inclusion would have benefitted from being more extensive。
Kirsty
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A very precious anthology that everyone should own。 When things aren’t going to plan I’m a natural consumer of poetry but of course there is a poem to match every mood but perhaps poetry is at it best when it’s something complex bothering us。
Kitten
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Around the Year in 52 Books 2021: A book with a building in the title。
Molly Kent
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There’s not much I can say about this collection except that I didn’t realise how much I needed it until I’d read it， that everyone should own a copy， and that I’m going to get a lot of poetry related tattoos。Oh， and thanks Robbie for giving this to me。 It was a very good gift at the exact right time
Preety Virdi
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4。5 Stars！ This is the second audio book I have ever listened to。 The first was We Should All Be Feminists by Chimamanda ngozi Adichie。 Evening walks had me trying this out， in favour of repetitive lyrics， or rhythmic footsteps and labored breathing。 It seems to work for me。When I first started listening to The Poetry Pharmacy， I was blown away， and wanted to open my Goodreads profile just to rate it before I had even finished it。 I absolutely loved it！ In a way， I am glad I didn’t。 To capture 4。5 Stars！ This is the second audio book I have ever listened to。 The first was We Should All Be Feminists by Chimamanda ngozi Adichie。 Evening walks had me trying this out， in favour of repetitive lyrics， or rhythmic footsteps and labored breathing。 It seems to work for me。When I first started listening to The Poetry Pharmacy， I was blown away， and wanted to open my Goodreads profile just to rate it before I had even finished it。 I absolutely loved it！ In a way， I am glad I didn’t。 To capture the true depth of something， sometimes we need to immerse ourselves in it fully， get the whole picture and not just that which appeals to us most。 Having said that， it was still amazing， albeit less applicable to me towards the end。William Sieghart uses the power of poetry to heal our wounds， to quieten our minds， to alleviate our pain and to diminish our woes。 He has collected poems from well known poets such as the 13th and 14th Century Rumi and Hafez， to famous poems such as Maya Angelou’s “And Still， I Rise” and “If” by Rudyard Kipling， to ‘mere’ （but not so mere） two liners， on to anthems and prose to come up with a remedy for what he considers the main psychological ailments suffered by the masses。 There is something in this pharmacy that will appeal to every one of us， of that， I am sure。 He considers people of all ages， which is why， not every poem will appeal to one person alone。 The first 45 minutes had me smiling ear-to-ear as I walked。 That could have been due to the fact that William Sieghart tugged at my heartstrings by including “You’ll Never Walk Alone” by Oscar Hammerstein II （the anthem of Liverpool Football Club） or it could have been due to the fact that they really did make ‘light’ of ‘heavy’ situations。 His method was: stating the condition， and then prescribing the poem， by first explaining it in his own words and then reading it out loud。The only reason I have rated it 4。5 instead of 5 is because a lot of the conditions seemed repetitive。 Also， as much as these were considered the main conditions， I find that a number of ‘critical psychological conditions’ have been left out。 Credit to him though; he asked for suggestions at the very end of the book and he tried to be inclusive as well。 To be fair， I don’t think it was possible to capture it all！Here are some gems I discovered （there are a lot more， but including them would just mean re-writing the book in the review）:The Fist， By Derek WalcottThe fist clenched round my heartloosens a little， and I gaspbrightness; but it tightensagain。 When have I ever not lovedthe pain of love？ But this has movedpast love to mania。 This has the strongclench of the madman， this isgripping the ledge of unreason， beforeplunging howling into the abyss。Hold hard then， heart。 This way at least you live。“Although the wind 。。。”， By Izumi Shikibu， Translated by Jane HirshfieldAlthough the windblows terribly here，the moonlight also leaksbetween the roof planksof this ruined house。The Price， By Stuart HensonSometimes it catches when the fumes rise up among the throbbing lights of cars， or as you look away to dodge eye-contact with your own reflection in the carriage-glass; or in a waiting-room a face reminds you that the colour supplements have lied and some have pleasure and some pay the price。Then all the small securities you built about your house， your desk， your calendar are blown like straws; and momentarily， as if a scent of ivy or the earth had opened up a childhood door， you pause， to take the measure of what might have been against the kind of life you settled for。Burlap Sack， By Jane HirshfieldA person is full of sorrowthe way a burlap sack is full of stones or sand。We say， "Hand me the sack，"but we get the weight。Heavier if left out in the rain。To think that the stones or sand are the self is an error。To think that grief is the self is an error。Self carries grief as a pack mule carries the side bags，being careful between the trees to leave extra room。The mule is not the load of ropes and nails and axes。The self is not the miner nore builder nore driver。What would it be to take the brideand leave behind the heavy dowry？To let the thin-ribbed mule browse in tall grasses，its long ears waggling like the tails of two happy dogs？ 。。。more
Mennah
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This was one of those ‘love-at-first-Goodreads-search/sight’ books！ The minute I saw it on the bookshelf and I read the title。。 I know I was going to be hooked！ It’s one of the best curated poetry collections I have come across！ And what is even more invigorating is that there is another book - the poetry pharmacy returns！ If you are looking for a book that can identify with how you feel and help you define your condition。。 and not only that， then have it （the book） offer you a piece of poetry t This was one of those ‘love-at-first-Goodreads-search/sight’ books！ The minute I saw it on the bookshelf and I read the title。。 I know I was going to be hooked！ It’s one of the best curated poetry collections I have come across！ And what is even more invigorating is that there is another book - the poetry pharmacy returns！ If you are looking for a book that can identify with how you feel and help you define your condition。。 and not only that， then have it （the book） offer you a piece of poetry to suit your state of mind。。 I mean。。 HOOLLLDD UP！！！Also， it’s a great way to meet new poets and to find out about their work。 I have fallen in love （all over again） with Maya Angelou and her poem ‘phenomenal woman’:“I say，It’s in the reach of my arms，The span of my hips，The stride of my step，The curl of my hips， I’m a womanPhenomenally。Phenomenal woman，That’s me”A new found love for me， would be Wendy Cope’s work。 I can’t wait to buy my first book with a collection of her poems and throw myself into her humor and amazing style of writing。 There are around 3 of her poems in this book， however ‘Defining the problem’ sincerely hit me where it matters:“I can’t forgive you。 Even if I could，You wouldn’t pardon me for seeing through you。And yet I cannot cure myself of loveFor what I thought you were before I knew you。” 。。。more
Christine Bissonnette
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I LOVE the concept behind this book。 The reason I'm giving it 3 stars is really only because I think it's sequel （The Poetry Pharmacy Returns） has a better selection of poetry。 That said， I still thoroughly enjoyed spending time with the poems in this little volume。 Visually， it's gorgeous。 I read poems from this book as part of my morning and night time ritual， and it always gave me something to consider and think about。 There were several poems that I really loved， and will copying down to enj I LOVE the concept behind this book。 The reason I'm giving it 3 stars is really only because I think it's sequel （The Poetry Pharmacy Returns） has a better selection of poetry。 That said， I still thoroughly enjoyed spending time with the poems in this little volume。 Visually， it's gorgeous。 I read poems from this book as part of my morning and night time ritual， and it always gave me something to consider and think about。 There were several poems that I really loved， and will copying down to enjoy later。 A couple of my favourites were 'The Price' by Stuart Henson and 'Nobody' by Michael Laskey。 。。。more
Elly McCabe
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My future Mother in Law very thoughtfully gifted me this for Christmas。 Optimum bed time reading if you've had a cruddy day。 It's really beautifully set out; a lovely little collection of poems。 I understand the thinking behind one poem for each particular 'diagnosis' but I think， on the weightier subjects， it would have been nice to maybe have had two or three。 I enjoyed Sieghart's anaylsis and application of each poem and his explanations remedied their own golden nuggets of advice to be share My future Mother in Law very thoughtfully gifted me this for Christmas。 Optimum bed time reading if you've had a cruddy day。 It's really beautifully set out; a lovely little collection of poems。 I understand the thinking behind one poem for each particular 'diagnosis' but I think， on the weightier subjects， it would have been nice to maybe have had two or three。 I enjoyed Sieghart's anaylsis and application of each poem and his explanations remedied their own golden nuggets of advice to be shared。 The application of Izumi Shikubi's "Although the Wind" was particularly moving。 I'll be coming back to this when and as needed， I think。 。。。more
Imogen Kathleen
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This book came to me at exactly the right time。 The perfect lockdown read。Offering words of wisdom for ailments from anxiety to unrequited love， this fabulous little collection is perfect for those who aren't too sure where to begin with poetry。 I loved the notes from Sieghart about each poem， and I loved that I got to read a range of poets that I had heard of but never really explored。Full RTC， but I am about to gift this book to so many people。 This book came to me at exactly the right time。 The perfect lockdown read。Offering words of wisdom for ailments from anxiety to unrequited love， this fabulous little collection is perfect for those who aren't too sure where to begin with poetry。 I loved the notes from Sieghart about each poem， and I loved that I got to read a range of poets that I had heard of but never really explored。Full RTC， but I am about to gift this book to so many people。 。。。more
Kayleigh Clark
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I'm astonished how the right poem can make me feel better。 The poems in the book help with the pain of old age， lack of courage， making mistakes， regret and even the pain of bereavement。 I'm astonished how the right poem can make me feel better。 The poems in the book help with the pain of old age， lack of courage， making mistakes， regret and even the pain of bereavement。 。。。more
Roslyn
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My go to when in need of comfort。
Mahmoud Ayman
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A light read and a great start for the year。 I really loved how each poem is linked to a certain emotion and how they are used to help people find comfort/meaning in whatever they are going through。 Some repetition was there， at least I felt like it， but overall it's a great and easy read。 A light read and a great start for the year。 I really loved how each poem is linked to a certain emotion and how they are used to help people find comfort/meaning in whatever they are going through。 Some repetition was there， at least I felt like it， but overall it's a great and easy read。 。。。more
Ronald
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It was a good book。 Many insightful poems。thank you
Natasha Chowdory
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