Reading poetry more than just pretty words, says Mandy Brouse

April is National Poetry Month and you might ask: Who has time to read poetry?

But reading poetry is not just for fun or entertainment. It's also good for the brain.

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A study done by the University of Exeter in the U.K.in 2013 looked at the differences in brain activity when reading poetry and when reading prose. It found poetry connects higher emotional states and brain functions associated with memory in ways prose does not.

Poetry, it turns out, functions in the same way as music.

So, you might be wondering, why not just listen to music?

A similar study in 2008 on brain functioning tested memory retention and memorization of words, namely poetry, in adults aged 55-70. The researchers found memorization helped memory recall and has the potential for future studies on neuroplasticity in an ageing population.

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It turns out, memorizing poetry may help retain your memory as you age.

Another neat look at the brain and poetry is the Brain Poetry Project. Researchers at the University of Helsinki in Finland monitor brain waves and translate the data into a poem. No two poems are the same, suggesting that no two brains process information the same way.

Where to start

If you would like to read some poetry, but you're not sure where to start, you may want to try Rupi Kaur. She is a University of Waterloo alumwho has sold more than half a million copies of her book, Milk and Honey. Her poems are crisp and beautiful, perfect for memorization.

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There is also Brick Book's Poetry Map. It features the recordings of authors reading from their own work. The map has more than 200 entries from Ontario writers and more than 1,000 worldwide. The project began at 2010 and uses Google maps to pinpoint the location of each poet.

Or, try a personal favourite: Robert Frost's Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening.