“Poetry may make us from time to time a little more aware of the deeper, unnamed feelings which form the substratum of our being, to which we rarely penetrate; for our lives are mostly a constant evasion of ourselves.” TS Eliot

The audience for poetry feels painfully sparse, but people would be wise to pay attention-writers especially. Poetry connects us to nature and emotion. It delves into politics and pain. Poetry is the underdog in the literary world who refuses to heel. Here are some reasons freelance writers should embrace this under-appreciated art.

1. Poetry Helps You See Things Differently: Freelance writing involves looking at things from different angles. When you have a niche, you need to be able to do this, or you’ll seemingly exhaust your topic. When you read poetry, you learn to see things in a different light. In writing poetry, you are encouraged to actively think of unique ways of describing your subject. This creates a transferable skill that makes you a stronger writer and desirable employee.
2. Poetry Breaks Down Complex Topics: Freelance writers need to know how to simplify complex topics. While some poetry is very abstract, most poetry aims to express difficult emotions in an innovative, succinct form.
3. Poets Are Pros at Referencing: Smart bloggers learn how to do product plugs in a way that is seamless and professional. If you struggle with this, check out how poets often reference one another and their own works. It’s basically the same as giving another blogger a shout out, or pointing to another post you’ve written.
4.  Poetry will improve your vocabulary: This is especially true if you read some classic poetry, a la Alfred Lord Tennyson. Writers should be constantly striving to improve their craft. This means actively reading-reading about writing, reading difficult work, and reading other work in your niche. Poetry is one form of potentially difficult writing that can help you sharpen your own writing through proxy.
5. Poetry Helps You Gain Insight: It teaches about human nature, conflict, and history. History always repeats itself, and the lessons that classic poetry teach are timeless. Freelance writers can take these lessons and apply them in interpersonal relations (negotiating with clients, for example). When you gain a deeper understanding of human emotion, you connect better with your target audience. Developing a sense of empathy also helps facilitate “real world” connections outside of writing.
6. Poetry is Short: While poems are dense, they are concise. You can get a lot out of a single poem-freelancers are always searching for ways to save time. Poetry is a great option if you don’t have the time to read a novel, but are looking for ways to get some insta-wisdom. The great thing is, good poetry seems to stick-so you can read a poem and its significance can percolate throughout the course of your day.
7. Poetry Inspires: Many new freelance writers lament over finding inspiration for story ideas. Poetry tends to inspire, so you walk away with the feeling of possibility. If you feel like your writing has stagnated, poetry can be a door to new insights and modes of thinking.

What do you guys think? Who are some of your favorite poets? Do you ever write poetry? Let me in know in the comments, I’d love to hear your thoughts!