Contemporary Multicultural North American Poetry and Poetry Therapy

Abstract

Four recent anthologies of poetry by members of ethnic and racial groups which have been traditionally underrepresented in the poetic “canon” are analyzed. It is concluded that much contemporary multicultural North American poetry can be of value to poetry therapists who use poetry to stimulate therapeutic discussion because it is generally accessible, emphasizes narrative and often tells stories which have not previously been available in poetry. It is suggested that poetry therapists familiarize themselves with the current explosion of multicultural poetry, particularly if they work with clients whose personal!social issues are related to the clients’ race or ethnicity.