Poetry as survival

Gregory Orr's 'Poetry as Survival' argues that poetry functions as a vital tool for processing trauma and sustaining emotional life, blending memoir, criticism, and instruction.

Orr draws upon his own tragic experience and poetic practice to show how reading and composing poems can witness pain and facilitate healing.

The book explores the ethical and imaginative work of poets who attend to suffering, helping readers learn to articulate and transform painful experiences.

Orr situates poetry as both an aesthetic craft and a therapeutic practice that offers solace and understanding.

The essays offer practical insights for writers and non-writers into the reparative capacities of language.