Olga V. Lehmann and Oddgeir Synnes (eds), A Poetic Language of Ageing (London: Bloomsbury Publishing, 2023) 232 pp. $115.00 Hb, $39.95 Pb. ISBN: 9781350256804
A Poetic Language of Ageing brings together the deeply personal experiences of growing older, as expressed through poetry and other creative writing avenues, with research on ageing. It also highlights that artistic endeavour need not be the ultimate goal of creative pursuits. Each chapter further contributes unique perspectives on how these creative avenues can help people with various aspects of ageing.
Chapters 1 and 5 recount personal narratives about the authors’ parents. In Chapter 1, Freeman reflects on his experience with his mother living with dementia. He wonders about how dementia led to a reduction in his mother’s ability to tell stories but paradoxically, allowed her utterances to become ‘found poetry’ (10). In contrast, in Chapter 5, Bastos recollects and documents memories of her centenarian father, José Newton, a poet, whose central belief ‘Poetry always comes’ (94) guided him throughout his life. She further shows that despite his old age and conditions like Parkinson’s and epilepsy, poetry stood strong in his life as the fountainhead of continuity and meaning.
Chapters 2, 3, 4 and 7 talk about the effect of poetry and other creative pursuits on a group of people. Chapter 2 discusses how poetry can be used in dementia care to imagine more inclusive futures. Swinnen illustrates this through two case studies, one of the Flemish poet Hugo Claus, and second, with literary participatory studies: Alzheimer’s Poetry Project (APP) and Shared Reading (SR). Claus’s view of dementia, which placed the burden on the individual, contrasts with APP and SR, where people with dementia are invited to create and challenge the stigma of cognitive decline. Chapter 3 explores how poetry can preserve the dignity of individuals with dementia. The authors argue that although the narrative self is often compromised by dementia, ‘the episodic self’ (44)—rooted in sensory and embodied experiences—remains intact and can be expressed through poetry. Chapter 4 talks about the creative and reflective role of haiku in the lives of Japanese older adults in Denmark. The practice of composing haiku gets linked with the Japanese concept of ‘wabi-sabi,’ which embraces impermanence, decay, and beauty in simplicity (71). Through these haikus, participants are able to create a dialogue between their past and present selves.
Chapter 7 places us with a community of older adults enrolled in a writing course in Norway. Through their experiences, we are shown that writing helped the participants on several fronts. It not only acted as a means to preserve their dignity, but also helped engage in self-reflection and confront existential thoughts. The concept of poiesis (120)—the creation of something new—seems central to their experiences. The authors reflect that writing gives people the will to ‘revisit and edit one’s storylines’, an act that could help maintain and even restore dignity in later life (132).
In Chapter 6, Frank examines various representations of old age in Shakespeare’s Henry IV, Part 2. Frank tells us that Shakespeare presents old age as a collection of ‘enactments’ (99) rather than a static condition. These enactments correspond to different life choices. Justice Silence is characterised by bursts of song and acceptance of life’s simplicity. Justice Shallow is trapped in nostalgia and exaggerated tales of youth. And Falstaff keeps pushing against boundaries of age through wit and self-reflection, ultimately acknowledging his mortality by admitting, “I am old, I am old” (111). Through these characters Frank highlights the moral and existential tensions that can accompany these approaches to old age as well.
Chapter 8 and 10 focus on narrative practices other than poetry. In Chapter 8, Randall argues the importance of viewing one’s life as a ‘quasi-literary text’ rather than ‘a narrative of decline’ (137). This approach can help build metaphors and allusions to live a fuller life. And in Chapter 10, Mazzarella emphasises that writing about one’s life experiences can serve as a means of self-discovery and reflection, particularly for older adults.
Chapter 9 explores the relationship of poetry and scientific understanding with regards to ageing. Brown expands on Q methodology that blends ‘subjectivity and mathematics’ (156). He utilises this method to investigate how people respond to poetry in later life by using a set of twenty poetic fragments. Ultimately, categorising people into three broad groups: those who preferred the poetics of ageing together, those who related with poetry of personal worth and purpose the most, and those who were drawn to the technicalities of the poems.
Chapter 11 talks about the poet George Oppen – his dementia and his poetry. Morrison notes that Oppen’s poetry engages deeply with the fragility of human experience via examples such as “An aging man, / The knuckles of my hand / So jointed? I am this?” (193) As Oppen’s memory becomes fragmented and his identity is challenged with time, the themes ring even deeper. Through the poet’s life, we are shown an example of the central role of ‘artistic endeavours and the expression of feelings and ideas’ in someone living with dementia (204).
A Poetic Language of Ageing has several strengths, including an in-depth approach to understanding the relationship of ageing and creative processes such as poetry. The authors explore this with empathy and add significant value to the much-needed narrative around ableism, creativity, and agency in older adults. Through personal stories and creative expressions, the anthology encourages a shift away from the medical pathologization of dementia. However, the book’s reliance on personal narratives means its insights may not apply universally. Factors like socioeconomic status, health, and culture also shape the experience of ageing. To factor in these conditions while going forward might lead to an even more rigorous approach into understanding the facets of creativity with respect to ageing.
Ultimately, the book emphasises that every life story is worthy of being told and heard. As Gregory Orr mentions in the foreword: ‘Lyric poetry exists as a cultural resource…to exhibit the ordering powers the poet/self is able to bring to bear on that disorder’ (xii). In Orr’s quote, one may even replace ‘lyric poetry’ with any other creative form. It encapsulates the essence of engaging in creative pursuit in later life: an act of deep reflection and connection throughout life’s inevitable changes.
Lavanya Arora
