Nicole Yeung
Fire and Ice
Some say the world will end in fire,
Some say in ice.
From what I’ve tasted of desire
I hold with those who favor fire.
But if it had to perish twice,
I think I know enough of hate
To say that for destruction ice
Is also great
And would suffice.–Robert Frost (1874-1963)
Poetry, a literary work enjoyed across innumerable cultures, crafts intricate cognitive and emotional connections. From evoking allure with rhyme and rhythm to prompting goosebumps or chills, poetry’s distinct approach to literature allows the brain to often instantly recognize its unique patterns as opposed to the typical prose and speech.
Exploring the Brain’s Active Regions in Poetry
A 2015 study inspected how the brain–in particular, the medial prefrontal cortex (MPFC), dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC), and intraparietal sulcus (IPS)–would react during poetry composition. Researcher Siyuan Liu and team members categorized their data based on two major phases of the creative process: generation and revision. Put simply, the generation period refers to the production of material, while the revision stage is defined by the refining and assessment of the previous product.
Using new poems in all subjects to compare data, the researchers began investigating the brain’s activity during the generation phase. They noticed increasing activity in the MPFC–an area responsible for combining data from cortical and subcortical areas, delivering them to output structures. Other enhanced sections include those affiliated with processing language: the supramarginal, angular, and fusiform gyri. The hippocampus and amygdala, segments of the mesial temporal area that specialize in memory, demonstrated increased activity levels as well. However, the DLPFC, IPS, and bilateral precuneus regions all diminished.
The image below depicts brain activity associated with the generation phase using a statistical t map (warm colors express higher t-values, and therefore, display more prominent regions than cool colors).
Researchers subsequently studied the brain’s performance throughout the revision phase. They soon realized that the activity from the DLPFC and IPS amplified in comparison to their large reductions during the generation period. The DLPFC and IPS experienced a uniform reciprocal pattern, meaning that one area’s activity would decrease as the other increased. The MPFC’s changes, on the other hand, were not as homogenous and showed inconsistent patterns.
The image below depicts brain activity associated with the revision phase using a statistical t map (warm colors express higher t-values, and therefore, display more prominent regions than cool colors).
The summarized information suggests that the language-processing regions and MPFC showed increased activity levels during the generation phase, although the MPFC’s role in motivation did remain active throughout both stages. Since the DLPFC and IPS intensified during the revision stage, the cognitive control associated with these two regions strengthened accordingly.
Rhyme and Rhythm
Based on the concept of cognitive fluency, individuals are likely drawn towards simple ideas that are easier to mentally process. This idea closely correlates with the rhyme and rhythm commonly found in poetry. When one absorbs verses rich in rhyme schemes and rhythm, they may find the following lines easier to process due to the anticipated similarity in the endings of words and flow. The ability to predict patterns establishes ease within the mind.
The Emotional Power of Poetry
Researcher Eugen Wassiliwizky explored the emotional contribution from poetry as explained in the journal Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience. Wassiliwizky and his team recruited a crowd of German speakers, presenting them with a selection of poems to listen to. The team recorded certain responses from the participants including the movement of their arm hairs and skin (goosebumps) during the recitations. If any experienced internal chills, they were requested to press and hold onto a button until the chill ceased.
All participants insisted they detected chills at least once while they listened along, with an average of 1.33 chills/minute/person. 40.7% of the group expressed objective evidence for goosebumps, which is a percentage that aligns with statistics found from other studies focusing on the relationship between goosebumps and music/films.
In the midst of the process, the researchers believe to have discovered a prechill that occurred briefly before the actual one. They used evidence for the prechill to support the idea that participants were already anticipating the emotional climax from the immediately preceding lines. This anticipation, which enhances the emotional experience of poetry, can be influenced by the specific sounds of words as well as the poem’s structure–not only by each term’s literal or figurative meanings.
Conclusion
Deriving from a long history and wide variety of genres, the enchanting interpretations of poetry encourage our minds to grasp different perspectives of our surroundings. It forces us to practice the ability to process complex ideas and multiple meanings of literature, activating different parts of the brain during contrasting phases. Poetry can also produce significant emotional responses as mentioned in studies on goosebumps, chills, and anticipation.
Furthermore, poetry allows readers to connect in a unique way in contrast to regular prose. This artistic form of literature consists of creative elements that promote cognitive flexibility and emotional reactions.
References:
- Liu, Siyuan et al. “Brain activity and connectivity during poetry composition: Toward a multidimensional model of the creative process.” Human brain mapping vol. 36,9 (2015): 3351-72. https://doi.org/10.1002/hbm.22849
- Kiger, Patrick J. “The Human Brain Is Hardwired for Poetry.” HowStuffWorks, 16 Apr. 2024, https://science.howstuffworks.com/life/inside-the-mind/how-poetry-affects-human-brain.htm#:~:text=%22The%20poetic%20work%20triggered%20different,simultaneous%20sense%20of%20psychological%20reward.%22
- Wassiliwizky, Eugen et al. “The emotional power of poetry: neural circuitry, psychophysiology and compositional principles.” Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience, vol. 12, no. 8, 28 Apr. 2017, pp. 1229–1240, https://doi.org/10.1093/scan/nsx069
- Xu, Pan et al. “Medial prefrontal cortex in neurological diseases.” Physiological genomics vol. 51,9 (2019): 432-442. doi:10.1152/physiolgenomics.00006.2019
- Sima, Richard. “More Than Words: Why Poetry is Good for Our Health.” International Arts + Mind Lab: The Center for Applied Neuroaesthetics, Accessed 17 Aug. 2024, https://www.artsandmindlab.org/more-than-words-why-poetry-is-good-for-our-health/
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