CONTEMPORARY PSYCHOLOGY AND CONTEMPORARY POETRY: PERSPECTIVES ON MOOD DISORDERS

It is not always obvious when listening to scientists or talking with poets that their intellectual and emotional worlds overlie. But of course they do. Poetry and science have common roots in observa tion and they take their cues from the rhythms and patterns of the natural world. Scientists and poets alike must put words to what they see and think and both require rigorous intellectual discipline in order to do so. Scientists and poets share a keen response to the beauty of nature and take delight in the act of discovery or creating. Both must communicate their ideas to others and so appreciate the use of language and a clarity of image. Psychological science, in particular, has in common with poetry a profound interest in human nature and emotion.