On Poetry, Metaphor and Chronic Pain: Language as a Tool for Healing with Sarah Fletcher

In this episode of Bibliotherapy with Bijal Shah, I interview Sarah Fletcher, a British-American poet who grew up in the UK and later pursued poetry and a PhD researching physical pain and poetry. We discuss the power of poetry to heal through rhythm, sound, precision, memorability, and how physical pain is difficult to capture in language, often relying on metaphor, including militaristic framing and the limits of the 1–10 pain scale. We discuss how chronic pain is isolating, fragmentary, and hard to capture in narrative. Sarah also talks about some of the poetry and pain workshops she runs that build shared language and connection to capture the physical experience of pain in poetry, including reframing pain as an unwelcome guest at a house party. She notes a Canadian hospital’s “pain menus,” how expressive writing can improve healing, and the need to challenge mind–body dualism. Sarah also cites T.S. Eliot’s “The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock” as life-changing and we also announce an upcoming shared podcast, “The Bibliotherapy Room"  that we will be recording! Watch this space for more :)00:00 Welcome and Introductions01:49 Sarah’s Poetry Origins04:55 Sound, Rhythm and Healing06:58 Why Pain Resists Language09:12 Metaphors We Use for Pain11:51 Chronic Pain and Isolation15:41 Living Alongside Pain17:58 Creative Writing for Pain22:20 Empathy, Doubt and Doctors26:07 Workshops, Laughter and Relief27:46 Pain Menus and Social Prescribing31:51 The Mind-Body Connection and Creativity33:51 Life-Changing Poem Pick36:44 New Podcast Announcement38:29 Closing Thanks and FarewellEmail us at [email protected] Support the showDon't forget to subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts and get new episodes as they are released. If you'd like access to the transcripts, do subscribe to my substack: Bibliotherapy with Bijal Shah - Transcripts on Substack.If you'd like a bibliotherapist in your pocket then you might find my book, Bibliotherapy: The Healing Power of Reading a helpful companion.******************************************************************************************Get 10% off with code PODCAST on the following:Online Bibliotherapy CoursesPersonalised Book PrescriptionsBibliotherapy SessionsYou can also follow us on your preferred platform using the links below:InstagramFacebook