Poetry engages the imagination and emotional heart, offering connection beyond facts or memory. Sharing a poem creates a novel, shared experience that focuses on the beauty of sound, rhythm, and feeling in the present moment.

How to do it:

  • Choose a short, uplifting poem. Nature or love poems work beautifully.
  • Read it aloud slowly, with warmth in your voice.
  • Sit together in the quiet that follows. Let the words linger.

Pro tip:

  • The lyrics of a favorite old song can be your poem. It’s the shared, rhythmic listening that matters.

Comfort note:

  • There’s no test. If attention fades, simply smile and let it be. The gift is your presence and the effort.

Novelty Journaling:

  • “Jot down the date and one observation: What was the feeling in the room? Did a particular word or sound seem to resonate?”

Example moment:

  • “Read Frost’s ‘Nothing Gold Can Stay.’ Mom looked out the window and said, ‘But it’s back every spring.'”

Caregiver note:

  • This moment of shared, focused calm is a mindfulness practice for you, too—a brief pause in the day’s demands.

This approach aligns with creative movements in dementia care that prioritize imagination and emotional connection over factual recall. For a loved one in the early stage, try reading a longer piece or discussing a theme. For the middle stage, the sensory experience of your voice and the poem’s rhythm is the goal. The point is not analysis, but a shared moment of human beauty.

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From one shared poetry moment to an expanded role as a Literary Companion:

For lack of a more appropriate title, we were in search of candidates for a “Literary Companion” role with my mother, “Miss Ethel,” a retired teacher. We found care partners who had an appreciation not only for good literature but also the ability to sing with Mother and play the piano and other instruments. For a period of time, three to five two-hour sessions per week suited us well.

My mother with one of our Literary Companions who read good literature, poetry, and made music together following Mother's diagnosis of Alzheimer's.

Learn more:

Literary Companion Position Description (PDF)

Literary Companion Daily Log (PDF)

It was Companionship-With-a-Difference. An extraordinary difference.

Blog Co-Author:

Zulekha ("Zuley") is a brilliant content writer who demonstrates empathy and compassion in storytelling.

Zulekha Ali (“Zuley”) is a freelance writer with a commitment to delivering informative and impactful content to enrich readers’ understanding and empower them to make informed decisions.

Blog Co-Author:

Susan Troyer, MS, BA, is author and curator of ABeautifulVoice.org.

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