CRITICAL JOURNAL REVIEW

POETRY APPRECIATION

Name : Restu Putri Hutabalian

Nim : 2203520020
Class : English literature 20 A
Lecturer : Winda Setiasari, SS. M. Hum. PhD Sari

ENGLISH LITERATURE STUDY PROGRAM

DEPARTMENT OF LANGUAGE AND
MEDAN STATE UNIVERSITY
2021
 CHAPTER I
INTRODUCTION

1.1 The Important of CJR

A Critical Journal Review (CJR) can be defined as an evaluation of an article that will be
reviewed. The importance of conducting CJR or students are that we can find out the
connects of the article regarding the advantages and disadvantages of the article, what is
interesting about the article, how the content of the article can affect the way reader’s
think and increase the reader’s understanding of a particular field of study. In other
words, through CJR, the reader (reviewer) tests the mind of the author/writer based on
knowledge and experience.

1.2 The Purpose of CJR

1. To fulfill the compulsory assignments for the Poetry Appreciation course.
2. To train students to think critically in finding the information provided by each
chapter of a journal.
3. Find strengths and weaknesses of a journal.
4. Understand how to criticize a journal.
5. Get the comparison results of each chapter in a journal.

1.3 The Benefits of CJR

1. Knowing the strengths and weaknesses of the journal reviewed.
2. Helping readers to know a general description and assessment of a journal or work in
concise manner.
3. Fostering creative and critical thinking in studying a journal.
4. Obtain constructive criticism and suggestions from readers for the good of the next
paper.
5. Students can develop a reading culture.
6. Students can express opinions in viewing a journal being reviewed.

1.4 Identity of The Journal

Title : The potential therapeutic benefits of reading poetry to nursing home
residents: the road less travelled?

Author : Joan Healey, Chris Hopkins, Alex McClimens & David Peplow

Publisher : Routledge, Journal of Poetry Therapy, 2017

Number of page : 14 pages

ISSN : 1567-2344

Volume : 30, NO. 3, 153–165

 CHAPTER II
SUMMARY OF THE JOURNAL
2.1 Introduction
This journal is about a small project to carry out nursing home poetry, building on available
evidence of the benefits of poetry. For the older population the importance of social
interactions such as listening, talking, storytelling, and reminiscing.
2.2 Methodology
For their method, the writer used a qualitative method, namely by contacting the coordinator
of the nursing home, visiting the participants' houses, identifying the type of material most
suitable for the target. The writer recorded each interview session to collect data so that it
could be investigated how they talked about the poem.
2.3 Aims and Objectives
The principal aim of the project was to improve the well-being and connectivity of the care-
home residents. From this our objectives were to:
 Compile a portfolio of materials that the audience finds attractive.
 Make some estimate of the benefits for the audience.
 Work with the activities coordinator to sustain the reading group beyond the life of
the project.
2.4 The poems: reminiscence and catharsis
They have confined themselves to the analysis of those poems that seem to us to elicit the
strongest reaction from their audience. The question of why some voices should produce
strong reactions and others have little or no reaction will be considered as part of the
discussion. The poems to focus on are Poem by Simon Armitage (2001, p. 39), Night Mail by
W. H. Auden (1966, p. 83), and Love After Love by Derek Walcott (1992, p. 328).
A. Night mail
The obvious rhythm of the piece of this poem seemed to catch the mood of the group,
with one member commenting on the sound of Auden's poem, saying that it evoked
“The rhythm of the train". The much admired evocation byte poem of the varying
rhythms of the mail train, which clearly had an immediate impact on the group
members, was partly a result of this multi-media collaboration between Auden, the
film's editor, R.Q. McNaughton, and one of the film's two directors, Basil Wright.

The poetry group certainly identified the core topics of the poem-the excitements of
train travel and of sending and receiving letters-and also responded immediately to the
poetic effects of rhythm and variation which bring those topics alive. The period from
which the poem comes, and the continued importance of these forms of
communication into the nineteen-fifties may also have contributed to the positive
reception of this poem by the group: in their early adulthood train travel and letters
were probably both everyday experiences and yet potentially sources of access to less
everyday possibilities. Once initial evaluations of the poem were made by the group,
 the discussion of Night Mail moved on to personal memories that were evoked. The
poem sparked a range of memories from the group, with some remembering train
journeys and trips to London.

B. Love after love

Similar to Auden’s Night Mail, Walcott’s Love After Love seemed to been joyed by
the group, provoking some strong responses. Although letters are not so central a
theme in the Walcott poem as in Night Mail, the poem implores readers to
“Takedown the love letters from a bookshelf and this may be the specific catalyst for
the disclosure of the personal narrative in Extract 3 below. This was not surprising,
since the poem's discussion of the relationship between "You" and "You" is far from
immediately available and is based throughout on the paradox that the addressee is
seen both as an integrated entity and as a split identity: “You will love again the
stranger who was yourself".

The poem is making use of the kind of language which we would expect in a poem
about love. This is evident not only in the reference to "Love letters" but in phrases
which point towards deep emotion and relationships, such as "Each will smile at the
other' welcome", "Give back your heart", "Ignored for another". It undoubtedly is a
love poem in that it is about intricate, changing, sometimes elated, sometimes
"Desperate" relationships between the divided and unified self.

C. Poem
Perhaps due to the nature and content of Poem, reminiscence was avoided by the
group members. Armitage's sonnet received a mixed reaction, and although the poem
was not universally liked, it did provoke strong feelings. Poem proceeds with a list of
observations made with regular iambic pentameter and end-stopped rhymes, but this
apparently simple design masks an unsettling narrative in which the unidentified main
character engages in a number of morally reprehensible activities.

Justas the poem radically disrupts the sonnet form, it also challenges assumptions
readers might have about morality. Across these two short passages of talk F1 made
links between the poem and contemporary politics. Poem seemed to have a palpable
effect on the group and the discussion sparked interesting debate, moving the talk
away from a dependency on discourses of the past.

2.5 Discussion

A great deal of the discussion involved reminiscence, but we might perhaps see some poems
as evoking a much more personal reminiscence than others. Reminiscence as a therapy has
been widely used in work with older people, with reminiscence today concerning "The
process of thinking or telling someone about past experiences that are personally significant".
There are various forms and categorizations of reminiscence from "Simple" reminiscence,
involvingautobiographicalanecdotalrecallofmemoriestopromoteidentitymaintenance and more
"Evaluative" forms of guided reviews of life events, through to in-depth review of past
trauma to promote a more positive adaptation to life circumstances.
The distinction is usually made between life review, a more structured process for an
individual purpose and reminiscence, with a more general aim of recalling and describing
past events. Although the use of reminiscence as a therapeutic intervention has its critics,
some more recent studies and meta-analyses have shown more of a connection between
reminiscence interventions and improvements in wellbeing and mental health.

The members of the group found Poem a difficult text to discuss, but it was successful in the
sense that the poem prompted strong reactions and, perhaps most importantly, encouraged the
facilitators and the participants to move away from a dependency on reminiscence and to
focus instead on ethical decisions about the poem's protagonist.

2.6 Conclusion

When they began their inquiry, they shared an uncomplicated notion that reading poetry
aloud to people was an unqualified “good thing”, that might, with further, more rigorous
study, be shown to demonstrate measurable improvements in health and well-being. In
reviewing our efforts, however, they had to concede that have generated more questions than
answers and our understanding of the therapeutic effects of poetry is still in development.

All of this notwithstanding, their innovative approach involving analysis of group talk
coupled with literary analysis has allowed us to investigate the potential for poetry to act as a
catalyst for discussion and self-disclosure. The poetry readings evidently opened up a space
in which participants felt able to discuss their own experiences and, as the above extracts
demonstrate, these moments of self-reflection could be valuable and affirming. Reminiscence
was prominent in their encounter with the residents and there is plenty in the literature to
account for its place in this kind of settings.

It may well be that there needs to much more attention paid to both the potential meanings
and effects of the poetry itself (including particular poems and types or genres of poetry) and
the discourses, practices and contexts which inevitably mediate and interpret those meanings
for the audiences whom the practice or of poetry therapy is intended to benefit.
 CHAPTER III
DISCUSION
A. The Strength of This Journal
1. This journal is presents the most basic and easy to understand material and is used
to learn about potential reading poem and the purpose to nuring home.
2. This journal hows how important it is for someone young or old in knowing how
to read poetry.
3. Use the world that are not too complicated and provide examples of material that
exist in life.
4. This Journal also adds insight and adds to the unerstanding of the meaning of
poetry that maybe other people just read like me.
5. Tell readers that even older living in nursing homes cand and succesfully recite
these poem, all though not all of the them. So, the generation will definitely be
more succesful, because that are very valuable benefit it is also a very good
reading culture.
6. The authors tells the importance of this journal as well as its education for
everyone especially for students.
7. At the end of this journal the authors provides ba referance to the material prented.
8. The authors make the web page of this journal, so that the readers can find this
journal eith easy.
B. The Weakness of This Jornal
So far, this journal has no shortcomings because everything looks as it should be, it’s
just that the style of the letters in the extract writng in this journal makes a slight
difference in the style of the letters.

CHAPTER IV
CONCLUSION AND SUGGESTION
A. Conclusion
For isscusion of this journal about the summary and weaknesses and strengthen, it can
be concluded that they do not detract from substance of the message the authors wants
to convey the reader.Every journal has its own weaknesses and strengthen makes the
journal interesting. Therefore, this CJR authors does not intend to drop or increase the
value of a journal but to inform the reader that this journal is like this.
B. Suggestion
For the authors of this journal , in my opinion, it is better if the authors pay attention
to wrting style . Through a review and summary of this journl, it is hoped that readers
will bw able to understand the mateial of this journal. The author of this CJR happy to
accept suggestions and critism from the readers. The authors hopes that readers can
convey critism and suggestions to the benefit of further reviews.