Can Poetry Contribute to the Peace Process? April is National Poetry Month

We live in trying times. The daily newscasts are filled with stories about poverty, crime, natural disasters, politics, and, of course, war. With so many armed conflicts raging all over the globe, diplomacy is often cast aside in favor of conflict. Words and voices of peace are often shouted down by demagogues who are intent on feeding the war machine. In ancient times, poets were revered by their fellow citizens as people who took an active part in political issues and in keeping the peace. As many poets are true idealists in this world of strife, perhaps we should turn to them more often for inspiration.

(PRWEB) April 2, 2006 -- We live in trying times. The daily newscasts are filled with stories about poverty, crime, natural disasters, politics, and, of course, war. With so many armed conflicts raging all over the globe, diplomacy is often cast aside in favor of conflict. Words and voices of peace are often shouted down by demagogues who are intent on feeding the war machine. In ancient times, poets were revered by their fellow citizens as people who took an active part in political issues and in keeping the peace. As many poets are true idealists in this world of strife, perhaps we should turn to them more often for inspiration.

“When you are touched by poetry, it creates a positive energy in you,” says Alicia Ghiragossian, poet and author of Peace Quantum (Yerevan State University, 2006). “I truly believe that energy is contagious and can expand. Humankind needs to be aware about the life and happiness-creating effects of Love, Peace and Forgiveness.”

Ghiragossian’s poetry was put together to pay respect to those who have given their lives for Peace and love like Martin Luther King, Jr. and Mahatma Gandhi. It is her fervent hope that her words can help contribute to creating peace on this planet. “Peace starts in the heart of individuals,” says Ghiragossian. “I write about Peace because words have a soul and they can travel to other souls through ultrasonic waves, which cannot be detected by human senses.”

Her poetry is designed to register directly into the subconscious. Ghiragossian founded the “meta-dimensional” theory of poetry, in which she exposed the essential elements of metaphors. Her latest book has been praised by some of the world’s most famous proponents of peace.

“Books like these will contribute towards the spread of peace in the world,” said The Dalai Lama, Nobel Peace Laureate.

In order to communicate with as wide of an audience as possible, she borrows the language of science to explore the nature of peace and love in three languages: English, Spanish and Armenian. “I think that everything in the universe is connected,” says Ghiragossian. “When you have the heart and soul of a poet, I guess you can find the poetical side of anything that deals with the search of life, even of science.”

Her work is known all over the world. She has earned international prizes and has been published in English, Spanish, Armenian, Italian, Persian, Greek, and French. It has also been translated into Portuguese, Russian, and Swedish.

She is especially well-known in Armenia, where her work has inspired generations of young poets and classrooms are named after her. Her bronze bust rests in the National Museum of Arts and Literature of the Republic of Armenia, where she remains an important celebrity to this day.

More than three decades ago, her creations brought such a new voice within Armenian literature that newspapers printing her poems were sold at twenty times their value. For the first time in Armenian, and perhaps in world history, a black market of poetry was created. Since then, she has become one of the most beloved poets of the Armenian people and her works have become best sellers.

With 44 volumes of her poetry published, her work is considered to be among the giants of world poetry, attracting the attention of many famous luminaries. In fact, she is the only living poet whose work was illustrated by the legendary Pablo Picasso.

Ghiragossian’s book, Peace Quantum, presents its poetry in a unique way. The poems are laid out side-by-side in English, Spanish, and Armenian. It is one of the world’s first truly trilingual poetry book. Accompanying her book is a CD of her poems, set to the music of Chopin, and a DVD with a short film.

For an advance review copy of the book or to set up an interview with Alicia Ghiragossian for a story, please contact Jay Wilke at 727-443-7115, ext. 223

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