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Within and Between: Poems by Robert H. Deluty
Gateway, 2000, 82 pages, $15.95.
By Robert H. Deluty,
Let me start off this review by disclosing a personal anecdote I had with Dr. Deluty’s Within and Between. I had never been a poetry person, I never enjoyed the tons of poetry I had to read during my high school years, and I never understood what the writers meant. However, when I came across Dr. Deluty’s work I was highly surprised not only by his research interests and achievements but mainly by the method he chose to convey his findings: through poetry. So I gave poetry a second chance because I knew that this would be the best way to get into his work. Now, here I am, reviewing Within and Between which not only made me appreciate poetry, it also introduced me to a new dimension of addressing human conditions.
Dr. Robert Deluty is a clinical psychologist and faculty member at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County. His poems are a product of his personal experiences, his professional practice with his patients, his rich imagination and his enthusiasm to present the world in a different fashion. Within and Between is for those who want to improve their lives while opening their minds to new perspectives. It is also an opportunity to get introduced into poetry. This is a testimony of an ordinary person showing to his readers that life is both enjoyable and painful at the same time, for everyone.
Whoever sees the title of this book may be wondering about its meaning. I interpreted it in two ways. On the one hand, the title reflects the content of the poems. It shows what a person experiences within his/her mind and within his/her heart. Also, it reveals what a person lives through interpersonal experiences, that is, the individual’s relationships between him/herself and the others. On the other hand, and for the purposes of bibliotherapy, the title may conveniently imply that it could be used within the psychotherapy session and/or between sessions. That will depend upon the psychotherapist professional judgment.
One of the big strengths of this book is its resourcefulness. The poem’s themes are diverse, so regardless of the problem the client may have; the book may have an answer. As Dr. Deluty states: “the stories I tell through my poems, however, are not only about trauma, loss, and their aftermath. I also share stories about the pleasures and struggles (for myself and for others) of being a spouse, a parent, a child, a sibling, a teacher, a clinician, and a human being” (Deluty, 2003, p. 59). Reading these poems is like going through an emotional journey. It gives the reader the opportunity to see another perspective of everyday situations while having a different experience.
Utilizing Within and Between in a therapeutic environment will be very useful for a number of reasons. First, it instills relief because it allows the reader to see that pain and suffering are inherent in the fact that we are all human. Seeing that one’s pain is not that special or unique is in itself a source of relief. However, it could also trigger hopelessness emotions. These issues should be addressed and elaborated in the session, in order to prevent potential negative emotions that might arise.
Second, it serves as a third party participant during the sessions. The client, by reading a poem in a timely moment of the session, may understand what the psychotherapist is trying to communicate. A poem, therefore, can provide an example of what the psychotherapist is meaning in a more clear fashion. Furthermore, it can also provide a third perspective, in addition to the client’s and the psychotherapist’s perspective. A poem can open doors in the client’s mind that otherwise would stay closed. As Dr. Deluty states: “with both my therapy clients and the readers of my poetry, my goal is to assist them in perceiving people (including themselves), as well as objects, experiences, and events, in new and different ways” (Deluty, 2003, p. 59).
Another interesting strength of this book is that it provides a milieu to face ethnicity issues. Dr. Deluty is a descendant of a family heavily affected by the Jewish Holocaust, and many of his poems relate to matters of injustice, prejudice and misconceptions. These issues are of crucial importance nowadays and seem to be achieving greater relevance over time. Thus, it serves as a testimony of survival and resilience for those who are depressed and hopeless.
Another component that might be addressed in psychotherapy using this book is a sense of humor. A number of his poems are Senryu poetry, which is a Japanese literary style consisting of three-line poems reflecting human situations. The third phrase concludes the poem and is generally an ironic or satiric situation. Some Senryu poems could sound cruel when addressing some painful facts that ordinary people have to deal with. An example of these Senryu poems in the book is: “after the divorce/heart-shaped birthmark/becomes cancerous”. A poem like this could be misinterpreted or misunderstood in some situations, especially when the client does not possess a good level of sense of humor. In this sense, the client should have a certain level of maturity and ego strength in order to understand some poems and not being negatively affected by them. Certainly, the therapist should be well trained and cognizant of the client’s personality and current situation before trying to use a Senryu poem in therapy.
Beyond, even the most satirical Senryu poems are an opportunity to come back to real life and touch reality. This is true especially for the clients who are denying it or tend to avoid it, due to defense mechanisms. Then this is an opportunity for the therapist to help them connect with reality through a poem interpretation.
Within and Between can also be used between therapy sessions as a reflection and thought provoking tool. It allows the patient to find help outside the psychotherapy session, while introducing him/her to a literary dimension of helpfulness. Further, it can also be used to enhance the client’s interactions with others as a “neutral” tool. For instance, it could be used as a means of starting a discussion with a significant other. In turn, the client could get potentially useful feedback to be discussed later on with the psychotherapist.
This book may have some potential limitations. First, it is better suited for adolescents and adult clients, since its language could be hardly understandable for a child under 12 years. Second, the ironic and/or satiric humor might be more appropriate for an adult than for a teenager. Third, those who do not enjoy poetry and are not willing to give it a chance could also reject the book. Finally, it might also be hard to understand for people with very concrete thought and for those who are not used to going beyond what is evident.
Dr. Deluty’s Within and Between would be an excellent therapeutic tool because it helps bringing about hope and relief to the client, provoking insight and bringing to the session new perspectives of people and life. It encompasses a broad array of themes going from the happy moments of everyday life to the deep and dark situations that a person can go through in life. This book conveys a warm perspective of life, sometimes in a funny fashion but always in a realistic way.
Reference
Deluty, R.H. (2003). Connecting, unburdening, and enlightening: Reflections on poetry and psychotherapy. Voices: The Art and Science of Psychotherapy, 39 (3), 57-62.