Poetry for Veterans' Mental Health. A Practice Not to be Ignored.
Updated: 14 hours ago
Poetry has long served as an unlikely but powerful tool for veterans navigating the after-effects of service. Writing and reading verse offers a structured way to process experiences that don't always fit into ordinary conversation: grief, camaraderie, moral injury, the strange quiet of returning to civilian life.
What follows is a small collection, as suggested by our community, of poems that provide hope, motivation and purpose.
"A Man’s a Man for a’ That" by Robert Burns; with introduction from Steve Ward, President, Sandbag – The Veterans’ Society
"Calming the Waves" by Su Shi (Su Dongpo)
"Do Not Go Gentle into That Good Night" by Dylan Thomas
"'Hope' is the thing with feathers" by Emily Dickinson
"If" by Rudyard Kipling
"Invictus" by William Ernest Henley
"In Waters Deep" by Eileen Maloney
"The Infanteer" by 'A Gunner' NX70702
"The Road Not Taken" by Robert Frost
"The Roads Go Ever On" by JRR Tolkien
Final Thoughts
For many poetry also rebuilds a sense of connection to themselves, to others who've walked similar ground and to a wider community willing to listen. It doesn't replace treatment, but it can be part of the path through it. If you need mental health support, find local SG resources here and overseas resources at Bottom of Page.
Stay Healthy,
Alastair
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Related Studies and Resources
Kassab A, Jayatunge R, Bou Khalil R. The therapeutic functions of poetry in mental health: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Psychiatry Res. 2026 Feb;356:116897. doi: 10.1016/j.psychres.2025.116897. Epub 2025 Dec 11. PMID: 41411711.
Johnson-Laird PN, Oatley K. How poetry evokes emotions. Acta Psychol (Amst). 2022 Apr;224:103506. doi: 10.1016/j.actpsy.2022.103506. Epub 2022 Jan 29. PMID: 35101737.
Help for Heroes
Psychology Today: Whole Health Approach Boosts Mental and Spiritual Well-Being
WHO: World Mental Health Day, 10 October 2026, "Lived experiences heard: real voices, real change"
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