The Role of Poetry Writing in Emotion Regulation and Self-strengthening of Elementary School Children

Thiani Nurussaadah, Thiana Nurussakinah, Isah Cahyani, Arie Rakhmat Riyadi

Abstract


The problem raised in this study is the low ability of elementary school children to express emotions and build self-confidence verbally. This study aims to explore the role of poetry writing activities as a medium of expression to support the process of emotion regulation and self-strengthening among students. Using a qualitative approach with a case study design, the research involved six fifth-grade students of a public elementary school. Poetry writing activities were conducted regularly over six sessions across two months. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews, classroom observations, documentation of students’ poetry works, and teacher reflection notes as the main research instruments. The findings show that repeated poetry writing activities created a safe and flexible symbolic space for children to express feelings that were previously difficult to convey verbally. Through sustained engagement, students reported feeling relieved, happy, and motivated to continue writing outside of class. Positive changes were observed in emotional openness, self-reflection, and active classroom participation. These developments emerged gradually, indicating that the emotional and self-strengthening benefits of poetry writing require consistent practice rather than a single intervention. In conclusion, regularly implemented poetry writing serves as an effective reflective and expressive learning approach, playing an important role in fostering emotion regulation and providing an early foundation for the self-strengthening of elementary school children.

Keywords


Emotional Expression; Emotional Regulation; Elementary School Students; Poetry Writing; Self-Empowerment

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References


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DOI: https://doi.org/10.53400/mimbar-sd.v12i4.94747

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