View in EDS

Cancer in Poetry—Poetry in Cancer: A Linguistic Analysis of Poems by Poets on Their Own Cancer and on the Cancer of Their Loved Ones.

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Title: Cancer in Poetry—Poetry in Cancer: A Linguistic Analysis of Poems by Poets on Their Own Cancer and on the Cancer of Their Loved Ones.
Authors: Kaptein, Ad A. (AUTHOR), Hanser, Waldie E. (AUTHOR), Schoones, Jan W. (AUTHOR), Boot, Peter (AUTHOR), Pennebaker, James W. (AUTHOR), Hughes, Brian M. (AUTHOR)
Source: Psycho-Oncology. Oct2025, Vol. 34 Issue 10, p1-10. 10p.
Subjects: Poetry (Literary form), Linguistic analysis, Tumors, Grief, Psychological resilience, Medical humanities, Self-management (Psychology), Self-expression
Abstract: Background: Poems related to cancer offer a rich perspective on the clinical reality of living with cancer. Therefore, in this paper, poems written by poets about their own cancer and about the cancer of loved ones are examined in the context of communal coping. Methods: We analyzed 123 poems by 14 poets writing about their own cancer, and 72 poems by 8 poets writing about the cancer of their loved ones, with Linguistic Inquiry and Word Count software (LIWC). Results: LIWC‐scores drawn from poems about one's own cancer exhibited a limited use of "third‐person singular", social words ("family", "female", "male"), and time orientation ("focus past"), and an increased focus on the present. Support for this observation comes from significant correlations between words related to the present, body, and health, with strong, negative emotions. Poems about loved ones who suffer cancer tend to focus on grief and mourning, and to exhibit melancholy and represent paternal, maternal, spousal, and filial elegies. Conclusions: The linguistic characteristics and content of poems by poets writing about their cancer or about the cancer of their loved ones provides rich insights. This linguistic analysis of poems regarding cancer can be used in the further development of theory and clinical application of self‐management approaches for persons with cancer, in support of expressive writing interventions, bibliotherapy, photovoice, art therapy, and health humanities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
Copyright of Psycho-Oncology is the property of Wiley-Blackwell and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)
Database: Psychology and Behavioral Sciences Collection
FullText Text:
  Availability: 0
Header DbId: pbh
DbLabel: Psychology and Behavioral Sciences Collection
An: 188899367
AccessLevel: 6
PubType: Academic Journal
PubTypeId: academicJournal
PreciseRelevancyScore: 0
IllustrationInfo
Items – Name: Title
  Label: Title
  Group: Ti
  Data: Cancer in Poetry—Poetry in Cancer: A Linguistic Analysis of Poems by Poets on Their Own Cancer and on the Cancer of Their Loved Ones.
– Name: Author
  Label: Authors
  Group: Au
  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Kaptein%2C+Ad+A%2E%22">Kaptein, Ad A.</searchLink> (AUTHOR)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Hanser%2C+Waldie+E%2E%22">Hanser, Waldie E.</searchLink> (AUTHOR)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Schoones%2C+Jan+W%2E%22">Schoones, Jan W.</searchLink> (AUTHOR)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Boot%2C+Peter%22">Boot, Peter</searchLink> (AUTHOR)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Pennebaker%2C+James+W%2E%22">Pennebaker, James W.</searchLink> (AUTHOR)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Hughes%2C+Brian+M%2E%22">Hughes, Brian M.</searchLink> (AUTHOR)
– Name: TitleSource
  Label: Source
  Group: Src
  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="JN" term="%22Psycho-Oncology%22">Psycho-Oncology</searchLink>. Oct2025, Vol. 34 Issue 10, p1-10. 10p.
– Name: Subject
  Label: Subjects
  Group: Su
  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Poetry+%28Literary+form%29%22">Poetry (Literary form)</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Linguistic+analysis%22">Linguistic analysis</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Tumors%22">Tumors</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Grief%22">Grief</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Psychological+resilience%22">Psychological resilience</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Medical+humanities%22">Medical humanities</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Self-management+%28Psychology%29%22">Self-management (Psychology)</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Self-expression%22">Self-expression</searchLink>
– Name: Abstract
  Label: Abstract
  Group: Ab
  Data: Background: Poems related to cancer offer a rich perspective on the clinical reality of living with cancer. Therefore, in this paper, poems written by poets about their own cancer and about the cancer of loved ones are examined in the context of communal coping. Methods: We analyzed 123 poems by 14 poets writing about their own cancer, and 72 poems by 8 poets writing about the cancer of their loved ones, with Linguistic Inquiry and Word Count software (LIWC). Results: LIWC‐scores drawn from poems about one's own cancer exhibited a limited use of "third‐person singular", social words ("family", "female", "male"), and time orientation ("focus past"), and an increased focus on the present. Support for this observation comes from significant correlations between words related to the present, body, and health, with strong, negative emotions. Poems about loved ones who suffer cancer tend to focus on grief and mourning, and to exhibit melancholy and represent paternal, maternal, spousal, and filial elegies. Conclusions: The linguistic characteristics and content of poems by poets writing about their cancer or about the cancer of their loved ones provides rich insights. This linguistic analysis of poems regarding cancer can be used in the further development of theory and clinical application of self‐management approaches for persons with cancer, in support of expressive writing interventions, bibliotherapy, photovoice, art therapy, and health humanities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
– Name: AbstractSuppliedCopyright
  Label:
  Group: Ab
  Data: <i>Copyright of Psycho-Oncology is the property of Wiley-Blackwell and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract.</i> (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)
PLink https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=pbh&AN=188899367
RecordInfo BibRecord:
  BibEntity:
    Identifiers:
      – Type: doi
        Value: 10.1002/pon.70297
    Languages:
      – Code: eng
        Text: English
    PhysicalDescription:
      Pagination:
        PageCount: 10
        StartPage: 1
    Subjects:
      – SubjectFull: Poetry (Literary form)
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Linguistic analysis
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Tumors
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Grief
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Psychological resilience
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Medical humanities
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Self-management (Psychology)
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Self-expression
        Type: general
    Titles:
      – TitleFull: Cancer in Poetry—Poetry in Cancer: A Linguistic Analysis of Poems by Poets on Their Own Cancer and on the Cancer of Their Loved Ones.
        Type: main
  BibRelationships:
    HasContributorRelationships:
      – PersonEntity:
          Name:
            NameFull: Kaptein, Ad A.
      – PersonEntity:
          Name:
            NameFull: Hanser, Waldie E.
      – PersonEntity:
          Name:
            NameFull: Schoones, Jan W.
      – PersonEntity:
          Name:
            NameFull: Boot, Peter
      – PersonEntity:
          Name:
            NameFull: Pennebaker, James W.
      – PersonEntity:
          Name:
            NameFull: Hughes, Brian M.
    IsPartOfRelationships:
      – BibEntity:
          Dates:
            – D: 01
              M: 10
              Text: Oct2025
              Type: published
              Y: 2025
          Identifiers:
            – Type: issn-print
              Value: 10579249
          Numbering:
            – Type: volume
              Value: 34
            – Type: issue
              Value: 10
          Titles:
            – TitleFull: Psycho-Oncology
              Type: main
ResultId 1