SUBJECT-MATTER AND POETIC DEVICES IN PSYCHOTICS POETRY

It has long been supposed that there is a connection between the menta l processes of psychosis and those of creativity. The present study ai med to investigate this idea by means of a comparison between the poet ic output of psychotics and that of normals, taking as its starting-po int the notion that if there are observable differences between these two groups in terms of subject matter and linguistic features, this wo uld suggest that creativity and psychosis are not to be identified wit h each other. Eighty poems by contemporary, non-professional poets (40 by psychotics and 40 by normals) were analysed on 11 different dimens ions. The two samples-of poems were highly similar on most of the dime nsions investigated. The main differences found were in the incidence of self-analysis as a theme, reference to proper names and specific lo cations, and in the proportion of metaphors which fell into the catego ry 'psychological/physical'. The two latter differences appeared to li e largely a product of the first. It was concluded that although 'norm al' and 'psychotic' poetic activities are not identical, they are clos ely related. This may be either because general poetic creativity does have psychotic features, or because the poetic function of language w as relatively spaced in at least this sample of psychotics.