The Psychology of Rumi's Poetry

“Do not feel lonely, the entire universe is inside of you.” — Rumi

A few months back, I got an apricot mini poodle. When meeting him for the first time, I gazed into his eyes and sensed a deep wisdom filled with love. It didn’t take long for me to name him Rumi, after my favorite Sufi poet.

Yesterday, in celebration of my 70^th birthday, I spent a lot of time reading the works of Jalaluddin Rumi. For years he has been my teacher and guide, someone who has given words to familiar experiences and feelings. His poems often have to do with matters of the heart, mind, and soul—and because of all the uncertainty and chaos in the universe, I believe his poetry is something we all need right now.

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Timeless Poetry

According to Marianna Pogosyan, Ph.D. (2023), poetry has moved humanity for millennia. Research has shown various reasons why, such as it arouses profound emotions, sends readers on a meaning-finding quest, provides aesthetic pleasure, and is also a place where healing can occur.

Rumi’s poetry offers a deep sense of love while weaving in themes of self-awareness and self-acceptance, which are essential to personal transformation. We also cannot over-emphasize the importance of love and having a deep sense of connection—something that Rumi advocated centuries ago. Being interconnected with the rest of humanity can inspire more compassion in the universe.

The fact is that we are all connected by our egos, but through Rumi’s poems, we are reminded that we are not only our egos—our egos make us forget the common source of humanity. Egos tend to divide rather than connect. This is one of the many reasons his poetry has transcended time.

His poetry reminds us of the longing for belonging. In her Ph.D. dissertation, Mansouri (2010) compares six of Rumi’s poems to illustrate the longing for belonging with the beloved through the lens of Jung’s individuation or the return to wholeness, which is inherent to life’s essence.

Rumi was born around September 30, 1207, and died December 17, 1273, which, by today’s standards, is a very short life. He was born in what is now called Afghanistan. It’s no surprise that he descended from a long line of judges, theologians, and mystics. His family eventually settled in Konya, now located in south-central Turkey. It is there that Rumi meets his teacher and mentor, Shams. Before becoming a poet, Rumi was a preacher. When he met Shams, a philosopher and free thinker, he became inspired to create poetry.

In his book, Rumi: The Big Red Book (2010), Coleman Barks, who has translated much of Rumi’s poetry, says that over the last 12 years of his life, Rumi wrote or dictated his longest luminous poem called “The Masnavi.” It ended up being 64,000 lines of poetry, divided into six books.

Bridging Psychology and Culture

Rumi was a universalist in that his poetry crossed religious sectors and faiths due to its great wisdom, clarity, and love. Many claim that his poetry deepened their own spiritual practices, in addition to serving as a bridge from religion to culture to psychology.

Those who attended Rumi’s funeral were united from all faiths. One of the inscriptions on Rumi’s tomb says, “Do not look for him here, but rather in the hearts of those who loved him.”

Barks (2010) says that Rumi is one of the greatest souls and spiritual teachers. In so many ways, he has shown us our glory. He wants his readers to be more alive, to wake up and be happy and full of love. “Basically, what Rumi aspired to do is to help us see the beauty in ourselves and in others.”

Words From the Heart

Rumi’s poems are best understood by the heart because they’re written from the heart; reading his poems is also a way to open our hearts. In The Essential Rumi, Barks says, “His poems have never been for me, or most readers, museum curious from the 13th century. They are food and drink, nourishment for the part that is hungry for what they give.” (p. xv).

Each generation has its moments of uncertainty, but with six grandchildren in tow, I can’t help but wonder what future generations will find important and what universal truths they will adhere to. I look forward to the day when my grandchildren are old enough for me to share my love for Rumi with them. My hope is that Rumi’s wisdom will then also live in their hearts.

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Here is an excerpt from one of his famous poems:

(Source: Rumi: The Big Red Book, by Coleman Barks, translator)

The Guest House

This being human is a guest house.
Every morning a new arrival.

A joy, a depression, a meanness,
some momentary awareness comes
as an unexpected visitor.

Welcome and entertain them all!
Even if they’re a crowd of sorrows,
who violently sweep your house
empty of its furniture,
still treat each guest honorably.
He may be clearing you out
for some new delight.