Runner-up: Éloïse O’Dwyer-Armary on writing poetry about mental illness
updated on Sep 2, 2024
Named as a runner-up in the Happiful Poetry Prize 2024, Éloïse reflects on writing from a place of curiosity and what it means to be a ‘poet’
In the poem ‘bipolar is not a tragedy’, Éloïse O’Dwyer-Armary rewrote the story on this often stigmatised condition. The judges were impressed by the handling of this commonly misunderstood condition, which was explored in an engaging, powerful, and challenging form.
Here, Éloïse reflects on the choice to explore the topic of bipolar as well as what it means to be a poet.
1. Why did you decide to enter the Happiful Poetry Prize?
A friend who knows I write poetry about mental health forwarded me the call for submissions. I found it exciting to see a magazine that encourages mental health being described as empowering.
I knew I had the poem just right for it, which sits in my first chapbook Pink Goo. I am grateful that it resonated with the editors!
2. Could you tell us a little about your poem ‘bipolar is not a tragedy’
My poem is called ‘bipolar is not a tragedy’ and is a retelling of bipolar as a play. I was inspired by the comedy and tragedy masks that represent performing arts, which also apply to how the popular culture views bipolar: either manic or depressive.
One of my family members has bipolar. As they got diagnosed later in life, bipolar became a paint that coated all memories, even tainted success. Bipolar is described as a mental illness, whereas other neurodivergences – such as autism or ADHD – are seen as neuro differences.
People with bipolar have stable states, they don’t constantly shift from mania to depression, and they exist outside of mental hospitals and prisons. I wanted to fight against how disempowering it is to view a whole individual as mentally ill all their life; I think of it as stripping away their individuality to sketch them as archetypes, as in a Greek play.
Above all, I write from a place of love. I associate bipolar by using the pronoun ‘we’. I emphasise my relationship with someone I love and defend their humanity, their agency, and their right to express emotions.
3. When writing poetry, where do you find your inspiration?
I find inspiration in all places: In the gentle light on a leaf or a house, in smells that raise memories, and in film scenes that make me live a hundred other lives. Living is my writing material. I used to think I could only write when sad, or at least melancholic, but that is not true. I have forced myself to write poems from a place of joy, love, or curiosity. I have found that much harder, as happy metaphors are not as free-flowing and often feel more cliché, but to continue this seeking has allowed me to grow as a poet.
4. How do you approach writing a new poem?
All of the poetry I wrote when I started – this published poem included – comes from a spontaneous spark. I catch it in the moment, stop everything, take my phone out (or a notebook), and see what kind of flame I can grow at the end of my pen or keyboard. Then I edit.
I always say the poem out loud. I watch out for unintentional repetitions, or dull phrases, and trust my ear. As in film, editing is cutting, cutting, cutting. I have also written from prompts specifically for magazines. In those instances, I have to forget the publication-horizon and anchor myself in the present. This stage is about the poem, what it can be, and what it can say. If I enjoy the process and feel that it expands me as a human being, it means I have won.
5. What advice would you give to aspiring poets?
If you write poetry, you are a poet. There are no aspiring poets, you have already earned your place at the poetry table. Welcome.
You don’t have to write either, you can speak it and place yourself in the great tradition of oral literature. Then, share it. Once you have shared a poem for the first time, you have done the hardest bit of all. Your poems are gifts to the world. Seek a kind ear, look out for open mics – in-person or online – and find communities. Poetry doesn’t have to be a lonely act; you will find your people.
Submitting to magazines is part of that process of sharing your art with a receptive audience, and Happiful is a kind, supportive platform. You know what to do next!
Read Éloïse’s poem ‘bipolar is not a tragedy’ and others from 2024, here.
Enter the Happiful Poetry Prize 2025