Bibliotherapeutic Analysis of Dobriša Cesarić’s Poem Sakriveni Bol in Work with Primary School Children – Case Study

Abstract

 Introduction: Poetry represents a powerful literary instrument capable of penetrating the inner world of children and leaving a lasting mark. It also enables children to recognize and express emotions that are otherwise difficult to verbalize. Although not originally written for children, the poem Sakriveni bol by Dobriša Cesarić offers an intense emotional charge that can be effectively used in bibliotherapeutic work.

 Aim: The aim of this paper is to examine the bibliotherapeutic potential of the poem Sakriveni bol in working with primary school pupils, through both literary analysis and emotional reception of the poem among students.

 Materials and Methods: The case study method was used, which includes a quantitative component (a questionnaire on students’ emotional reactions rated on a 1–3 scale) and a qualitative component (a semi-structured group discussion with bibliotherapy questions). This approach allowed for the identification of initial emotional reactions, as well as a deeper understanding of their meaning through reflection and discussion.

 Results: The results show that most students recognized emotions of sadness or unease in the poem, while as many as 83.33% of sixth-grade students reported being left with lingering questions and a sense of unfamiliar inner disturbance after reading.

 Conclusion: The poem Sakriveni bol has been useful as a valuable bibliotherapeutic text capable of stimulating emotional responses among primary school pupils. Through engagement with the poem, the students demonstrated an ability to recognize and differentiate emotions, which is an important step in their emotional development.