View article

This qualitative study seeks to present the discursive effects of SADUPA, a new poetry-based technique centered on haiku, in the context of psycho-oncological treatment. The technique is used with a terminal cancer patient, Mr A. The psychological processes involved with and the poetic writings arising from the technique are discussed. In particular, the discursive variations in Mr A’s narrative of his illness are described as they occurred before and after his poetry writing. The authors suggest that writing workshops based on the brief poetic structures of the haiku can enable patients to produce a larger and more singular narrative about their end-of-life experiences.