Through viewing all my social media, there have been multiple occasions where I would see posts about this book. Each post would have a picture or written segment quoting one specific poem by Rupi Kaur. Every time I came across these poems I would stop, read it, and be touched. Every time. It struck me one day to see what the entirety of this book was because now, I was truly curious.
As soon as I started on the first poem, I was addicted. I could not put the book down until I had finished each one. Flipping through the book once more, I noticed I had folded down multiple poems that I related to or simply enjoyed. It was then that I realized why everyone loved it so much.
Rupi Kaur is a writer, an artist, and is passionate about expression. Poetry is one of the many forms of expression that she engages. Rupi Kaur discusses femininity, love, loss, trauma, healing, and divulges her experiences she has encountered through life and travel. “Milk and Honey” is a collection of poetry about violence, abuse, healing, love, loss, and femininity. The book is divided into four chapters. Each chapter serves a different purpose, deals with a different pain, heals a different heartache. “Milk and Honey” takes readers through a journey of the most bitter moments in life and finds sweetness in them because there is sweetness everywhere if you are just willing to look. Rupi Kaur targets those in love. Those in need of courage and motivation. Those who are empowered by self-improvement. Those hurting and in need of strength and love. Those fighting for equality and those who stand up for what they believe in. The poems in this book really peaked my interest and caught my attention. Two in particular say the following:
What terrifies me most is how we
foam at the mouth with envy
When others succeed
But sigh in relief
When they are failing
Our struggle to
Celebrate each other is
What’s proven most difficult
In being human
(page 201)
Your art
Is not about how many people
Like your work
Your art
Is about
If your heart likes your work
If your soul likes your work
It’s about how honest
You are with yourself
And you
Must never
Trade honesty
For relatability
-To all young poets
(page 202)
The way Rupi Kaur manipulates the spacing of her poems gives her the control to emphasize and accent certain lines. This reveals a different, unique voice to each poem while reading. The spaces force specific pauses drawing attention to each line and word to create meaning behind them. Rupi Kaur’s poems remind readers of simple important aspects about life and love that most tend to lose sight of. The advice from these poems served me many reminders to stay true to myself and fight for what I love. An influential aspect of Rupi Kaur’s writing was how she emphasized working on self-improvement first, then everything will come easier. After that, everything will be much more extraordinary. For example, you cannot help or love others until you help and love yourself. A perfect poem for this is on page 59 which says,
I do not want to have you
To fill the empty parts of me
I want to be full on my own
I want to be so complete
I could light a whole city
And then
I want to have you
Cause the two of us combined
Could set it on fire
Rupi Kaur gives blunt relationship advice that heals those in need of help or truth. I feel her words are cogent in order for those to move on or make a move. Rupi Kaur is very real and honest and I believe this is what more people need. I understand, now, why there is a great rage over this book.
I agree that it is extraordinary and fantastic and it has changed my life.
