Milk and Honey

I will say it: I LOVE THIS BOOK! I borrowed it initially from my friend and it was a very simple, easy, fast and lovely read. In a couple of hours I was done. But as soon as I was done I realised that I will buy this book to have in my library (and the reason was simple: it is good to have at any time, but especially after a break up) plus I immediately wanted to go back to the beginning and start it up again. It is a book about love and destruction - split into 4 chapters: the hurting, the loving, the breaking and the healing. A rock & anthem to women, all shapes and sizes, no matter their colour or train of thought. It is simple, heart-breaking, self loving poetry. So light as cotton candy yet so powerful with every word that shakes your core.

I am astonished at the simplicity and beauty of this book, both in terms of it's aesthetic design and the prose employed. The poems are terse stripped pieces with very little use of metaphor. The poems consist of short intense prose covering themes of trauma and empowerment. Some of the poems work as directive haikus which urge the reader to feel. The poems have a quite profound effect because of their apparent artless simplicity. The ditching of normal poetry techniques, such as rhyme, metre and punctuation; mean that the poems are quite easy to read. In summary a wonderful book which contains very powerful feminist themes; I would urge everyone to read it. I am very impressed.

Although vulgar at times for the older crowd. This was a brilliant book. I went on to purchase every single one she’s wrote and it really got me in to poetry. I will forever thank this book for doing what it’s done.

**RATING: 4.5/5** Right, so a lot of people have been criticising this book (here and on other sites) for not being 'real poetry.' It's considered 'too Tumblr', or is regarded as 'poorly written' for not containing many 'real' poetic devices. The reviewers with this line of thinking usually go on to recommend other 'real' poets such as Syliva Plath, Emily Dickinson, Emily Berry, Edgar Allen Poe, Carol Ann Duffy, etc. To that, I would like to say that there is no such thing as a 'real' poet -- it's entirely subjective. Even after reading the works of all of the aforementioned poets and more (Charles Bukowski was another popular suggestion -- I've read some of his works, too), I still prefer the work of Rupi. I want to make it clear that I think ALL of the above poets are talented. The other poets that I have mentioned do have more 'colourful' poems in terms of imagery, showing and not telling; the themes discussed. However, a poet's ability to use such devices (for me) isn't entirely what makes a 'good' poet. If you're solely after eloquent metaphors/imagery in a poem, regardless of the poem's theme/how accessible it may be to you, then maybe Rupi's book is not for you. Instead, I would suggest reading works from any of the above poets, as I found that I could appreciate their works for how well-crafted they were (although, at times, I did find Rupi's imagery to be quite striking). If, however, you like to read poems that you can easily relate to; with deeper meanings that are easier to grasp, and you appreciate the beautiful simplicity in which these ideas can be expressed, then I would recommend reading 'Milk and Honey.' I found that while Rupi's language wasn't the most eloquent or 'grand' on the whole, her work was highly emotive. She also has a talent for putting into words the things that not all of us can easily express; she does so powerfully. I think that whether or not you will like this book really depends on what you look for in a poet. To me, this was such a thought-provoking collection, and I can't wait to see what she comes up with next.

This is a book you can tell the authors heart has been poured into, and beautifully so. The back cover of the book lists the chapters, which so perfectly describe the essence of the book, and are grouped into short collections of storys which reflect the titles of the chapters. The author allows you a glimpse into their life, and even though it’s just black markings on a page it feels like you’re watching, feeling and experiencing it happen from their perspective. The illustrations are a wispy fashion, and match the atmosphere each story gives you, and they compliment the words in a way that helps you understand the writers intentions. Rupi Kaur did an amazing job. I’ve recommended to book to many friends and lent it out to people who have been intrigued and they haven’t been disappointed. Truly a piece of beauty.

This little Gem of a poetry book is a collection of poetry about love loss trauma abuse healing and femininity, please be aware of these before going into this book. The poetry book is split into four chapters each chapter serves a different purpose deals with a different subject some have felt some healing from these poems. Rupi has such power that she takes you as the reader on a journey of most bitter moments in life and finds sweetness in them because there is sweetness everywhere if you are just willing to look, she does it in such a sensitive and unique way that you don't always realise till the end of each section or poem I'll definitely be checking out more of their work

Wow I have never read such a raw, honest, painful, unflinching description before... At times I could barely turn the page... The author surely is gifted with describing what most of us would struggle to bring out into the open and yet only by looking at it honestly can she let go of anger and can healing begin... Truly powerful

milk and honey by Rupi Kaur | I had seen this book all over Bookstagram and BookTube before I decided to pick it up. Poetry is not a genre that I read that much of, so I decided to give it a chance with a book that was liked by so many people. This collection of poems is split into four chapters, the hurting, the loving, the breaking and the healing: and each one of these deals with a different sort of ache and has its own purpose. I found truly fascinating how certain poems, even those that were only two verses long, could create such huge impacts and responses in me; not all of them obviously, but most of them. Some of the poems in this collection capture the sweetness in those bitter moments, and the bitterness in those that are sweet; creating a wonderful dissonance in the feelings that those verses will arise in you. This collection is a journey of loss, love, abuse, trauma, healing and femininity through Kaur’s eyes and thoughts.

Was ist gute Poesie? Muss sie sich reimen? Muss sie rhythmisch sein? Muss sie überhaupt etwas müssen? Wenn Rupi Kaurs Kritiker sagen, „wahre Dichter“ würden sich im Grabe umdrehen, sollten sie vielleicht mal an den Grabstein von Herrn William Wordsworth klopfen, der sagte: Die Poesie hat ihren Ursprung in einem Gefühl, dessen man sich in Ruhe erinnert. Das hat Kaur getan. Ob dieses Gefühl nun beim Leser ankommt oder nicht, liegt vielleicht auch an ihnen, an mir, an dir. my heart woke me crying last night how can i help i begged my heart said write the book milk and honey ist definitiv keine klassische, romantische Lyrik, es sind keine Sonette, es gibt keine Reime. Sie ist von schlichter Sprache, fast schon elementar. Gleichzeitig ist sie stark, eindringlich, eindrucksvoll. Die Gedichte sind meist kurz, Interpunktion ist nicht vorhanden. Die Zeilentrennung mag manch einem seltsam erscheinen, trägt meiner Meinung nach jedoch erheblich zum Fluss des Textes bei. Auf vielen Seiten finden sich ebenfalls Zeichnungen der Dichterin. milk and honey takes the reader 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 Mit wenigen Worten und Zeilen schreibt die 23-Jährige über Liebe, Schmerz, Verlust, Hoffnung, Trauma, Sex, Missbrauch, Weiblichkeit. Es sind eigene Erfahrungen und solche von Frauen, die sie kennengelernt hat. Kaurs Schreibstil funktioniert wie ein Sog,wie ein Strudel, der seinen Leser völlig verschlingt und am Ende des Buches mit unzähligen Emotionen wieder ausspuckt. our knees pried open by cousins and uncles and men our bodies touched by all the wrong people that even in a bed full of safety we are afraid Kaur hat ergreifende Gedichte geschrieben, wütende, hoffnungsvolle; Gedichte, in welchen sie die Stärken der Frauen anpreist; Gedichte, welche uns helfen, uns selbst zu lieben. Es ist ein Muss für all Diejenigen, die Freude an moderner, freier Poesie haben. Aber vor allen Dingen ist es ein Muss für junge Frauen, für Mädchen; es ist ein Ratgeber, ein Spiegel, eine Inspiration. You tell me to quiet down cause my opinions make me less beautiful but i was not made with a fire in my belly so i could be put out i was not made with a lightness on my tongue so i could be easy to swallow i was made heavy half blade and half silk difficult to forget and not easy for the mind to follow Ich habe wirklich versucht, mir diese knapp 200 Seiten aufzusparen, aber ich konnte einfach nicht anders: ich habe es inhaliert. Natürlich ist nicht jedes einzelne Gedicht bahnbrechend gut, aber fast jedes traf eine andere Stelle in meinem Herzen und in meiner Seele. Mein Buch ist voll mit orangefarbenen Post-Its, die meine neuen Lieblingsgedichte markieren. Es sind mindestens zehn. Selten hat mich Lyrik so zum Lächeln gebracht wie Kaurs, sie zeigt uns, dass das Leben, egal wie schrecklich es sein mag, doch eine unglaubliche Schönheit und Kraft besitzt. The world gives you so much pain and here you are making gold out of it Kaurs eigenwillige, moderne Poesie über Schmerz, Trauer, Liebe und Hoffnung hat mich völlig in ihren Bann gezogen. Sie hat vielleicht nicht das Rad neu erfunden, ist keine neue Sylvia Plath, aber sie hat sich mit milk and honey als junge talentierte Stimme am Lyrikhimmel etabliert. Müsste ich fünf Werke empfehlen, die jede junge Frau gelesen haben sollte, wäre dieses hier dabei. Dürfte ich nur eines nennen, vielleicht auch. Für mich gehört milk and honey in jedes Bücherregal, auf jeden Nachttisch, in jede Handtasche. Wer sich ein genaueres Bild von Rupi Kaurs Gedichten machen möchte, findet auf ihrem Instagram-Account ziemlich viele aus ihrem aktuellen Buch. Ich kann allerdings nur empfehlen, es dann doch noch zu kaufen, da einmal lesen wahrscheinlich nicht genug sein wird.

Great book!

‘the very thought of you has my legs spread apart like an easel with a canvas begging for art’ When a female friend of mine shared this poem with me, I winced. Receiving stuff of sensual nature is by itself something that I am not quite comfortable with, but here is this poem, sent to me by a female friend. What both aggravated and doused my uncomfortable feeling was my getting to know that the author of this poem was a woman herself. Reading through the lines again I understood that her words exude not just eroticism but a sense of deep esotericism as well. Her words emanate from the longing, a deep pain, searing loneliness and flowing love – all things that I myself can relate with and connect soulfully too. Immediately I ordered for the book online. From the moment I received the book in my hand and opened it, to the moment I closed it this morning, it was one hell of a ride through the dark corners of my heart. Dealing with lust, longing, love, pain of betrayal, self-love, letting go, hurt, healing, feminism and acceptance, this is a book that every introvert, every aching heart and every one that still believes in that quaint concept called ‘love’ must read. Her words are the magical runes that any heart capable of love would respond to. They touch the raw nerves of our inner-selves, bringing to light all those unhealed wounds of the heart that we have learnt to live with, stir up all those dark passions that we keep buried deep beneath the hypocritical facades of politeness and public perceptions about ourselves. With her, you don’t get to feel the servile yearnings of a Kamala Das or the aggression of a Taslima Nasrin shelling out satires about the grapes gone sour. Here is a woman who feels love and writes about it, as deeply and as passionately as a Pablo Neruda or as a Kahlil Gibran also can. She loves, she yearns, she crumbles, she weeps about the loss, but she also picks up her pieces and puts them back together, but this time only more firmly. Here is a real feminist that doesn’t talk about her body and her desires with a feigned sense of supremacy or acrimonious misandry. There is no vulgarity when she writes about her lust. You feel no revulsion when she talks about the inner functions of female body. She doesn’t preach promiscuity in the name of freedom. She takes pride in what she is. She doesn’t accede to the preset conventions of feminine beauty. She doesn’t pay obeisance to patriarchy. Here is a poetess we can all fall in love with, not just for her words, but for all that she is – her fears, her pains, her strengths, her weaknesses, her courage, for her being the person that she is. Each poem here is a colorful thread, seeing which you will be able to perceive a beautiful tapestry - that is her adorable personality! This is a book that will leave you craving for more – like a perfect session of passionate love-making!

Good