Most poetry fanatics know about this young adult poetry book, and if you’re on Pinterest or even Tumblr, you definitely know about this book. Even if you don’t know about it, you’ve probably stumbled upon one of its poems through an Instagram post. However, if you are one of the few who have no idea what I’m talking about, I will say it’s a relatable book filled with poetry and prose, written by Rupi Kaur.
The first time I read the book, I read it completely for enjoyment. I related to some of the pieces and then felt empathy for those who related to the others. I found myself wanting to savor it, but at the same time, I couldn’t put the book down. The poems are generally short as well, so it is very easy to fly through it without even knowing it. When I first read it for entertainment purposes, it was genius in my opinion. It evoked emotion in me. I would put post-it notes throughout the book, and even write and underline keywords. By the time I read the last page, I decided it would be only fitting for me to keep it on my shelf along with my other favorite books.
However, I did recently read it for a second time, and sadly, the experience was not as golden as my last. The first time I read her book, I was 15 and just coming out of a relationship to which I describe as my first love in today’s time. Automatically, my love for the book was amplified due to the fact that I was heartbroken and a sophomore in high school. That was a time in my life where I wanted to feel every feeling I possibly could, and that I did. Now, almost three years later, I read the book and find that it is beautiful and poetic; however, I wouldn’t write it off as the best poetry I’ve read.
In the last year, I’ve been exposed to a wide variety of amazing poets that are infamous in the writing world. Poets like, Liz Waldner and Ina Coolbrith (two of my personal favorite poets), who have phenomenal work. After reading the book a second time, I found that Kaur’s couldn’t compare. But then I thought about this for a moment and realized that Kaur’s goal was not to be like these amazing, award-winning poets. Her goal was to take her feelings and put them out to the world. Her goal was to take the situations she’s been through and give them to the reader so that they can relate and realize that they aren’t alone. Once I stepped away from the words on the paper and looked at the book as a whole, I realized that this wasn’t about writing amazing poetry. It was about helping others, and there is something so admirable about that.
