I get you clothes sometimes, so it would be perfectly reasonable if I got some from you too. Again, any guy who braves any type of dreadful clothing store deserves an award too. My last favorite thing is the rawness to the poems. Lovelace writes with clear and simple language that allows the subject and her words to shine on their own without a lot of fluff. Personally, I prefer more stripped down poetry, so this is right up my alley. (This may also explain how I was able to finish the whole book of poetry which I haven’t done since reading Adrienne Rich in college).

There are lots of poetry books in a similar style to milk & honey these days but my first recommendation is Maya Angelou’s work from the twentieth century. So as bit of a disclaimer, I would like to admit I’m not the biggest fan of poetry. In part, I believe this is because of how it was forced down my throat in school. As a result, I never really explored all it had to offer and I’m just now starting to slowly see what else is out there. Even though I've written quite a bit of poetry myself I don't read much. I'm not sure why but it's never been a big interest for me when it comes to reading. I've seen this book around for a little while and absolutely loved the title as well as the simplistic design of the cover. It stands out and drew me in instantly. Some of the poems will probably make you sad, while the other might make you feel warmth around the heart. The general feeling of the book is probably best described by the quote from one of the poems, it is "bittersweetAccording to Lovelace, this series aims "to show the rich inner lives of women with a focus on our hidden everyday struggles." [9] Many of Lovelace's works deal with topics such as sexual abuse, trauma, and healing. [10] [11] Although the witch doesn’t burn in this one "speaks so explicitly to our current moment," the volume was actually completed before the revival of the #MeToo movement. [9] Despite that, Lovelace notes that, " witch is still very much my #MeToo book. It will also not be the last one.” [9] She has listed Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson and The Handmaid's Tale as influences. If you were a big fan of milk & honey then you’re going to love the sun and her flowers too.This book is divided into five chapters: wilting, falling, rooting, rising, blooming. She was writing inspirational poetry long before Rupi Kaur was even born and Angelou passed away the year that milk and honey was published.

Takács, Bogi (2018-06-02). "BookCon 2018: Social Media Poetry Explosion". Publishers Weekly. Archived from the original on 2020-01-10 . Retrieved 2020-02-14. I've never been much of a poetry lover, since I have a very specific taste: most of the texts I see in lit class I don't even like. If more poetry could be like this, however, I would read it all the time. Each section describes her growing up and the evolution of her feelings towards the people in her life, especially her mother and her first love, a man she calls the Dragon. The book is divided in four sections: “the princess, the damsel, the queen and you”, and while you could easily read each section separately I found each section flowed smoothly together. There was a clear progression of emotion and there were many sections that brought tears to my eyes, resonating deeply in my heart.All the Poetry That's Fit to Print". The New York Times. 2018-04-26. ISSN 0362-4331 . Retrieved 2020-02-17. I was excited to read A Princess Saves Herself in This One, but I didn’t really know much about it or know what to expect. As soon as I saw that it was dedicated to Harry Potter, the boy who lived, I had a feeling I’d like the collection. The Princess Saves Herself in This One is separated into four sections: I. the princess, II. the damsel, III. the queen and IV. you. It’s one of those topics where whatever you say will be criticised and Shraya’s observations will no doubt resonate with white readers.

As I said above, this book evidently draws its inspiration from Rupi Kaur’s work. However, there is one very large difference. It seems to me that the target audience of this book is considerably younger than that of Rupi Kaur. I got the impression that the person writing this is fairly young, but had clearly suffered a great deal. Overall, I’m so glad that I was provided a chance to read this poetry collection. I can honestly say I will be buying my own copy, and I think you should too! I recommend this to everyone. The fact that Rupi Kaur has taken up the reins from Angelou in a modern age and is still shouting about these issues today tells a sad story about the “progress” that has been made over the past few decades. I loved the concept behind this collection and the meaning conveyed by Shraya’s poetry though I feel execution let this book down a little. I wasn’t enamoured with the form or layout but it’s a very thought-provoking and important read that I would recommend.

7. Crimped hair

Let’s start with the good news. Lovelace’s poem about parental abuse is brilliant. “The queen,” the speaker’s mother, offers the “princess” sugar, but instead, the sugar is salt. This clever conceit sounds very “Princess and the Pea,” but it carries the weight of allegory. The poem lands well (I can maybe forgive the terrible enjambment): “this is what abuse is: / knowing you are / going to get salt / but hoping for sugar / for nineteen years.” I don't think the format always completely worked, it was sometimes hard to tell if the italics at the end of most of the works were the title, or part of the poem, or both and this was wonderful in parts but jarring in others. The influence of Rupi Kaur can be seen all over Amanda Lovelace’s debut poetry book the princess saves herself in this one. The use of epigrammatic form devolves often into cliché and the terrible use of enjambment are just the beginning of the similarities. Lovelace and Kaur also walk similar poetic trails: writing on the themes of sexual assault, menstruation, trauma, self-harm, and more.