Citing My Muses: Rupi Kaur & Milk and Honey
When talking about one-in-a-million contemporary poet careers, Rupi Kaur tops the list.
It’s no secret that poetry is notoriously difficult to get traditionally published, and this is not something that was ignored by Rupi Kaur. In fact, she herself began as a self-published poet in 2014, and used an innovative marketing plan, her powerful voice, and her imaginative approach to poetry to propel her career into what it is today. But let’s not ignore the facts: Rupi Kaur started out as a self-published author too.
She took her art and she ran with it–before Kaur, poetry was even less read and much less accessible because it was considered an artform that only literature connoisseurs were familiar with. Flowery, Shakespearean prose doesn’t exactly make it to the top of everyone’s “must-read” list. But Rupi Kaur began producing short poetry (that still packs an emotional punch) accompanied by minimalist line drawings that not only took the world by storm, but also inspired so many poets to do the same that these techniques are now commonplace in the poetry world.
How Did Rupi Kaur Get Her Poetry Out There?
Rupi Kaur has had a long but difficult career. Before publishing her first collection in 2014, she enjoyed performing poetry from 2009-2013. Her entire poetry journey has been “cathartic” for her, but she has said many times that reading poetry was what helped her find her voice.
She self-published her first collection, Milk and Honey, on Createspace in 2014, and it quickly amassed more than 10,000 readers. She then began posting her work on Tumblr before switching to Instagram to promote her work. Andrews McNeel Publishing eventually reprinted it, propelling her to worldwide success in the genre. She then went on to publish The Sun and Her Flowers in 2017, and Home Body in 2020.
Before Rupi, the poetry style she is known for was unheard of. Critics have described it as “juvenile, overly-simplistic, and devoid of rhythm.” This has caused much of her work as well as her status as a poet to be largely ignored by the industry, and dismissed as “poor quality,” because it does not adhere to more traditional styles of poetry. But she has also been hailed as “Writer of the Decade” by The New Republic, proving that her impact on the medium is clearly unmatched. Every time she faces backlash, she perseveres, and as someone who has looked up to her since the very beginning, I can’t thank her enough for proving that poetry can, and deserves, to change with the times.
What Type of Poetry Does Rupi Kaur Write?
Rupi Kaur poems are legendary. They are short and free verse, and don’t usually rhyme. Swirling, minimalist illustrations often accompany them. They are largely untraditional yet incredibly meaningful, powerful, and impactful. They pack a punch, right to the gut.
The poetry that she has written and the poetry she has performed all revolve around similar themes. As poetry is her way of expressing herself, many are rooted in trauma. These are the most common themes:
Immigration, refugees, and the South Asian experience
Domestic and sexual violence, abuse, and rape
Feminism
Love, loss, healing, natural beauty, body dysmorphia, and mental health
Capitalism and productivity
These themes resonate well with readers because they’re relatable, and not often documented in such an obvious and healing way. It’s important to note that Kaur is also a photographer, illustrator, author, and most of all, a voice for the marginalized; she has a cult following because she fights for what she believes in, and her poetry shows that. While many claim that she’s “just some instapoet,” she has democratized the poetry industry, making it more enjoyable to read, write, and perform it, which is something that the world has needed for a long time, especially with declining literacy rates.
The Legacy of Milk And Honey
Milk and Honey is Rupi Kaur’s first published poetry collection, the one she published herself. It’s also her most well-known collection, and will likely continue to be, as it’s the one that rocked the poetry world in the first place. It’s split into four sections, or themes: the hurting, the loving, the breaking, and the healing.
One of the most wonderful things about this book that I admire is that the whole thing sounds like poetry; the dedication reads “for the arms that hold me,” the page before the table of contents reads “my heart woke me crying last night/how can I help I begged/my heart said/write the book” and the description of the book on the back cover reads “this is the journey of/surviving through poetry/this is the blood sweat tears/of twenty-one years/this is my heart/in your hands/this is/the hurting/the loving/the breaking/the healing.” These three thoughtful additions alone are a perfect sneak-peek to the types of poetry she creates.
What I enjoyed about reading Milk and Honey is its rawness. Poetry is incredibly difficult to write, and even harder to share, because it’s deeply personal whether you want it to be or not. It involves confronting the deepest parts of yourself, whether or not you realize that you’re doing it. I’m sure I’m not the only poet who has trouble doing that. But Rupi Kaur, with the success of her Milk and Honey poems, has paved the way for so many others to want to try. And it’s healing for an entire industry.
Rupi Kaur Poems
I’m not at liberty to share another artist’s poems on the internet; you’ll have to buy her book to do that (though I can vouch for the fact that reading any of her collections is worth your every penny). I have many poetic muses, but Rupi Kaur will always be credited in my work because I love to interact with authors who have something to say and aren’t afraid to say it, even when the going gets tough. I will support her day in and day out. That being said, I have written a poem titled Rupi, which I hope to include in my first poetry book, coming out later this year:
Rupi
I wish I could hold happiness in my hand, just to be sure it’s real.
Wish I could build it on my own, so as to never run out.
But, I guess, we make happiness every day.
Whether it’s
Constructed,
Welded,
Folded,
Mended,
Deep-fried,
Sung along to,
Worn,
Torn,
Or even born.
Whether it’s
Hidden,
Spoken,
Written,
Or even sometimes forgotten.
Happiness may fade,
And we may have a hard time building it,
but that doesn’t mean it isn’t there.