Introduction:
Milk and Honey by Rupi Kaur is a collection of poems and prose dealing with the themes of love, heartbreak, abuse, trauma, self-confidence, and healing. The book is divided into four chapters; the hurting, the loving, the breaking, and the healing. Each chapter addresses different themes from a feminine perspective.
Milk and Honey Summary:
The title of the books is highly symbolic and the rest of the poems act as a justification to prove this symbol.
Milk and Honey for Rupi Kaur is the art of presenting harsh truth in sweet and polite words in front of the world. She expresses it in the very first poem,
how is it so easy for you
to be kind to people he asked
milk and honey dripped
from my lips as i answered
cause people have not
been kind to me
The poems are told from the feminine perspective. It seems like a survival story of a girl who is passing through different stages and dealing with issues on her own. She acknowledges her pain and sufferings and accepts that it is part of human experience to feel pain. The journey of the narrator is towards self-love, gratitude, and acceptance.
Style and Structure:
The writing style of the book is very easy which makes themes quite vivid. There is no ambiguity of expressions. The structure adds more to the clarity of the book with beautiful and accurate illustrations. The chapters are not very elaborated; the poems are mostly small and to-the-point. One poem does not deal with all the themes at once. The illustrations which Kaur has added to each poem make the idea more clearly to the reader.
Even though the book is a very fast read but due to short poems and similar themes, the reader may feel few poems present the same idea. However, Kaur never compromises on the aesthetic appeal of language in this book. The same ideas reflect in such a beautiful language that even if the reader feels bored of the recurring theme, the beauty of language captivates him. For example, she says,
you were so distant
i forgot you were there at all
and then,
it must hurt to know
i am your most
beautiful
regret
The two poems present the same idea of breaking up with the love of your life but the use of language grants equal beauty to both pieces.
Final Thoughts on Milk and Honey:
Milk and Honey is one of the must-reads for girls all across the world. It is not only a feminist piece of writing but it also justifies every piece of feminist literature. Moreover, it shows why the pain of women should be consider and compensate for. It teaches the reader about things that are taboo in society. The book feels like a kind friend and expressive mother, especially to the girls.
However, the book is equally necessary for the male readers to understand the fears and insecurities of women around them. The book plays with the grammatical rules a lot, but the ideas are so exquisite that it is hard to focus on the grammar of poems. The short and easy poems make it an easy read even for those who are beginners as readers or who find the English language hard to understand. This surely is one of the best first picks anyone can go for.
Do you Want to Read the Whole Book?
If Yes, then Get this book from Amazon Now: Milk And Honey By Rupi Kaur.
Interestingly, if you enjoyed the Book Review then You must be willing to Read another so click Here to Read more Book Reviews.