my review of "milk and honey" !

Poetry is something that I've never really payed much attention to. I've encountered some individuals in my lifetime who were head over heels in love with poetry. They would tell me that it filled an emotional void where words couldn't. I couldn't fully understand why people would say that because the only poetry I would even read was required from my English Literature Class. It was simply educational. So one day while I was browsing tumblr I came across a photo of a page from a book with what seemed like a quote on it. As I read through the words that rest on the page I felt something I had never felt before. Somehow I felt as if the words lifted of the page, as the floated straight into my heart. I resonated so deeply with what was being written and in that moment in time I could finally comprehend what people truly about the power of poetry. Soon after,  I went out and bought the book. I couldn't wait to begin reading it, but I was  to go London soon and I didn't want to spoil my only form of entertainment for a long flight . However the days went by quicker than I had believed, and ultimately I found myself in front of the book in an uncomfortable airplane seat. If you didn't know the book is four chapters, and each chapter serves a different purpose, deals with a different pain, heals a different heartache. This novel essential takes its readers through the authors life and struggles. As I began to read the book I found myself surprised at how intense and dark the content was, there was many mentions of both physical and sexual abuse . It was the complete opposite of the powerful, positive and beautiful tumblr post I had previously read. The sentences in the book seemed to have awkward skips and didn't really rhyme or resonate with one another. Sadly, my heart and my expectations began to drop the deeper and deeper I got into the book. The majority of the poems in this book are love poems and since I have never been in or a relationship, nor been in love it was very difficult for me to wrap my head around certain concepts. I believe this book is more suited for people who have experienced heartbreak or deep hurt from a former amour of theirs. While Rupi Kaur seems very passionate and while I agree with her politics, content, and message, that doesn't make this writing very good. Some of the poems are excellent and will draw you in, but mainly, they are very overrated in terms of pure quality. I see why her poems are popular, but not why she's considered a 'great' or 'brilliant' writer. Certain times in the book made me stop and rethink whether or not I was just reading any basic teenager thought posted on tumblr. Overall  this book was quite underwhelming. Its personally not my cup of tea however, I can see why it would resonate so much with women, especially young women. I think it all depends on what you've gone through, and what you're currently going through. The section titled 'The Healing' was my favourite, because I'm currently working on learning to love myself, flaws and all. I will be keeping this book around, and may reflect back on it from time to time as I go through life.