Poetry Review

Last semester, I took Intro to Poetry and absolutely fell in love with the art form. I have been writing poetry on and off since middle school, but I never considered that I could actually be any good at it. As always, art is a work in progress, and I hope to continue writing poetry though the class has ended. For inspiration, here are a few of the poetry books I recommend:

Milk and Honey and The Sun and Her Flowers by Rupi Kaur

Pictured above, these two books were my first introduction to the world of published poetry. Rupi Kaur writes about love, loss, and longing while paying homage to her culture and her family. Her self-illustrated poems are absolutely gorgeous, rich with questions about what it means to be a woman and to be in love.

Blackacre by Monica Youn

I read Blackacre specifically for my poetry class, and I wrote my final paper on the way Monica Youn, a Yale-trained lawyer, uses imagery of dance and visual art in her meditation on her infertility. The shape of her words on the page mimic the spiraling of dancer's movement, and I have never felt as passionate about a critical paper as I did writing the one about Blackacre.

Late by Cecilia Woloch

Another selection from my class, this collection of poems is threaded with imagery of womanhood and coming of age.

The Princess Saves Herself in This One by Amanda Lovelace

I first read this strong, yet whimsical, book in a bookstore last summer, and I loved it so much, but I didn't buy it because I had read it all in one sitting. One of my friends surprised me for Christmas and bought me a copy so I now own it.

No Matter the Wreckage by Sarah Kay

Sarah Kay's rich descriptive language is so mind-boggling that I read this book twice over in one day. Her poem about her brother inspired me to write my own (it's still a work in progress), and I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in dipping their toes into the pool of poetry.

Pole Dancing to Gospel Hymns by Andrea Gibson

Andrea Gibson reflects on love and gender identity in this book, and I was enthralled with the way paradoxes emerged and existed throughout the book. Gibson performs poetry throughout the country, and I want to watch those on YouTube next to see how the text translates to performance.