By Sarah Reitz
I have this terrible habit of feeling too much and I want to express these feelings in the written form. I want to put words to feelings we have trouble putting into words. Like the breath before the kiss, I want to make the mundane beautiful. -Rupi Kaur
Rupi Kaur is one of the most influential modern poets. But, since most people don’t often read poetry, unless you are like me, many people have never heard of her. Which is extremely unfortunate, because her writing is honest. It is real and raw and beautiful, something we are lacking in the world lately. It perfectly describes what many girls have struggled through. Her poetry and sketches (yeah she illustrates her poems herself too) give women a sense of empowerment and feminism. Her poems celebrate womanhood despite showing the struggles of being a woman.
Her first compilation of work, milk and honey, came out in 2014, when she was just 22 years old. How amazing is that? That someone so young, our age, is already making her mark on this earth. And what a beautiful mark that is. She relates to girls about the hurting, the loving, the breaking, and the healing of life through her authenticity. She doesn’t sugar coat it or make life seem easier than it is, but she shows her readers that there is always hope. I could rave about her writing all I want, but instead, I decided to included poems from milk and honey to prove my point on how marvelous it is. Also, if you love these, Rupi’s newest compilation, The Sun and Her Flowers, came out at the beginning of October, so make sure to check that out too. Trust me, you won’t regret it.