Today, if an individual says they like poetry, they are immediately asked if they like “Milk and Honey.” If someone looks up #poetry on Twitter, they will see screenshots gone viral of “Milk and Honey.“
I will very firmly, loudly and repeatedly argue that “Milk and Honey“ is not an anthology of poems, but rather just a collection of thoughts. While poetry can be any organization of words that plays with selection and rhythm, mere sentences like those in “Milk and Honey” do not have enough playing space to become a poem. Sure, you can write a witty pun that is an interplay of words, but not all sentences should qualify as poems.
Just writing a thought down onto paper qualifies more as a journal and shouldn’t be considered poetry. “Milk and Honey” doesn’t even have enough consecutive thoughts to qualify as a record of one’s thoughts or recollections.
Now that I have made myself seem like a bad guy, trashing an author that the world currently cuddles close to their chest, I will try and explain what I appreciate about these types of poets.
Poetry is an art form based on the precise manipulation of word placement and choice. No, capitalization is not necessary. No, we don’t need pages and pages of longwinded metaphors and couplets linked like overly touchy couples. Finding new ways to use nouns as verbs, to bring back forgotten words and mix word pairings like sloppy swingers is paramount to the development of literature.
Perhaps, “Milk and Honey” could serve as good inspiration for poems, as it is basic and underdeveloped. The sayings are important and significant. However, they need to be frothed and flavored and prepared to be served.
Overall, I fear that this generation is becoming lazy. As a result, they are not developing their work enough, just like in “Milk and Honey.”
Here are some poems and poets that I would HIGHLY recommend:
-“Chasers of Light” by Tyler Knott Gregson
-“Depression & Other Magic Tricks” by Sabrina Benaim
-“Barbie Doll” by Marge Piercy
-“Hanging Fire” by Audre Lorde
-J.M. Walker
-Mark Doty
-Sylvia Plath
-Lang Leav
Anyhow, when you read these poets, think critically about the poetry you are consuming. Do you like this because everyone else does, or do you like it because the words are truly impactful?
Could you have written the book you paid $14.99 for, in less than a day?