I will first begin by analyzing how Rupi Kaur illustrates the speaker in her poetry. Throughout Rupi Kaur’s poems she uses first person narration, which builds an intimate relationship between the speaker and the reader; Ultimately illustrating how the speaker can affect the impact of poems.

Kaur’s poems are all told from the perspective of herself, or an outside narrator. An example of this is seen in her book home body when she says, “how can i be so cruel to myself when i’m doing the best i can.” Because she is writing from a first person point of view, the reader feels more comfortable and connected to Kaur. This connection can change the way the reader analyzes Kaur’s work. The reader will understand the poem in a different way because Kaur is talking about her personal experiences and struggles. Although some of Kaur’s poems have darker themes, it is seen as more authentic and credible because it is being told from her eyes. 

Another aspect of the first person point of view is how it affects the reader’s takeaway of the poetry. For example, another quote from Kaur’s book home body is, “for the love of my life i am trying my best to have hope i’ll keep greeting each morning with an i will when it feels like i can’t.” which is from an inspirational poem about facing lifes’ toughest challenges. The use of first person narration is an effective way of inspiring her readers. The reader will feel more empowered and willing to try the advice that Kaur gives because she is the speaker. This use of Kaur as the speaker can cause the poem to stick with the reader better because Kaur is more credible.

Additionally, Kaur speaks about her struggles and hardships which help the readers who are also struggling. Kaur wrote a poem that states, “stay i whispered as you shut the door behind you.” The poem is very simple, but because Kaur told it from her perspective, the effect of the poem is much stronger. The reader can feel what Kaur was experiencing through her poems. Being alone while dealing with strong emotions can be hard for anyone, but Kaur’s poetry sheds a light onto the readers and lets them know that they are not alone.

Ultimately, Kaur telling her poems through her eyes helps her poems become more credible and emotional to the readers.

I will now analyze how Rupi Kaur illustrates the use of structure in her poetry. Throughout Rupi Kaur’s poems, she uses distinct structures to aid the effect of her poems; ultimately illustrating how the structure of a poem impacts the poem’s meaning.

Kaur’s poetry is very different from most literature. She does not use any capitalization or periods. She does this because of the culture she was raised in. Rupi Kaur was born in Punjab, India and raised in the religion Sikh. In this religion, all of the letters of the alphabet are given the same value, so there is no capitalization. This is seen in many of her poems throughout her books, milk and honey, the sun and her flower, and home body. This distinct style of writing has made Kaur’s poetry recognizable amongst many other poets. Kaur’s structure of her words help aid the readers recognize Kaur’s style of poetry.

Another form of structure within Kaur’s poetry are the sections within her books. Although Kaur only writes poetry, she organizes all of her poetry into a book that tells a story. Take, for example, in her book, the sun and her flowers, she has the book divided into 5 sections titled: wilting, falling, rooting, rising, and blooming. These sections take the reader on the journey from self destruction to self discovery. Structure can help the organization of a piece by allowing the reader to understand the meaning of a text easily. Kaur does exactly this within her poetry. Without this structure of her books, it may not be clear to the reader what the meaning of her poetry is. The sections of her books help guide the reader through Kaur’s thoughts and purposes of her poems.

Furthermore, another form of structure within Kaur’s poetry is how she breaks her lines in her poems. Many of her poems begin with longer lines that begin to dwindle as the poem progresses. For example, in her book, the sun and her flowers, one poem begins with the line, “i spend days in my bed debilitated by loss,” but towards the middle of the poem, the lines get shorter like, “i am okay” “no” “i am angry” and “yes”. The shortening lines install a sense of urgency and loneliness in the readers. Thus, the meaning of the poem is easily understood by the readers. 

Ultimately, Kaur’s structure of the lines in her poetry helps the reader understand the meaning and tone of her poems.