"Milk and Honey:" The Journey of Surviving

By Shylah Hansen, Staff Writer

"Milk and Honey"

Rupi Kaur

“This is the journey of surviving through poetry this is the blood sweat tears of twenty-one years this is my heart in your hands this is the hurting the loving the breaking the healing.” Milk and Honey, a New York Times Bestseller, written by Rupi Kaur subtly brings attention to poetry and, specifically, prose about survival. The poetry found in this book consists of violence, abuse, love, loss, and femininity.

Milk and Honey is a heart touching poetry book; it brings about how everyone goes through times of hurting, loving, breaking, and healing. Kaur’s book beautifully divides up the book into these four sections, each poetry blurb letting the reader know that it is okay to feel the way they are feeling. 

This poetry book isn’t just poetry, it has unique sketches that tell a story on their own. These sketches capture the femininity that is portrayed throughout this book. A fair warning that some of the sketches may make some people uncomfortable, but I believe it is vital that these images are present as they give some people more of a perspective of what Kaur is trying to say.

Poetry does not just rhyme, it does not have to rhyme in the first place. Milk and Honey is a free-verse poetry book.The free verse writing found in this book makes you feel like you are enveloped in the journey that is brought upon you when you first pick up the book.

Kuar’s poetry does an amazing job at portraying what it’s like to go through abuse, love, and loss as well as the healing process that follows. So, as Kaur writes, do not let the wickedness make you unkind, do not be afraid to let “milk and honey [drip]” from your lips.