Canada’s Flare magazine has named Rupi Kaur, a 24 year old self-published, Indian-born and Brampton, Ontario-raised writer, “the patron saint of millennial heartbreak” for her breakthrough, New York Times bestselling book of poetry, Milk and Honey.
Though she has been recognized for illustrating the effects of heartbreak through her poems, Milk and Honey explores more than just heartbreak and lost loves. Kaur chronicles her relationship with her parents, her feminist views, what it means to be a woman of color, and the aftermath of sexual assault.
When I first read—and then re-read—Kaur’s poems, I understood immediately why her work had touched so many people. Each poem shocks you, amazes you, and then promptly makes you think about how you have lived thus far. It is a work that asks a different question with every page, and makes its reader question him or herself with every page.
It is often difficult to come to terms with certain aspects of life, whether it be a harrowing experience from the past, a disturbing event on the news, or lingering feelings towards someone; but Kaur’s poems almost force her readers to come to terms with such things.
Rather than explicitly telling stories of her past, Kaur focuses on illustrating how she felt during those times. It is these emotions that her readers recognize, and through these emotions, they are able to see their experiences in a new, often healthier, light.
The most interesting aspects of Milk and Honey were Kaur’s poems about her South Asian upbringing. She speaks openly about her Sikhi ethnicity, the patriarchal dynamic of many South Asian families, what it means to be a woman of color. As a fellow South Asian, I saw many similarities between the themes she presented and the themes that are still very much present in part of South Asia.
Milk and Honey is an excellent read, especially for women in college. In many of her poems, Kaur discusses the pressures young women face from society, their peers, their loved ones, and even themselves. Kaur talks about society’s unhealthy expectations of women, she explains the harrowing effects of sexual assault, and also reminds her readers that they are much more resilient than they believe themselves to be.
Rupi Kaur has become more than just a patron saint for millennial heartbreak. She has become a role model to many young women, while still being fairly young herself. Through her words, Kaur has reached out to millions of women and told them exactly what they need to hear most, especially in trying times as these.
Milk and Honey not only consoles the brokenhearted with lessons of acceptance, but reminds women of all walks of life that their moments of heartbreak are not to be buried in the past but rather used to make them stronger.
Kaur’s Milk and Honey is incredibly deserving of its bestseller status because it goes beyond itself. Kaur’s first piece is riveting, and it does more than than most people can imagine a book doing. Milk and Honey will make you cry tears of both joy and sadness, and by the end, you’ll come out even stronger.
Though Kaur still has many works ahead of her, her first piece has inspired the minds of many young people, and for that, we thank her.