The Sun and Her Flowers: Rupi Kaur

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The first section of ‘the sun and her flowers’ entitled ‘wilting’ is haunted by the pervading distress of lost love, the struggle of waking up in bed alone. However, Kaur excels in not simply lamenting a breakup or providing condescending advice, but instead affirming the importance of self-love. The poem ‘what love looks like’ refuses to digress into a self-pitying sob-story, and instead she candidly writes ‘i think love starts here/everything else is just desire and projection’. By questioning the definition of love, Kaur emphasises our unhealthy obsession with romantic affection alone. Instead we should also legitimise the love of selflessly hard-working parents, the fading love of a distant friend, love as an act of giving. Importantly, the arduous journey towards self-acceptance is not simplified, and the struggles of depression are harrowingly portrayed. Disturbing passages such as ‘what draws you to her/tell me what you like/so I can practice’ candidly expose Kaur’s self-flagellating psyche. Yet, what is so crucial and refreshing in ‘the sun and her flowers’ is the defiant refusal to find validation in a lover’s approval. The Poetry Pharmacy stands out from the other four collections I’ve selected here because it’s the most “traditional” poetry collection. It’s made up of the most famous and well-respected poetry pieces, both old and new, each with the aim of curing a specific ailment. I recognised myself in the girl she describes and reading this collection made me feel less alone – if that’s not good poetry then what is? Caught the imagination of a large, atypical poetry audience…Kaur knows the good her poetry does: it saves lives’ Evening Standard If you were a big fan of milk & honey then you’re going to love the sun and her flowers too.This book is divided into five chapters: wilting, falling, rooting, rising, blooming.

the sun and her flowers books – Rupi Kaur the sun and her flowers books – Rupi Kaur

when you are broken/and he has left you/do not question/whether you were/enough/the problem was/you were so enough/he was not able to carry it”

From Rupi Kaur, the bestselling author of M ilk and Honey, comes her long-awaited second collection of poetry. Illustrated by Kaur, The Sun and Her Flowers is a journey of wilting, falling, rooting, rising and blooming. It is a celebration of love in all its forms. In Fierce Fairytales, Nikita Gill uses poetry to rewrite the classic fairytale stories we were all taught growing up.

The Sun and Her Flowers by Rupi Kaur | Waterstones The Sun and Her Flowers by Rupi Kaur | Waterstones

Personally, I enjoyed the sun and her flowers even more than Rupi Kaur’s debut because it included more passages about family and immigration, which resonate a little more with me. This collection made me take a good look at myself and reconsider things that affect my everyday relationships that had never crossed my mind before! i hardened under the last loss. it took something human out of me. i used to be so deeply emotional i’d crumble on demand. but now the water has made its exit. of course i care about the ones around me. i’m just struggling to show it. a wall is getting in the way. i used to dream of being so strong nothing could shake me. now. i am. so strong. that nothing shakes me. and all i dream is to soften.”This collection also gives a much more focused view of mental health, particularly from the female perspective. From Rupi Kaur, the bestselling author of M ilk and Honey, comes her long-awaited second collection of poetry. Illustrated by Kaur, The Sun and Her Flowers is a journey of wilting, falling, rooting, rising and blooming. It is a celebration of love in all its forms. As I said in my review, keep this on your bookshelf as you would keep paracetamol in your bathroom cupboard. You never know when you’re going to need it but when you do it’ll be right there waiting for you. Charly Cox is a very young author, only twenty-two when this was published, but she was named as one of ELLE magazine’s 20 power players to watch out for in 2018 so watch this space.