Enter

Rupi Kaur: Making Poetry Cool Again

By
Ashleigh Angel
rupi kaur modern poet, instagram, her book milk and honey
Reading Time: < 1 minute

Rupi Kaur certainly is not alone in the resurgent popularity of the modern poetry space, but she remains a standout star.

Rupi Kaur is said to be the superstar of the new age of poets that are posting their work on social media before being published. This Canada-based poet is one of the #instapoet community’s OG creators. We have huge admiration for Kaur, from femininity to trauma, she covers a wide range of topics in her books. Her poetry is simplistic and anything but traditional, that’s just how it goes.

View this post on Instagram

🌜🌛 page 229 from #thesunandherflowers

A post shared by rupi kaur (@rupikaur_) on

View this post on Instagram

being an immigrant is a funny little thing. i’ve spent a lot of time thinking about what it means for me. because whether i like it or not- it has impacted a majority of my life. i grew up. like many of you immigrant children. teeter-tottering two very different worlds. at home i had to be the obedient little girl who did exactly as she was told- or suffer the consequences. i spoke when spoken to. could not change my appearance or attitude to fit in with the other kids. that’s how the culture was. at school i tried so badly to be like every other western kid. but given the strictness i lived with- that wasn’t easy. whether at home or school it felt like i was always losing. it was impossible to fit into either of these places completely. which left me feeling like an outcast in both. when i stepped into my early twenties and finally had some agency i eventually embraced my immigrant history. it's something many of us go through. and i laughed to myself when i realized something: i feel so brown when i’m in canada. so brown. because that automatically sets me apart here – and hardly ever for the right reasons. and then i go back to punjab. and holyyyyyyyy mother. i feel so godamn canadian. when we’re hanging out in the village and there’s water buffalo and chickens roaming around our front yard – i forget my brownness for a second (cause big whoop- over there everyone is brown and busy dealing with greater oppressive forces). and that’s how i came to write this poem. i realized that being an immigrant feels like being a bridge between both countries. i can’t fully step into and just belong to one. i’m somewhere in the middle. being an immigrant is being the bridge between the last generation and the next. and damn. that’s a beautiful thing. #thesunandherflowers

A post shared by rupi kaur (@rupikaur_) on

She is a #1 New York Times Bestselling author and illustrator. Most noted for her books, Milk and Honey and The Sun and Her Flowers, full of short-form poetry and prose. Her first collection “Milk and Honey” sold over a million copies and has been translated into over thirty languages.

View this post on Instagram

4 years ago i self published a book called ‘milk and honey’. mostly for myself. i was going through a rough time. i thought maybe some of my friends and family might even buy it. i don’t know how. or why. but the universe decided to catapult this heartfelt project made in my living room- to a book that’s reached the hands of millions. it’s been sitting on the new york times bestsellers list for over two years in a row. this is beyond me. a magic way out of my hands. to celebrate year 4- i am releasing this clothbound hardcover edition of ‘milk and honey’ with a foreword written by yours truly. starting today it is available everywhere. this one is for all the lovely people i run into on the streets telling me that their paperback copy is worn and torn from keeping it in their bags. or under their pillows. it’s for all the folks that said they want a lifetime edition to keep on their bookshelves. i love meeting you. i love speaking with you. i love you for connecting. i love you for making my dream come true.🥛&🍯 ❤️❤️❤️

A post shared by rupi kaur (@rupikaur_) on

Her amassed 3.4 million followers on Instagram is a major accomplishment in itself. Kaur has leveraged her reach to expand her message and influnce. From being featured in respected magazines like Cosmopolitan and Vogue to a book tour with sold out shows, love her or hate her Kaur is mastering the game. She empower’s us to channel our inner rockstar, regardless of what anyone thinks.

View this post on Instagram

🔵💙🔷 @voguespain

A post shared by rupi kaur (@rupikaur_) on

Keep up with Kaur on Instagram (@rupikaur_) or on her website: rupikaur.com.

Shop This Article:

Enter

You May Also LikeMore From Author