The Rupi Kaur Poetry Society
Poetry gives words to our innermost feelings, conflicts and suffering. It can uplift, soothe, anger, and inspire social revolutions. And it has done this through the ages, from Lord Byron to the celebrated Tamil poet Thiruvalluvar. Yet, Rupi Kaur could not be more different from her peers and predecessors.
Rupi Kaur was born in Punjab, India and her family moved to Canada when she was four years old. She started with spoken word in her late teens and published her first book of poetry, “Milk and Honey”, at the age of 21.
I remember the moment I fell in love with Rupi’s work. I was hanging out in a book store in Mumbai back in 2017. I picked up a random poetry book and opened it to a page. I found this:
“a lot of times
we are angry at other people
for not doing what
we should have done for ourselves
- responsibility”
(from The Sun and Her Flowers)
She wrote these lines just for me! I had argued with my mum earlier that day about why she had never encouraged me to take up a career in dancing. But really, what was stopping me from pursuing it now? How unfair to still blame my mother when I have had the agency to do what I wanted all these years!
Here I will examine what makes Rupi special and why her work is so impactful.
“the letters are treated the same”
The most striking, and definitely the most polarizing thing about Rupi’s poetry is her style of writing. She uses only lowercase and no punctuation. Her writing is inspired by Punjabi Gurmukhi script. Rupi explains,
“Within the Gurmukhi script, there are no uppercase or lowercase letters. The letters are treated the same. I enjoy this symplicity. It’s symmetrical and straightforward. I also feel there is a level of equality this visuality brings to the work. A visual representation of what I want to see more of within the world: equallness.”
Rupi’s writing is unique in other ways too. She illustrates her words with drawings. While she has some longer poems, most are 6 to 10 lines long and have strategically placed line breaks.
“they have no idea what it is like to lose home”
Immigrants everywhere share a common ethos. They have important stories to tell about resilience, sacrifice, and the human spirit. No one writes for immigrants and captures their unique experience as beautifully as Rupi.
“they have no idea what it is like
to lose home at the risk of
never finding home again
to have your entire life split between two lands and
become the bridge between two countries
- immigrant”
(from The Sun and Her Flowers)
The experience of belonging to two worlds is especially hard for children of immigrant families.
“my voice
is the offspring
of two countries colliding
what is there to be ashamed of
if english
and my mother tongue
made love
my voice
is her father's words
and mother's accent
what does it matter if
my mouth carries two worlds
- accent”
(from The Sun and Her Flowers)
“when the world comes crashing at your feet”
Domestic violence and mental illness are still taboo topics for some individuals and families. This is especially true in South Asian communities, Rupi and I have our origins in South Asia, where speaking out against domestic violence is complicated by the stigma of divorce and victim blaming for bringing shame to the family’s honor. Shame and stigma also surround mental illness. Rupi has been open about her struggle with depression. Beyond poetry, she seeks every opportunity she can to provide a safe space for sufferers.
“the irony of loneliness
is we all feel it
at the same time
- together”
(from The Sun and Her Flowers)
But her writing goes beyond just talking about the pain and suffering in these topics. Her words are like therapy. They gently nudge the reader towards self love and self-acceptance. They reinforce that it’s ok to talk about our most personal challenges. And to always ask for help when you need it.
“when the world comes crashing at your feet
it’s okay to let others
help pick up the pieces
if we’re present to take part in your happiness
when your circumstances are great
we are more than capable
of sharing your pain
-community”
(from The Sun and Her Flowers)
“i dive into the well of my body
and end up in another world
everything i need
already exists in me
there’s no need
to look anywhere else
– home”
(from Home Body)
“you have this other thing which is new and quite non-traditional, which is of course social media”
Rupi is truly a new age poet! While all three of her books have been on the Amazon bestseller list and sold over 11 million copies, she primarily uses social media as her publishing platform. In addition to writing, she illustrates and performs her poetry on stage like a star. Her website sells her books as well as tattoos, clothing, and art inscribed with her words. All this further deepens the impact of her work.
Still, many stay baffled by the Rupi phenomenon. Her writing style is often criticized as being overly simplistic. But, when Rupi self published her first book, at the age of 21, it immediately became a bestseller. Addressing some of this, Rupi says.
"I think the issue is because we have a form of art that is highly, highly traditional — meaning poetry — and then you have this other thing which is new and quite non-traditional, which is of course social media," Kaur says. "And so the gate-keepers of these two things are kind of confused at this moment."
Through all this, she remains accessible to her readers by hosting live reading and “ask me anything” sessions on social media platforms. She has a free newsletter called “love notes” where she will send you verses and essays as well as an Instagram post of the day. While the best way to enjoy reading poetry, for me, is curled up on the couch in my reading nook, let’s face it - most days I barely get five minutes to myself!
But I can read an Instagram post interspersed in my day and it brings me that blip of inspiration! Like this one that she posted on “Women’s day”:
“i stand
on the sacrifices
of a million women before me
thinking
what can i do
to make this mountain taller
so the women after me
can see farther
- legacy”
(from The Sun and Her Flowers)
Rupi Kaur’s work has the power to transcend generations. Her words will be relevant centuries from now, just like Thiruvalluvar’s. Because what is truly special about Rupi’s work is the community she has built through her poetry. This is a truly equitable community: Everyone is welcome. Everyone will be heard. And the path to discover joy, empathy, and happiness is open to all!
