For a while, her trauma led her to feel unsafe in sexual or physical situations, even when they were safe and consensual. She recalls her assault in graphic detail. Sexual AssaultĪs a child, Kaur was raped by her uncle. She would look at herself in the mirror and tell herself that she was nothing. Because she was told to stay silent, Kaur began to view herself as unimportant. Any time Kaur would try to speak up, her father and other men in her life would shut her down. Growing up, Kaur and her mother were told to be silent. In fact, she began to develop angry tendencies like those of her father. She began to associate love with aggression. He claimed this was out of love, but this confused Kaur. When they would speak, her father often screamed at her. Kaur states that your father is supposed to be the first man you love, but that she didn’t have that experience because she never connected to her father. Throughout her childhood, she experienced the fallout of a distant father, gender oppression, and sexual assault. She felt as though people expected a lot from her while actively working against her instead of supporting her. Kaur compares her journey through childhood to someone pinning her legs to the ground then demanding she stand. This summary is one interpretation of the work’s themes and isn’t meant to be definitive.) Abuse and Oppression However, poetry naturally lends itself to individual interpretation.

(Shortform note: This summary of milk and honey poems has been written to be as objective as possible. However, as she grew up, her experiences with love and heartbreak taught her how to find the beauty in herself and how to heal in the face of painful experiences.

From an uncle who raped her as a child to a father who demanded she stay silent, she grew up in an environment that taught her she was worthless. Rupi Kaur experienced oppression and abuse throughout her life. Keep reading for key concepts from the milk and honey poems. She discusses issues of oppression, love, heartbreak, and healing. Rupi Kaur’s milk and honey poems explore the formative experiences in Kaur’s life. Īre you trying to learn more about the milk and honey poems in Rupi Kaur’s collection? What are the key messages in her poetry collection?

Like this article? Sign up for a free trial here. Shortform has the world's best summaries and analyses of books you should be reading. This article is an excerpt from the Shortform book guide to 'Milk and Honey' by Rupi Kaur.

Milk and honey poems