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Violet Bent Backwards Over the Grass
Goodreads Choice Award
Nominee for Best Poetry (2020)The highly anticipated spoken word poetry collection from Lana Del Rey, Violet Bent Backwards over the Grass
“'Violet Bent Backwards over the Grass' is the title poem of the book and the first poem I wrote of many. Some of which came to me in their entirety, which I dictated and then typed out, and some that I worked laboriously picking apart each word to make the perfect poem. They are eclectic and honest and not trying to be anything other than what they are and for that reason I’m proud of them, especially because the spirit in which they were written was very authentic.” (Lana Del Rey)
Lana Del Rey brings her breathtaking poetry to life in an unprecedented audiobook. In this stunning spoken word performance, Lana Del Rey reads 14 poems from her debut book Violet Bent Backwards over the Grass accompanied by music from Grammy Award-winning musician Jack Antonoff. Lana’s debut book solidifies her further as “the essential writer of her times” (The Atlantic). This audiobook features Lana reading select poems from the book, including "LA Who Am I to Love You?", "The Land of 1,000 Fires", "Past the Bushes Cypress Thriving", "Never to Heaven", "Tessa DiPietro", "Happy", and several others. The result is an extraordinary poetic landscape that reflects the unguarded spirit of its creator.
“'Violet Bent Backwards over the Grass' is the title poem of the book and the first poem I wrote of many. Some of which came to me in their entirety, which I dictated and then typed out, and some that I worked laboriously picking apart each word to make the perfect poem. They are eclectic and honest and not trying to be anything other than what they are and for that reason I’m proud of them, especially because the spirit in which they were written was very authentic.” (Lana Del Rey)
Lana Del Rey brings her breathtaking poetry to life in an unprecedented audiobook. In this stunning spoken word performance, Lana Del Rey reads 14 poems from her debut book Violet Bent Backwards over the Grass accompanied by music from Grammy Award-winning musician Jack Antonoff. Lana’s debut book solidifies her further as “the essential writer of her times” (The Atlantic). This audiobook features Lana reading select poems from the book, including "LA Who Am I to Love You?", "The Land of 1,000 Fires", "Past the Bushes Cypress Thriving", "Never to Heaven", "Tessa DiPietro", "Happy", and several others. The result is an extraordinary poetic landscape that reflects the unguarded spirit of its creator.
1 pages, Audible Audio
First published September 29, 2020
About the author
Lana Del Rey
11 books3,787 followerssinger, song-writer, musician, and fashion model.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 6,319 reviews
March 8, 2021
Lana Del Rey has tight control over her meter, rhythm, and rhyme -- like allowing a yo-yo to unravel itself yet all-the-while maintaining the power to pull it right back, exploiting its spin. Her distinctive tone and ethereal language are unmistakably Lana, but there's also homage to Sylvia Plath in the assonance which is delicious to read aloud. It feels even more vulnerable than her music, especially in the physical edition where the drafts of some poems are printed alongside the refined final versions -- the construction lines behind the rich LA landscape she details. It's a shame about the haikus at the end, which brought my rating down from 4 to 3 stars, as they appear underdeveloped and unnecessary, especially in contrast to the dense imagery and taut poetry she writes so beautifully elsewhere.
August 2, 2020
full review to come.
she’s coming to end shakespeare’s career and feed the gays.
she’s coming to end shakespeare’s career and feed the gays.
August 1, 2020
Okay so i know i’m not supposed to be biased during a review but screw it... it’s our goddess we’re talking about here. I've been in love with the Queen of Coney Island for years so this gets a solid 5/5.
First of all, I just wanna say I'm happy as heck and so proud of her; in the legendary monologue of Ride, she says "I was a singer. Not a very popular one. I once had dreams of becoming a beautiful poet, but upon an unfortunate series of events saw those dreams dashed and divided like a million stars in the night sky." Well Lana, you freaking made it and you truly are the most beautiful poet. Thankful for the journey of yours and so so overwhelmed with the appreciation and recognition you're getting.
Now; she has only released a few snippets of her book, but so far, they're all amazing and you can literally hear the UV era coming out in some of them... what more could you want?
My personal favourite is "past the bushes cypress thriving." My oh my. What a masterpiece.
For true fans, you know that she loves referencing flowers, peaches, beaches, etc. She did it again and I'm so here for it. Every line from "carrying the air differently" to "you don't want to be forgotten, you just want to disappear" is heaven. I'm in love.
This isn't Rupi Kaur or Lang Leav or R.h Sin poetry; this requires reading between the lines and picking it apart however you want because you'll feel so many emotions at once. That's how she always makes people feel. Love, peace, commitment, solidarity; you feel it all and that's how true poetry should be.
I'm definitely fangirling right now like crazy, but she deserves it. Her poetry is a breath of fresh air and something we so desperately need to remind us who we are and what to look for in life.
Cannot wait for this to be released, along with NFR!!
First of all, I just wanna say I'm happy as heck and so proud of her; in the legendary monologue of Ride, she says "I was a singer. Not a very popular one. I once had dreams of becoming a beautiful poet, but upon an unfortunate series of events saw those dreams dashed and divided like a million stars in the night sky." Well Lana, you freaking made it and you truly are the most beautiful poet. Thankful for the journey of yours and so so overwhelmed with the appreciation and recognition you're getting.
Now; she has only released a few snippets of her book, but so far, they're all amazing and you can literally hear the UV era coming out in some of them... what more could you want?
My personal favourite is "past the bushes cypress thriving." My oh my. What a masterpiece.
For true fans, you know that she loves referencing flowers, peaches, beaches, etc. She did it again and I'm so here for it. Every line from "carrying the air differently" to "you don't want to be forgotten, you just want to disappear" is heaven. I'm in love.
This isn't Rupi Kaur or Lang Leav or R.h Sin poetry; this requires reading between the lines and picking it apart however you want because you'll feel so many emotions at once. That's how she always makes people feel. Love, peace, commitment, solidarity; you feel it all and that's how true poetry should be.
I'm definitely fangirling right now like crazy, but she deserves it. Her poetry is a breath of fresh air and something we so desperately need to remind us who we are and what to look for in life.
Cannot wait for this to be released, along with NFR!!
January 6, 2024
this could have been a really long post on tumblr, but i guess i appreciate the effort.
December 1, 2023
A wonderful collection of short, sweet, and poignant poems. I fully admit I am a bit biased, since I'm a long time fan of Lana; but as a lover and consumer of poetry as well, I can confidently say this is worth the read. If you resonate with her music like I do, I’m sure you’ll find this book to be a perfect addition to her catalog. Her talent with words has never been more clear than on these pages. On Violet, LDR writes on topics such as happiness, love, solitude, trust, control, and even writing itself — in both familiar and original ways. I’m also obsessed with the imagery she uses, which is very closely tied to two of her most recent albums, Norman Fucking Rockwell! and Chemtrails.
I also recommend the audiobook version, which features Lana's masterful narration and beautiful atmospheric instrumentals that make the reading experience even more immersive.
Sportcruiser was an immediate highlight for me, as it brought tears to my eyes and gave me big Joan Didion vibes. Salamander, Pass the Bushes Cypress Thriving, Tessa Dipietro and My Bedroom is a Sacred Place Now - There Are Children at the Foot of my Bed were some of my other favorites.
I also recommend the audiobook version, which features Lana's masterful narration and beautiful atmospheric instrumentals that make the reading experience even more immersive.
Sportcruiser was an immediate highlight for me, as it brought tears to my eyes and gave me big Joan Didion vibes. Salamander, Pass the Bushes Cypress Thriving, Tessa Dipietro and My Bedroom is a Sacred Place Now - There Are Children at the Foot of my Bed were some of my other favorites.
February 13, 2023
4.5 "feminine, navel gazing, wistful" stars !!
2022 Honorable Mention Read
I had such a lovely day today. We did a lakeside hike, country drive and I read this book of poetry to my love. I am a huge fan of Lana Del Rey's music and not a day goes by where I have not heard two or three of her songs. She has become part of my daily fabric and habit and I love that I know all her songs by heart as I have heard each of them hundreds of times.
Thank you to Elyse W. who put this book on my radar and today was the day that I explored this book of confessional poetry, california photographs and some haiku. Lana has also included a few photographs and paintings from other artists.
The poetry is interior, lovely, a tad sloppy and intensely romantic with tinges of joy and many kinds of sadnesses. To read these poems was to inhabit the being of Ms. Del Rey and that is a place I like to be.
I will include two haiku by Ms. Del Rey here as well as a poem I wrote a few years back that was inspired by the wonder of Lana.
I stepped on a
bird
cried in my new
boyfrend's arms
to live is to kill -Lana Del Rey
Babe let's go to
town
buy something
sweet -pink
grapefruit
eat it with sugar -Lana Del Rey
Avec Lana
Lana and her midtempo melodious
pop
are as familiar to me
as my
Earl Grey tea
meditation
prayers
chicken salad with red grapes
boardwalk jaunts
silvery kitty
Lana's dulcet mezzo reaches my ear
goes into my heart
up to my lips
that caress my beloved's chest
and achingly elicits my Summertime Sadness
-Jaidee
Thank you for the music Ms. Del Rey and for connection to such pleasurable emotions !
2022 Honorable Mention Read
I had such a lovely day today. We did a lakeside hike, country drive and I read this book of poetry to my love. I am a huge fan of Lana Del Rey's music and not a day goes by where I have not heard two or three of her songs. She has become part of my daily fabric and habit and I love that I know all her songs by heart as I have heard each of them hundreds of times.
Thank you to Elyse W. who put this book on my radar and today was the day that I explored this book of confessional poetry, california photographs and some haiku. Lana has also included a few photographs and paintings from other artists.
The poetry is interior, lovely, a tad sloppy and intensely romantic with tinges of joy and many kinds of sadnesses. To read these poems was to inhabit the being of Ms. Del Rey and that is a place I like to be.
I will include two haiku by Ms. Del Rey here as well as a poem I wrote a few years back that was inspired by the wonder of Lana.
I stepped on a
bird
cried in my new
boyfrend's arms
to live is to kill -Lana Del Rey
Babe let's go to
town
buy something
sweet -pink
grapefruit
eat it with sugar -Lana Del Rey
Avec Lana
Lana and her midtempo melodious
pop
are as familiar to me
as my
Earl Grey tea
meditation
prayers
chicken salad with red grapes
boardwalk jaunts
silvery kitty
Lana's dulcet mezzo reaches my ear
goes into my heart
up to my lips
that caress my beloved's chest
and achingly elicits my Summertime Sadness
-Jaidee
Thank you for the music Ms. Del Rey and for connection to such pleasurable emotions !
November 22, 2020
i heard a rumor that this book was originally only supposed to be published in local bookshops in los angeles/california, and after reading it, that makes sense. there's so many references to a part of the country i'm not familiar with, and though i could identify with her emotions and there were also pictures for each poem, it could be hard to place myself in the poem because the landscape was so foreign.
but this reads like a monologue she would insert into a song (like "ride") with very classic lana del rey melancholy. i enjoyed it, but i'm glad i got it from the library rather than preordered it because i'm not sure this would be a collection i'd return to.
but this reads like a monologue she would insert into a song (like "ride") with very classic lana del rey melancholy. i enjoyed it, but i'm glad i got it from the library rather than preordered it because i'm not sure this would be a collection i'd return to.
July 10, 2023
Lana Del Rey could write Romeo and Juliet (in fact i think she did) but Shakespeare could never write Violet Bent Backwards Over the Grass (or if he did he would give it a stupid one word name) 🤭
February 6, 2022
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I took a week-long vacation to catch up on my TBR and read and review some of the books I was most hyped about, because COVID is still a thing and I'm not going anywhere, and I can make it rain PTO. #adulting #nerd
One of the books I was really excited about was VIOLET BENT BACKWARDS OVER THE GRASS, a poetry collection by Lana Del Rey. I love Lana's music so naturally when I found out that she was putting out a book of poetry, which is basically music's shier little sister, I was like ummm yes please.
Now that I've read the book, I'm like... hmm. On the one hand, it wasn't bad. But on the other hand, it's by Lana Del Rey and I know what she's actually capable of, so "not bad" doesn't really slice it. It's like you think you're getting a Degas painting and instead you get something he doodled on a napkin while paying his phone bill. Like, yeah, the essence is there, but not the maximized potential.
Here's the short of it. Some of the poems were good. A few had an almost freestyle rap beat to them. Some felt like lyrical songs put to paper. And some, idk what the hell she was doing. Changing "you" to "u" and slapping random emojis in there and what have you-- it all felt very high school, whereas the cover tells me "I am a sophisticated and classy bitch who vacays in Provence." There was sort of a gap between what I expected from the presentation and her music, and what I got. Also, I wasn't sold on the photos. The random, grainy pictures felt very Myspace circa 2006. Which sort of ties into the whole high school vibe of this piece. Which is not my thing.
2 to 2.5 stars
October 17, 2020
Lana Del Rey knows how to write a song. Her lyrics flow seamlessly along the waves of her melodies and transmit the listener to a particular place and time. For Del Rey, that's often a glamorized yet criticized American Dream, whether it's the grimy streets of New York or the palm-treed beaches of Los Angeles.
In her first collection of poetry, Violet Bent Backwards Over the Grass, then, you'd be right to expect the same feelings as she conveys in her songs: of wanderlust, discontent and transience. Del Rey is never quite happy and seems to be okay with that. She is torn between coasts, two selves vying for the limelight. Her muse is herself and her country. These poems are mostly narrative, reading at times more like poetic diary entries that leave very little to interpretation.
While she has a strong musicality to her poetry—the audiobook is narrated by the author and accompanied by ambient music from Jack Antonoff, her recent collaborator—they often lack depth. Either they are too short and underdeveloped, or too long and lose the thesis as she meanders and muses. For Del Rey fans like myself, those meanderings still hold weight because Del Rey has a sort of magic touch and languishes in the beauty of everyday life so excellently. For people who aren't such big fans or somehow don't know who she is when picking this up, they may come across too self-indulgent.
Though narcissism has always been a part of Del Rey's brand, I think her poetry thrives, as in my opinion most poetry does, when it connects to the universal. Yes, it's interesting enough to hear about Del Rey's personal life in the form of poetry; whether these are thinly veiled realities or heavily fabricated stories is up to interpretation. But that fascination can only last so long and doesn't necessarily encourage revisiting these poems.
If Del Rey is to continue writing, I'd be happy to see her focus more on her thoughts and worldview, of which she has a very interesting, poetic perspective, rather than relay her own dramas and alienate the reader. She's got something here, and this 39-minute audiobook is worth giving a listen if only for its ability to take you away from the world for a bit, into Del Rey's richly imagined world.
In her first collection of poetry, Violet Bent Backwards Over the Grass, then, you'd be right to expect the same feelings as she conveys in her songs: of wanderlust, discontent and transience. Del Rey is never quite happy and seems to be okay with that. She is torn between coasts, two selves vying for the limelight. Her muse is herself and her country. These poems are mostly narrative, reading at times more like poetic diary entries that leave very little to interpretation.
While she has a strong musicality to her poetry—the audiobook is narrated by the author and accompanied by ambient music from Jack Antonoff, her recent collaborator—they often lack depth. Either they are too short and underdeveloped, or too long and lose the thesis as she meanders and muses. For Del Rey fans like myself, those meanderings still hold weight because Del Rey has a sort of magic touch and languishes in the beauty of everyday life so excellently. For people who aren't such big fans or somehow don't know who she is when picking this up, they may come across too self-indulgent.
Though narcissism has always been a part of Del Rey's brand, I think her poetry thrives, as in my opinion most poetry does, when it connects to the universal. Yes, it's interesting enough to hear about Del Rey's personal life in the form of poetry; whether these are thinly veiled realities or heavily fabricated stories is up to interpretation. But that fascination can only last so long and doesn't necessarily encourage revisiting these poems.
If Del Rey is to continue writing, I'd be happy to see her focus more on her thoughts and worldview, of which she has a very interesting, poetic perspective, rather than relay her own dramas and alienate the reader. She's got something here, and this 39-minute audiobook is worth giving a listen if only for its ability to take you away from the world for a bit, into Del Rey's richly imagined world.
March 25, 2022
I love Lana Del Rey's music, but Violet Bent Backwards Over the Grass fell short of reaching her classic magical timelessness.
I'm not sure what I was expecting. The black-and-white movie star glamour of Ultraviolence (The power of youth is on my mind / Sunsets, small town, I'm out of time / Will you still love me when I shine / From words but not from beauty) or the reflective, subdued Blue Banisters (What if someone had asked Picasso not to be sad? / Never known who he was or the man he'd become / There would be no blue period / Let me run with the wolves, let me do what I do / Let me show you how sadness can turn into happiness / I can turn blue into something) or the gritty Born to Die (Ours a love I held tightly / Feeling the rapture grow / Like a flame burning brightly). All of her albums have a high number of songs that could stand without music as poetry. Her lyricism is insane.
I know it's difficult to switch between storytelling mediums. But Lana's songwriting is essentially poetry to start with, so I expected the same magic from her "official" poetry. Instead, I got watermelon emojis. Don't ask, I won't be able to answer. A few poems stood out, but most of them were limp. Many of the poems dragged and felt like drawn-out ramblings with no end destination or theme. But not in a good way; I didn't feel like I was in her mind, I just felt detached and disinterested.
She has good rhythm, though. This is a collection that works better in audiobook format than it does on the page. Her poems feel musical, which makes sense. I felt a glimmer of her signature allure at some parts. But Violet Bent Backwards Over the Grass was disappointing overall.
2 stars
I'm not sure what I was expecting. The black-and-white movie star glamour of Ultraviolence (The power of youth is on my mind / Sunsets, small town, I'm out of time / Will you still love me when I shine / From words but not from beauty) or the reflective, subdued Blue Banisters (What if someone had asked Picasso not to be sad? / Never known who he was or the man he'd become / There would be no blue period / Let me run with the wolves, let me do what I do / Let me show you how sadness can turn into happiness / I can turn blue into something) or the gritty Born to Die (Ours a love I held tightly / Feeling the rapture grow / Like a flame burning brightly). All of her albums have a high number of songs that could stand without music as poetry. Her lyricism is insane.
I know it's difficult to switch between storytelling mediums. But Lana's songwriting is essentially poetry to start with, so I expected the same magic from her "official" poetry. Instead, I got watermelon emojis. Don't ask, I won't be able to answer. A few poems stood out, but most of them were limp. Many of the poems dragged and felt like drawn-out ramblings with no end destination or theme. But not in a good way; I didn't feel like I was in her mind, I just felt detached and disinterested.
She has good rhythm, though. This is a collection that works better in audiobook format than it does on the page. Her poems feel musical, which makes sense. I felt a glimmer of her signature allure at some parts. But Violet Bent Backwards Over the Grass was disappointing overall.
2 stars
October 26, 2021
I was one of the millions of people swept away by Lana Del Rey when I first heard the opening church bells and plaintive piano chords of "Video Games" nearly a decade ago. Despite the spite-filled hot takes and lukewarm reviews, the earworms on her debut album, Born to Die, burrowed in me. I was an immediate fan. Every new release delights me, and I sincerely count her as one of my very favorite recording artists.
But this?
This is bad.
Very, very bad.
The trouble with stan culture, though, is that diehard fans are not supposed to (nor are they encouraged to) question the output of an artist they love. Everything is perfect. To say otherwise invites the rage of fellow "stans". Bring on stancel culture. Buh-dum-ching.
Fellow LDR Stans: this collection of "poetry" is bad.
Very, very bad.
Lana Del Rey writes song lyrics that recycle the same shopworn themes over and over again: high glamor and unfathomable wealth never conquer unshakeable sadness or fading beauty. It's melodramatic. It's a little cliché. But it's served on a bed of sumptuous choruses and captivating melodies that can distract the listener from lines like "baby, you're so ghetto/you're looking to score" ("Art Deco", admittedly one of my favorite tracks of hers).
I read a batshit insane review of Norman Fucking Rockwell! when it was released that likened Del Rey's writing to that of Nobel Prize-winning Bob Dylan's. Pump the brakes, everybody. I don't even like Bob Dylan, but even a vague awareness of his output will dissolve any perceived similarities between his writing and hers. It's astonishing to even suggest that Del Rey is anything more than workmanlike in her writing. At her best, she is good. Just good. At her worst, she is laughably bad.
Further, no writer defends why they are a writer. They just are. The sheer volume of times Del Rey refers to herself as a poet in this book is borderline satire. Methinks the lady doth protest too much.
In the description on the hardcover's flap, Del Rey writes, "...I worked laboriously picking apart each word to make the perfect poem. They are eclectic and honest and not trying to be anything other than what they are... the spirit in which they were written was very authentic.”
Don’t get me started with the rage I feel whenever I hear the younger generation blather about how important it is to be your “authentic self”. I don’t know where this obsession comes from aside from the fact that social media systematically dehumanizes people so much that they don’t know how to live by their own code.
Anyway. Stop using that word. You don’t need to advertise your authenticity or lack thereof. Especially you, multi-platinum, Grammy-nominated Lana Del Rey.
Let's instead tackle the first sentence about “making the perfect poem” with an anecdote:
Being an LDR fan, I bought both the book and the "audiobook" on vinyl. I thought it would be fun to listen to the record while reading the poems. So that's what I did.
The audiobook itself is a curiosity. For one, the poems are presented out of order (why?) and Del Rey doesn't read every poem in the slim volume (again, why?) and each "track" features producer-of-the-moment Jack Antonoff doodling around with beatnik-y guitar licks, mellotrons, and an abundant overuse of a distortion pedal. Del Rey ramrods through the poems as if she's reading them for the first time, sometimes veering into overwrought flair that sounds like some high school student's dramatic audition going off the rails.
But more curiously: the poems are different. Neither audiobook reading nor printed "final" form are alike on... well, any of them. Sometimes Del Rey eliminates an entire stanza. Sometimes it's a word, and there's no meaningful effect (tone, sound, or otherwise) for the change. On "Paradise is Very Fragile", "60 years succumbed" (print version) becomes "80 years succumbed" (audio version). That change hints at nothing: no deeper meaning, no added value. It merely hints that the poem is unfinished and still in its draft stages... which is what nearly every poem in this volume feels like. Unfinished or whipped up on a whim and doled out for the stans to gobble up (which, judging by the reviews on Goodreads, they have).
If your poems boast perfectly picked words or “came to you in their entirety”, why change them? Because they’re not finished. Go back. Write seven or eight or forty more drafts and then publish your book.
What's frustrating, though, is that, buried in all the meandering fluff, there is some really solid writing:
"Sportscruiser" begins with a compelling snapshot of dissolution only to tumble into literal paragraphs about Del Rey taking flying and sailing lessons. Conversations are dictated, emotions unpacked on a surface level, and actions told rather than shown. It comes across less as a poem and more as a rambling diary entry. But even within the rambling, there are some pretty lines: "...captains aren't like poets [!!!LDRisapoet!!!]; they don't make metaphors between the sea and sky". That, to me, is a lovely line. It is surrounded by self-indulgent nonsense. Therefore, this poem is not finished.
"In the flats of Melrose" has a central stanza that presents a snapshot of domesticity with an underpinning of uncertainty. It's lovely. It's also immediately followed by an inane line about her lover becoming "hell-bent on being some indie director". This poem is not finished.
"Violet Bent Backwards Over the Grass" has an evocative image of a child behaving childlike in the backyard, which would've been sufficient on its own except Del Rey chooses to parallel it to the banal platitude of "do[ing] nothing about everything forever". Jesus. Christ. This. Poem. Is. Not. Finished.
Sandwiched between the poems are ruminating photos that add some texture while also being completely meaningless. The book, therefore, is well-made and pretty but ultimately empty and far from novel. In fact, Del Rey recycles ideas from songs like "Ride" and "Old Money" and outright cribs a line from "Cinnamon Girl" as if her fans wouldn't notice.
I’ll end on this: the hilariously bad "Sugarfish”, which gifts us this record-scratching gem: Sugar sugar lips and teeth/fingertips touch emojis/hard forever/hearts on fleek/bb please come over.
That's... just awful.
Gosh, I don't know, you guys. What was I expecting? Pulitzer Prize-worthy poetry?
After all, this is the same woman who wrote and sang (in deadpan, no less), "My pussy taste like Pepsi cola."
Come at me, stans.
Update: October 25, 2021
Ok, y'all. Blue Banisters came out on Friday, and I've listened to it pretty much on repeat.
I have some exciting news. Lana Del Rey's lyrics are getting better: less clichéd, punchier, and often damned emotional. "Blue Banisters", "Text Book", "Black Bathing Suit", "Sweet Carolina", "Thunder"... powerful, unexpected stuff.
I'd like to say she had it in herself this entire time, but I wasn't certain. In my eyes, she's redeemed herself from this still-garbage collection.
But this?
This is bad.
Very, very bad.
The trouble with stan culture, though, is that diehard fans are not supposed to (nor are they encouraged to) question the output of an artist they love. Everything is perfect. To say otherwise invites the rage of fellow "stans". Bring on stancel culture. Buh-dum-ching.
Fellow LDR Stans: this collection of "poetry" is bad.
Very, very bad.
Lana Del Rey writes song lyrics that recycle the same shopworn themes over and over again: high glamor and unfathomable wealth never conquer unshakeable sadness or fading beauty. It's melodramatic. It's a little cliché. But it's served on a bed of sumptuous choruses and captivating melodies that can distract the listener from lines like "baby, you're so ghetto/you're looking to score" ("Art Deco", admittedly one of my favorite tracks of hers).
I read a batshit insane review of Norman Fucking Rockwell! when it was released that likened Del Rey's writing to that of Nobel Prize-winning Bob Dylan's. Pump the brakes, everybody. I don't even like Bob Dylan, but even a vague awareness of his output will dissolve any perceived similarities between his writing and hers. It's astonishing to even suggest that Del Rey is anything more than workmanlike in her writing. At her best, she is good. Just good. At her worst, she is laughably bad.
Further, no writer defends why they are a writer. They just are. The sheer volume of times Del Rey refers to herself as a poet in this book is borderline satire. Methinks the lady doth protest too much.
In the description on the hardcover's flap, Del Rey writes, "...I worked laboriously picking apart each word to make the perfect poem. They are eclectic and honest and not trying to be anything other than what they are... the spirit in which they were written was very authentic.”
Don’t get me started with the rage I feel whenever I hear the younger generation blather about how important it is to be your “authentic self”. I don’t know where this obsession comes from aside from the fact that social media systematically dehumanizes people so much that they don’t know how to live by their own code.
Anyway. Stop using that word. You don’t need to advertise your authenticity or lack thereof. Especially you, multi-platinum, Grammy-nominated Lana Del Rey.
Let's instead tackle the first sentence about “making the perfect poem” with an anecdote:
Being an LDR fan, I bought both the book and the "audiobook" on vinyl. I thought it would be fun to listen to the record while reading the poems. So that's what I did.
The audiobook itself is a curiosity. For one, the poems are presented out of order (why?) and Del Rey doesn't read every poem in the slim volume (again, why?) and each "track" features producer-of-the-moment Jack Antonoff doodling around with beatnik-y guitar licks, mellotrons, and an abundant overuse of a distortion pedal. Del Rey ramrods through the poems as if she's reading them for the first time, sometimes veering into overwrought flair that sounds like some high school student's dramatic audition going off the rails.
But more curiously: the poems are different. Neither audiobook reading nor printed "final" form are alike on... well, any of them. Sometimes Del Rey eliminates an entire stanza. Sometimes it's a word, and there's no meaningful effect (tone, sound, or otherwise) for the change. On "Paradise is Very Fragile", "60 years succumbed" (print version) becomes "80 years succumbed" (audio version). That change hints at nothing: no deeper meaning, no added value. It merely hints that the poem is unfinished and still in its draft stages... which is what nearly every poem in this volume feels like. Unfinished or whipped up on a whim and doled out for the stans to gobble up (which, judging by the reviews on Goodreads, they have).
If your poems boast perfectly picked words or “came to you in their entirety”, why change them? Because they’re not finished. Go back. Write seven or eight or forty more drafts and then publish your book.
What's frustrating, though, is that, buried in all the meandering fluff, there is some really solid writing:
"Sportscruiser" begins with a compelling snapshot of dissolution only to tumble into literal paragraphs about Del Rey taking flying and sailing lessons. Conversations are dictated, emotions unpacked on a surface level, and actions told rather than shown. It comes across less as a poem and more as a rambling diary entry. But even within the rambling, there are some pretty lines: "...captains aren't like poets [!!!LDRisapoet!!!]; they don't make metaphors between the sea and sky". That, to me, is a lovely line. It is surrounded by self-indulgent nonsense. Therefore, this poem is not finished.
"In the flats of Melrose" has a central stanza that presents a snapshot of domesticity with an underpinning of uncertainty. It's lovely. It's also immediately followed by an inane line about her lover becoming "hell-bent on being some indie director". This poem is not finished.
"Violet Bent Backwards Over the Grass" has an evocative image of a child behaving childlike in the backyard, which would've been sufficient on its own except Del Rey chooses to parallel it to the banal platitude of "do[ing] nothing about everything forever". Jesus. Christ. This. Poem. Is. Not. Finished.
Sandwiched between the poems are ruminating photos that add some texture while also being completely meaningless. The book, therefore, is well-made and pretty but ultimately empty and far from novel. In fact, Del Rey recycles ideas from songs like "Ride" and "Old Money" and outright cribs a line from "Cinnamon Girl" as if her fans wouldn't notice.
I’ll end on this: the hilariously bad "Sugarfish”, which gifts us this record-scratching gem: Sugar sugar lips and teeth/fingertips touch emojis/hard forever/hearts on fleek/bb please come over.
That's... just awful.
Gosh, I don't know, you guys. What was I expecting? Pulitzer Prize-worthy poetry?
After all, this is the same woman who wrote and sang (in deadpan, no less), "My pussy taste like Pepsi cola."
Come at me, stans.
Update: October 25, 2021
Ok, y'all. Blue Banisters came out on Friday, and I've listened to it pretty much on repeat.
I have some exciting news. Lana Del Rey's lyrics are getting better: less clichéd, punchier, and often damned emotional. "Blue Banisters", "Text Book", "Black Bathing Suit", "Sweet Carolina", "Thunder"... powerful, unexpected stuff.
I'd like to say she had it in herself this entire time, but I wasn't certain. In my eyes, she's redeemed herself from this still-garbage collection.
December 11, 2020
Audiobook.... read by the author Lana Del Ray
39 minutes long
These poems ... are absolutely extraordinary....
The experience was soooo beautiful.
I listened to it ... with my eyes close—lying on the bench in our sauna — meditative-reflective—and peaceful
Between the piercing words -performed in almost a gentle rap-musical-lyrical type context ....
I was in a complete transfixed ‘awe’ space.
NOT TO MISS....
sooooo beautiful.... very special....
DO NOT listen to this while running on a treadmill —or any other ‘busy’ state.
I think that would be sacrilegious.... lol
Sit down - quietly ‘with yourself’ — and give yourself a 39 minute stunning gift!!!
Even those who rarely appreciate poetry- or even music ( hard to believe anyone could live without music).....”Violet Bent Backwards Over the Grass”, will not only ‘not’ disappoint.... you’ll be mesmerized!!
If you don’t believe me…
read a few of the 2,195 reviews on Amazon ... with an overall 5 star rating.
Highly recommend for a authentically raw & atmospheric experience.
39 minutes long
These poems ... are absolutely extraordinary....
The experience was soooo beautiful.
I listened to it ... with my eyes close—lying on the bench in our sauna — meditative-reflective—and peaceful
Between the piercing words -performed in almost a gentle rap-musical-lyrical type context ....
I was in a complete transfixed ‘awe’ space.
NOT TO MISS....
sooooo beautiful.... very special....
DO NOT listen to this while running on a treadmill —or any other ‘busy’ state.
I think that would be sacrilegious.... lol
Sit down - quietly ‘with yourself’ — and give yourself a 39 minute stunning gift!!!
Even those who rarely appreciate poetry- or even music ( hard to believe anyone could live without music).....”Violet Bent Backwards Over the Grass”, will not only ‘not’ disappoint.... you’ll be mesmerized!!
If you don’t believe me…
read a few of the 2,195 reviews on Amazon ... with an overall 5 star rating.
Highly recommend for a authentically raw & atmospheric experience.
Want to read
July 29, 2020i don't have words. i just don't.
this woman is everything and i don't think anything i'll say can begin to express how i feel about her so i'm not even gonna try
i'll just
December 13, 2020
Real poets don't have to try so hard to persuade their readers on every poem that they are real poets.
(Let's not forget she promised to sell the collection for no more than $1 "because my thoughts are priceless" (rolling my motherfucking eyes) and then she backed-out from the idea.)
I don't know how other people are not seeing the pretentiousness in this.
Update: Apparently (some of) the money was donated to the Navajo Water Project, which is great! I still believe the "book" is trash however and I still believe she made (some) profit out of it.
(Let's not forget she promised to sell the collection for no more than $1 "because my thoughts are priceless" (rolling my motherfucking eyes) and then she backed-out from the idea.)
I don't know how other people are not seeing the pretentiousness in this.
Update: Apparently (some of) the money was donated to the Navajo Water Project, which is great! I still believe the "book" is trash however and I still believe she made (some) profit out of it.
June 23, 2023
"i didn't feel better and i didn't use the numbers but i thought that i had been very brave that i did the best i could, sharing in a big room, tears streaming down my face in my high school flannel
just to say
the man that i love hates me.
but it would have been easier to stay.'”
2.5/5 stars.
i'm still unsure about how to rate this, but i was a bit underwhelmed.
i am a massive lana del rey fan, and i've always felt that should she not be so musically inclined, she would have been a poet. she's an incredible songwriter and so i had high hopes for this!
i didn't know what i expected going into it, ideally something maybe with the magnetism of ultraviolence (all those little times you said that i'm your girl / you make me feel like your whole world / i'll wait for you, babe / that's all i do, babe / you don't come through, babe / you never do / because i'm pretty when i cry),
or the beautiful melancholy of norman fucking rockwell (i've been tearing around in my fucking nightgown / 24/7 silvia plath / writing in blood on the walls / 'cause the ink in my pen don't work in my notepad / don't ask if i'm happy, you know that i'm not / but, at best, i can say i'm not sad / 'cause hope is a dangerous thing for a woman like me to have),
or the emotion of blue banisters ('cause i met a man who / said he'd come back every may / just to help me if i paint my banisters blue / said he'd fix my weathervane / give me children, take away my pain / and paint my banisters blue),
and it did have some of that. but mostly it felt messy and unfinished.
in terms of upsides,
- the book is very aesthetic, it has photos from lana herself and gorgeous artwork, and even has a few copies of poems showing their notes and then final versions!
- her style is lovely and as someone who prefers to read poetry out loud and more than once, it has a very enjoyable flow to it.
- it's very atmospheric and vivid writing.
i did enjoy a few of the poems particularly, and some were very interesting and i felt like i understood her more through them, but they felt unorganized. that could have been intentional, but still made it rather rough to read.
many felt incomplete and occasionally lacking a sort of drive to the poem.
and then the haikus.
my rating would have been higher without the haikus. they felt random and unnecessary.
but lana has stated before that this poetry isn't "trying to be anything other than that what it is," and it's not a bad collection at all, it just wasn't all that for me.
just to say
the man that i love hates me.
but it would have been easier to stay.'”
2.5/5 stars.
i'm still unsure about how to rate this, but i was a bit underwhelmed.
i am a massive lana del rey fan, and i've always felt that should she not be so musically inclined, she would have been a poet. she's an incredible songwriter and so i had high hopes for this!
i didn't know what i expected going into it, ideally something maybe with the magnetism of ultraviolence (all those little times you said that i'm your girl / you make me feel like your whole world / i'll wait for you, babe / that's all i do, babe / you don't come through, babe / you never do / because i'm pretty when i cry),
or the beautiful melancholy of norman fucking rockwell (i've been tearing around in my fucking nightgown / 24/7 silvia plath / writing in blood on the walls / 'cause the ink in my pen don't work in my notepad / don't ask if i'm happy, you know that i'm not / but, at best, i can say i'm not sad / 'cause hope is a dangerous thing for a woman like me to have),
or the emotion of blue banisters ('cause i met a man who / said he'd come back every may / just to help me if i paint my banisters blue / said he'd fix my weathervane / give me children, take away my pain / and paint my banisters blue),
and it did have some of that. but mostly it felt messy and unfinished.
in terms of upsides,
- the book is very aesthetic, it has photos from lana herself and gorgeous artwork, and even has a few copies of poems showing their notes and then final versions!
- her style is lovely and as someone who prefers to read poetry out loud and more than once, it has a very enjoyable flow to it.
- it's very atmospheric and vivid writing.
i did enjoy a few of the poems particularly, and some were very interesting and i felt like i understood her more through them, but they felt unorganized. that could have been intentional, but still made it rather rough to read.
many felt incomplete and occasionally lacking a sort of drive to the poem.
and then the haikus.
my rating would have been higher without the haikus. they felt random and unnecessary.
but lana has stated before that this poetry isn't "trying to be anything other than that what it is," and it's not a bad collection at all, it just wasn't all that for me.
August 5, 2020
This was high key annoying
September 23, 2023
you don’t want to be forgotten
You just want to disappear
How the hell I didn't know this existed!?? If Mother Lana writes. We read. That's it.
You see I’m a real poet
My life is my poetry
my lovemaking is my legacy
My thoughts are not for sale
they’re about nothing
and beautiful and for free
i wish you could get that
and love that about me
You can have a life beyond your wildest dreams
all you have to do is change everything…
You just want to disappear
How the hell I didn't know this existed!?? If Mother Lana writes. We read. That's it.
You see I’m a real poet
My life is my poetry
my lovemaking is my legacy
My thoughts are not for sale
they’re about nothing
and beautiful and for free
i wish you could get that
and love that about me
You can have a life beyond your wildest dreams
all you have to do is change everything…
January 20, 2023
Anyone who's given this 'book' 5 stars has not read real poetry or not even good poetry at all!
Update: if you feel triggered by this then my review did its job. Now you can decide to cry about it either publicly or in SILENCE.
Update: if you feel triggered by this then my review did its job. Now you can decide to cry about it either publicly or in SILENCE.
August 9, 2021
I had no real knowledge of Lana del Rey before listening to this and I found it pretty hit and miss
March 7, 2023
Niestety nie trafiły do mnie te wiersze, mimo że muzyka Lany płynie w moich żyłach.
Bardzo osobista kwestia: mam dysleksję i trudno było mi czytać pisane na maszynie literki (wiersze po angielsku). IMO polski przekład nie jest najlepszy i zabiera dużo oryginałom, ale i tak nie poczułam ✨️tego czegoś✨️
Bardzo osobista kwestia: mam dysleksję i trudno było mi czytać pisane na maszynie literki (wiersze po angielsku). IMO polski przekład nie jest najlepszy i zabiera dużo oryginałom, ale i tak nie poczułam ✨️tego czegoś✨️
May 11, 2021
Quiero dejar claro que soy un gran admirador de Lana del Rey desde su primer single, que es la artista actual que más escucho cada año desde hace años y que me compré este libro con la inmensa ilusión de descubrir lo que ella siempre ha dejado claro que es su verdadera pasión: su poesía. Pero todo esto no ha servido de nada al toparme con uno de los artefactos editoriales más sonrojantes que nadie haya vendido jamás. Puede que estos sean los 20 euros peor invertidos de mi vida: y esto lo dice una persona que una vez fue a la consulta de una pitonisa.
Las bucólicas, desesperanzadas y estilizadas creaciones de Lana no son capaces de soportar dos cosas: ser leídas sin música y, especialmente, ser leídas en español. Los versos suenan simplones, básicos y hasta incómodos. El fraseo cargado de imágenes videocliperas y cinematográficas resulta artificial y manido en el papel. Las fotografías que ocupan la mitad de las páginas podrían tener su aquel en movimiento y acompañadas de música, pero aquí aportan poco. Las constantes referencias a topónimos, marcas y personajes de la cultura popular rechinan al ser traducidas. Y cuando crees que sus poemas no te pueden espantar más... llegan sus haikus. Y, después de estos, una sección llamada “notas para un poeta” con páginas en blanco ¿para usar como libreta? Para que no se diga que no soy capaz de sacar nada bueno de esta lectura reconoceré, eso sí, que la cubierta es preciosa. Y ya está.
No esperaba a Kavafis, claro, pero tampoco esperaba a una quinceañera de 2012 escribiendo cosas emo en su tumblr. Esto demuestra que desear mucho algo no implica ser capaz de hacerlo bien. Por mi parte seguiré disfrutando intensamente y a diario de los discos de la autora, pero no se me ocurrirá volver a intentarlo con su faceta literaria.
Las bucólicas, desesperanzadas y estilizadas creaciones de Lana no son capaces de soportar dos cosas: ser leídas sin música y, especialmente, ser leídas en español. Los versos suenan simplones, básicos y hasta incómodos. El fraseo cargado de imágenes videocliperas y cinematográficas resulta artificial y manido en el papel. Las fotografías que ocupan la mitad de las páginas podrían tener su aquel en movimiento y acompañadas de música, pero aquí aportan poco. Las constantes referencias a topónimos, marcas y personajes de la cultura popular rechinan al ser traducidas. Y cuando crees que sus poemas no te pueden espantar más... llegan sus haikus. Y, después de estos, una sección llamada “notas para un poeta” con páginas en blanco ¿para usar como libreta? Para que no se diga que no soy capaz de sacar nada bueno de esta lectura reconoceré, eso sí, que la cubierta es preciosa. Y ya está.
No esperaba a Kavafis, claro, pero tampoco esperaba a una quinceañera de 2012 escribiendo cosas emo en su tumblr. Esto demuestra que desear mucho algo no implica ser capaz de hacerlo bien. Por mi parte seguiré disfrutando intensamente y a diario de los discos de la autora, pero no se me ocurrirá volver a intentarlo con su faceta literaria.
July 31, 2020
I love love Lana Del Rey
But if I am expecting her poetry book to be anything like her lyrics then I am dead wrong. Half the time I don't even understand what her poetry is about or it can be called poetry lol because there is like whole conversation on it. Some of it manage to evoke some feelings in me and some is like bleh what is this even.
The beginning poem I feel like she is talking about her making love to L.A. WHAT?? And this title is very weird. Everytime I see it I have the perverted image in my head of Violet flashing her panties or butt for all to see
But if I am expecting her poetry book to be anything like her lyrics then I am dead wrong. Half the time I don't even understand what her poetry is about or it can be called poetry lol because there is like whole conversation on it. Some of it manage to evoke some feelings in me and some is like bleh what is this even.
The beginning poem I feel like she is talking about her making love to L.A. WHAT?? And this title is very weird. Everytime I see it I have the perverted image in my head of Violet flashing her panties or butt for all to see
September 14, 2023
Lana could sing or write anything I will be the first to devour it.
This was flawless. She is the new Shakespeare y'all 'I don't make the rules 🤚🏽'
"No one ever touched me without wanting to kill me except for a healer on 6th Street and Ridgeley"
"I took a flying lesson on my 33rd birthday instead of calling you or parking on the block where our old place used to be
Genesee
Genesee
Genesee
Pathetic I know, but sometimes I still like to park on that street and have lunch in the car just to feel close to you. "
"For years I begged you to just take me in your arms"
This was flawless. She is the new Shakespeare y'all 'I don't make the rules 🤚🏽'
"No one ever touched me without wanting to kill me except for a healer on 6th Street and Ridgeley"
"I took a flying lesson on my 33rd birthday instead of calling you or parking on the block where our old place used to be
Genesee
Genesee
Genesee
Pathetic I know, but sometimes I still like to park on that street and have lunch in the car just to feel close to you. "
"For years I begged you to just take me in your arms"
July 9, 2020
I have always been a fan of lana del rey’s unique choice of words. This piece of writing is a true example of how talented and superbly hardworking she is. I am proud to say I am one of her biggest fans and I truly am impressed by this book.
October 8, 2023
this was actually very beautiful (not surprised)
July 29, 2021
‘You don't wanna be forgotten, you just wanna disappear.’
February 3, 2021
I have a difficult relationship with Lana Del Rey. I listened to a lot of her music back in 2014 while dealing with some health issues, but moved on from her music when I started to do better. I haven’t kept up with her music beyond what snippets are used in Instagram videos and her unfortunate and insensitive comments about women and the right to be soft (while comparing herself against female POC artists). I wanted to give this a try in an effort to make my own judgments based on her poetry, and lord almighty. This was some smug, self-important, ego stroking, narcissistic, self-congratulatory bullshit.
Let me be clear: I am a VERY casual consumer of poetry. I am by no means an expert on the craft or its composition. However, I have never read a book of poetry where the author has to remind us they are a poet over 15 times in just over 100 pages. I feel like the whole “show me, don’t tell me” adage applies here. It became so tiresome because it was like she was asking the reader to scream, “Oh Lana, honey, you ARE a poet!” at their book, as if that would somehow radiate through the universe and stroke her ego.
This book is dripping with the same toxic portrayal of “embodied” (her words) women and their role in American society that has gotten her in trouble as recently as last year. All of this poetry is about being a tragically beautiful woman being misunderstood by a society that doesn’t understand or appreciate how delicate, soft, and special she is. So much of the book is about being sad and beautiful, and let me tell you: the idea that you have to look attractive while crying is one of the greatest mindfucks we serve teenage girls on a silver platter. It’s a reductive look at the feminine experience, life distilled down to the way a man and a man’s love give a woman’s life and being any worth. It was like the Instagram posts she made about how she was criticized for glamorizing abuse (spoiler alert: yes, she does) became a book; her solution was to cry about how she’s just so feminine and soft and delicate for 140 pages. None of it made me feel sympathetic for her. For every line or two that I related to, there were 10 that had me rolling my eyes, cringing, or getting angry.
Privilege is real, and perhaps it was naïve of me to hope for a book written by a celebrity to have relatable content. However, so much of this book is filled with references to how rich she is. Taking flying lessons, boating lessons, multiple homes, references to luxuries some of us don’t even bother to dream for because they are so ludicrously out of reach. So when she complains about how life and emotions are so very hard for her, it’s insulting. It’s tone deaf. It’s the writing of someone who has built her empire on victimhood and fragility.
I don’t recommend this book. There are plenty of other writers who discuss vulnerability, trauma, emotional upheaval, and love in ways that are tender, honest, moving, and most importantly: sincere.
Let me be clear: I am a VERY casual consumer of poetry. I am by no means an expert on the craft or its composition. However, I have never read a book of poetry where the author has to remind us they are a poet over 15 times in just over 100 pages. I feel like the whole “show me, don’t tell me” adage applies here. It became so tiresome because it was like she was asking the reader to scream, “Oh Lana, honey, you ARE a poet!” at their book, as if that would somehow radiate through the universe and stroke her ego.
This book is dripping with the same toxic portrayal of “embodied” (her words) women and their role in American society that has gotten her in trouble as recently as last year. All of this poetry is about being a tragically beautiful woman being misunderstood by a society that doesn’t understand or appreciate how delicate, soft, and special she is. So much of the book is about being sad and beautiful, and let me tell you: the idea that you have to look attractive while crying is one of the greatest mindfucks we serve teenage girls on a silver platter. It’s a reductive look at the feminine experience, life distilled down to the way a man and a man’s love give a woman’s life and being any worth. It was like the Instagram posts she made about how she was criticized for glamorizing abuse (spoiler alert: yes, she does) became a book; her solution was to cry about how she’s just so feminine and soft and delicate for 140 pages. None of it made me feel sympathetic for her. For every line or two that I related to, there were 10 that had me rolling my eyes, cringing, or getting angry.
Privilege is real, and perhaps it was naïve of me to hope for a book written by a celebrity to have relatable content. However, so much of this book is filled with references to how rich she is. Taking flying lessons, boating lessons, multiple homes, references to luxuries some of us don’t even bother to dream for because they are so ludicrously out of reach. So when she complains about how life and emotions are so very hard for her, it’s insulting. It’s tone deaf. It’s the writing of someone who has built her empire on victimhood and fragility.
I don’t recommend this book. There are plenty of other writers who discuss vulnerability, trauma, emotional upheaval, and love in ways that are tender, honest, moving, and most importantly: sincere.
February 25, 2021
First I just have to preface this review by saying that I am a huge fan of Lana Del Rey. She is one of my all time favorite singers and I’ve been in love with her music for years. I’ve always resonated well with her songs so that made me super eager to read her poetry.
This poetry collection is very atmospheric. Reading the poems is like being transported to a sunny and dreamy day in LA. It’s very on brand for Lana Del Rey.
I liked how a lot of the poems had substance. A lot of poetry collections nowadays have very short poems so I was glad to see that this one had long ones. I really liked how a lot of the longer poems told a story.
Additionally, I liked how there were some haikus (my favorite type of poem) and that they were separated in their own section.
The book itself is also incredibly gorgeous. Throughout the book are photos taken by Lana Del Rey herself. The photos are really beautiful and add to the overall vibe of the collection. The poems themselves are presented exactly as Lana had typed them out making the book feel really personal.
Lastly, I loved the Notes For A Poet section, which was a lined section where the reader could write their own thoughts/notes/poems. I thought that was just a brilliant touch.
Overall, I loved the poems in this collection just as much as I loved the overall presentation of the book!
This poetry collection is very atmospheric. Reading the poems is like being transported to a sunny and dreamy day in LA. It’s very on brand for Lana Del Rey.
I liked how a lot of the poems had substance. A lot of poetry collections nowadays have very short poems so I was glad to see that this one had long ones. I really liked how a lot of the longer poems told a story.
Additionally, I liked how there were some haikus (my favorite type of poem) and that they were separated in their own section.
The book itself is also incredibly gorgeous. Throughout the book are photos taken by Lana Del Rey herself. The photos are really beautiful and add to the overall vibe of the collection. The poems themselves are presented exactly as Lana had typed them out making the book feel really personal.
Lastly, I loved the Notes For A Poet section, which was a lined section where the reader could write their own thoughts/notes/poems. I thought that was just a brilliant touch.
Overall, I loved the poems in this collection just as much as I loved the overall presentation of the book!
October 4, 2020
I'm very familiar with Lana Del Rey as an artist, yet I don't really listen to her music and can't say I care much about her as a public figure, either. Picking this up was mainly triggered by sheer curiosity and putting this down was dominated by feelings of utter surprise: this is good.
For those unfamiliar with what Lana Del Rey is doing out there, she's mainly known for her music and with her songs all reminiscent of a 50s America-nostalgia (sometimes more sometimes less successfully) combined with millennial nihilism, her creative output is mostly predictable and same-y. In her first poetry collection, she's showing a similar side of hers, but is doing so more successfully.
As an Los Angeles woman in her mid-30s, she's at this point in life where she can look back on several decades of love and life, while also being able to ponder upon what this world still has in store for her. The poems are therefore mainly questioning just that – what all her loving has led to, where politics are taking us, how she found herself where she is now.
May my eyes always stay level to the horizon
may they never gaze as high as heaven
to ask why
Some of these feel like she's rambling, but at the same time there's a care and neatness to the words she choose that make it unquestionable that she spent many hours pondering upon which she picked to get her point across. As a reader, that's satisfying and makes the fact that she occasionally does head towards more cliched and less interesting waters forgivable.
Am I being brazen for saying this year makes me feel
like we could've written it better
than him?
But who am I
just a girl in love dreaming on paper
rearranging the salt for the paper
At the end there's a section dedicated to Haikus, which I couldn't warm up to, but then again I'm not a fan of Haikus in general. Still, I'm left with a positive impression and enjoyed being part of that strange, sophisticated and yet shaky and vulnerable world that Lana Del Rey inhabits in her head for those few pages.
For those unfamiliar with what Lana Del Rey is doing out there, she's mainly known for her music and with her songs all reminiscent of a 50s America-nostalgia (sometimes more sometimes less successfully) combined with millennial nihilism, her creative output is mostly predictable and same-y. In her first poetry collection, she's showing a similar side of hers, but is doing so more successfully.
As an Los Angeles woman in her mid-30s, she's at this point in life where she can look back on several decades of love and life, while also being able to ponder upon what this world still has in store for her. The poems are therefore mainly questioning just that – what all her loving has led to, where politics are taking us, how she found herself where she is now.
May my eyes always stay level to the horizon
may they never gaze as high as heaven
to ask why
Some of these feel like she's rambling, but at the same time there's a care and neatness to the words she choose that make it unquestionable that she spent many hours pondering upon which she picked to get her point across. As a reader, that's satisfying and makes the fact that she occasionally does head towards more cliched and less interesting waters forgivable.
Am I being brazen for saying this year makes me feel
like we could've written it better
than him?
But who am I
just a girl in love dreaming on paper
rearranging the salt for the paper
At the end there's a section dedicated to Haikus, which I couldn't warm up to, but then again I'm not a fan of Haikus in general. Still, I'm left with a positive impression and enjoyed being part of that strange, sophisticated and yet shaky and vulnerable world that Lana Del Rey inhabits in her head for those few pages.
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