My chief complaint with this collection is that the poet, in every poem, has sacrificed a unity of meaning and comprehension in favor of a particular technique they have found in another poet’s work. The Poet of this collection should have asked themselves what the impact this technique has on the reader, and whether it positively affects the poem.

Another chief complaint resides on the sparse, free-verse form. It is popular on “PoetryTube” (YouTube channels dedicated to poetry and literature), particularly among young women creators, to criticize Rupi Kaur’s extreme minimalistic poetic style. These poems suffer the same flaws. Here we have single words, sometimes not even significant words, given an entire line to itself in the facade of significance. When you read these poems aloud, you realize the same oratorical trick is engaged as those pseudo-profound public speakers who emphasize and pause after every couple words, making the unattentive listener believe something grand is said; but when you read their speech on paper, you realize they said nothing much at all.

I think the Poet of this work must keep in mind that every reader has a set amount of patience, and it is all the less when they read a new poet. It is very taxing to read the same poem four times, with it making less sense every time as more words are taken away, or arranged in an unnatural speaking pattern.

One last criticism which will save this poet a lot of time and effort in the future if they are serious about writing literature: not everything is worthy of a poem. I know this attitude to “poetize” the personal, or whatever little thing happens in your life is an off-shoot of the popular “anything can be art” perspective. Unfortunately, when you quickly skim the greatest poems that have ever been written, they are written on subjects essential to the human experience, sung or written in a generalized way to be applicable to all. This poet has made the task of creating art so much more difficult for themselves when they choose trivial or timely topics for poems such as “COVID-19 Test Receipt Card” and “Random Wikipedia Article”.

To the poet who composed this debut collection I must commend your courage for attempting to write poetry. So many in their lifetime satisfy themselves standing on the sidelines, when their dream is to put on the uniform and play. My tip for you is to read the old Poets, go into Nature, summon up that same courage when you feel despondent about your abilities, and keep striving for improvement.