The customs agent replied, “Well then why do you speak that way!” I can remember that scene like it was yesterday. My grandfather, with his Italian accent explained he was born in Italy, but has been a US citizen for over 40 years. The customs agent made us all speak where we were born. My dad (born in US) assured my grandfather everything would be fine and we proceeded to enjoy our day on the Canadian side of Niagara Falls. My grandfather forgot his US Passport at home and did not want my father to drive over into Canada because he did not have his US Passport. Well, on this trip to Erie, my Italian-born US citizen grandfather was with us. Generally, when we would visit Erie, we would also visit Niagra Falls. The poem touched my heart strings because when I was probably 10 or 12 years old, my family took a trip to visit relatives in Erie, PA. The message of her poem, “Broken English,” is…DO NOT MAKE FUN OF MY BEAUTIFUL, SMART, HARD-WORKING mother just because she speaks a second language with an accent. One of the poems she performed, “Broken English,” brought tears to my eyes. Kaur performed her poetry during the live stream. We recently watched “Rupi Kaur Live.” Ms. I love poetry and I love Rupi Kaur’s poetry. I was introduced to Ms Kaur by my Millennial daughter. It significantly impacted her life, but she didn’t let it destroy her.Rupi Kaur is an Indian-born Canadian contemporary performance poet & artist.
Though it took time, she did overcome her trauma.
She would sometimes flinch when someone touched her because she was afraid it was her abuser. She said that she felt numb.įor Rupi Kaur, abuse from her uncle had long-lasting effects For a while, her trauma led her to feel unsafe in sexual or physical situations, even when they were safe and consensual. After she explained her uncle’s actions, her therapist asked how she was feeling. She noticed that the doll was about the same size as the girls her uncle liked to abuse. In one therapy session, her therapist asked her to point to the area her uncle touched her. She recalls her assault in graphic detail. For Rupi Kaur, abuse like this was what shaped her perception of a woman’s role in society.Īs a child, Kaur was raped by her uncle. Kaur relates to the boy’s mother through the emptiness Kaur felt after the forced encounter. His father’s sexual demands towards his mother taught him that sex was a man’s right and a woman’s obligation. She explains that the boy was a product of the household he was living in. Instead, her body was meant to be given to those who wanted it.
After this, Kaur believed that her body wasn’t her own. The first boy Kaur kissed held her down and forced himself on her. In her own experiences, she couldn’t draw the connection between sex and love for a long time. They may come and go as they please, but they never have to stay for long. It’s through this demand for submission that Kaur asserts that women have been taught that sex is similar to a pit stop for men. She submitted to the demands of the men in her life and remained silent and unseen throughout her childhood. When she tried to convince herself that she was allowed to exist and have an opinion, her insecurities would silence her. She would look at herself in the mirror and tell herself that she was nothing. This may have been because her father taught her that women having an opinion made them less desirable to the rest of society.īecause she was told to stay silent, Kaur began to view herself as unimportant. Her father was afraid of her voice, so she grew to be afraid of it too. 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. For Rupi Kaur, abuse from men was also a part of life. Rupi Kaur: Abuse and OppressionĪs a child, Kaur saw that women were expected to be silent and subservient. Read more about Rupi Kaur, abuse, and oppression. These themes are present in her poems in milk and honey. She was raped by her uncle and silenced by the men around her.
What happened to Rupi Kaur as a child? How did Rupi Kaur’s abuse shape her poetry?įor Rupi Kaur, abuse and oppression were a part of her childhood.
#RUPI KUAR STOLE TRIAL#
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.
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