Modern poetry

the sun and her flowers

by Rupi Kaur

256 pages · First published 2017

Rupi Kaur's second illustrated collection follows the life cycle of a flower through five sections titled wilting, falling, rooting, rising, and blooming. Brief poems move from heartbreak and loneliness toward healing while also considering ancestry, migration, motherhood, femininity, and the search for home within oneself. Her familiar lowercase style and line drawings make the book read as both a connected emotional journey and a set of independent meditations. Vulnerable and accessible, this contemporary poetry collection suits readers drawn to themes of renewal and cultural roots, though its sexual content, trauma, depression, and family pain call for attention to the content notes.