Lana Del Rey is a beloved singer-songwriter who has won many awards for her albums including two Brit awards, and now she’s added published poet to her list of achievements. Her book, Violet Bent Backwards over the Grass, is a collection of her poetry published late June of this year, providing readers with 14 spoken word poems for their enjoyment. Prior to publishing, she teased a few poems on her social media to get fans excited for her first debut. She has also narrated her book for Audible, which allows readers to listen to her trademark melancholic tone, her gentle whispers in their ears, bringing them along on her journey.
Her book begins with a deeply sentimental epistolary titled, “LA Who am I to Love You?” in which the narrator highlights her loneliness when she is away from the city of Los Angeles. She expresses with sorrow that she’s tried to enjoy San Francisco, however, it doesn’t treat her like Los Angeles. She acknowledges that the city is not perfect stating, “the city not awake / the city not asleep / the city that’s something else — something in between / the city that’s still deciding / how good it should be.” She repeats multiple times “can I come home now?” creating the right emotional yearning tone for the city. There’s no hint that she’ll be returning to the city anytime soon because something is keeping her away, but she thinks about LA often and wishes she were still living there. This poem is authentic and raw. Vulnerability is relatable and a universal experience, so I praise Del Rey for beginning the book with this poem.
Most of the poems have an undertone of longing and reminiscing the past. Del Rey creates the appearance of a hazy dream that readers are trying to remember although the memories aren’t theirs. It’s extremely metaphysical and executed well.
The fifth poem is titled “Salamander”, and it highlights the differences between a creative artist and someone who just doesn’t understand the privacy of an artist. Del Rey states, “Some stories aren’t meant to be sold / Some words aren’t meant to be told” arguing for the right to keep experiences hidden if one prefers it, refusing to be forced into sharing something they feel only belongs to them. This poem hints at the downside of fame and celebrity lives that are picked apart by the media and fans just to get to “know” them, violating their privacy. She suggests that thoughts can’t always be explained and shouldn’t have to be explained, staying in the owner’s head completely safe and far from nitpicking people (“You see, the things that can’t be bought can’t be evaluated, and that makes them beyond human reach / Untouchable, safe, otherworld / Unable to be deciphered or metabolized.”) Many celebrities have had their fair share of messy run-ins with tabloids and paparazzi and in this poem, Del Rey highlights the struggles of keeping thoughts to oneself in a world all about sharing.
The entire collection isn’t all gloomy and melancholic though. Del Rey is known for her soft spoken, low-spirited tone, however, she surprises readers with a more happier couple of poems later in the collection. “Quiet Waiter Blue Forever” and “Happy” are lively poems that create a romantic atmosphere, and the narrator of both poems mentions the good times rather than focusing on the bad. The poems give readers a break (to wipe their tears maybe?) from the sad poems. This is an excellent way to keep readers hooked as the collection slowly comes to an end, leaving on a positive note. In fact, the final poem “Bare Feet on Linoleum” brings the book to a close with the narrator seeming more self assured, leaving the past in the past (“But anyways – that’s all over now / I’ve moved on, gone scorched earth… People love my stories / People love visions”).
Despite landing a whopping 5 stars from audience reviews on Google, the book has been met with mixed reviews from journalists. The Guardian’s Yara Rodrigues Fowler writes, “This is not only exasperating, it’s boring. There’s nothing wrong with artists drawing on their own experiences. Del Rey’s mistake is forgetting that part of being a poet is to tell us about the world, not just focus on herself.”
However, there are positive reviews like The Quietus’s Nick Roseblade who states, “Violet Bent Backwards Over the Grass is the album I’ve always wanted Del Rey to make. It’s brave, in a naïve way, and filled with some of glorious subtle backing tracks. This is an album that will appear to the hardcore members of the Cult of Del Rey, but there are plenty of highs for casual fans. Del Rey ends the album with the line “People love my stories. People love visions”. And she’s right. They’ll love this too.”
As always, the verdict of a book is entirely up to the reader. It may be your cup of tea, or it may not be. For me, it most definitely was. I give it a 8.5 out of 10.
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