Lana Del Rey's Poetry Is... A Little Hit and Miss

[@lilianaohara]

I dont think overall it's the greatest collection, but compared to a lot of poetry by famous people or "influencers" it's not bad at all.

[@Angel-hb7py]

Yes, some of the poems are... Weak for saying

[@diamondangel3442]

I don't really put her poetry book in this category, since I don't think she made it because she's famous and she wants more attention to her. I think she genuinely wanted to share more of her art. But, I can't read minds of course!

[@princesssheogorath1979]

I think if you're comparing her poetry book to... whatever it is influencers are doing, you're setting the bar pretty low for the expectations of a poet.

[@asmijain2695]

@@princesssheogorath1979 she also mentioned other famous people sweetheart 🥰

[@EldenaDoubleca5t]

As someone who was (unfortunately) a huge fan of Lana for many years, Lana's biggest weakness has always been that she's very pretentious and places a lot of value on aesthetics without considering what the implication of using those aesthetics are and I think this reflects a lot of your issues with her poetry book

[@sufia1365]

Possibly.... But no one can pull it off like her.

[@deanneb6925]

Yes! She’s great at crafting an aesthetic (dare I say: a Vibe™️) but the story happening within that visceral setting, and it’s overall meaning... leaves a lot to be desired. For this reason, I’ve always considered her lyrics to be her weakest skill.

[@aquariussolaris2492]

@@sufia1365 she doesnt pull it off sometimes.

[@subliminalaudios.8895]

exactly

[@samanthawright7053]

Why unfortunately? Lana is great!

[@CameupLavender]

When it comes to the photos, it would have been cool if she commissioned a professional photographer(s) to take photos that had to do with the content of the poems. She could even direct the photoshoots to make sure they captured her vision of the subject or tone of the poem. That way it would still have her fingerprint on it but it would add as a companion to the poems themselves, instead of feeling like filler.

[@RachelOates]

This is a great idea!!

[@Hivdghn]

Her sister is a professional photographer who does most of her album photos, so I would have loved to see her sisters work in this book since it clearly fits Lana's "vibes"

[@MultiViewer25]

I disagree with the commissioned photography idea. What I love the most of Lana’s poetry book or even her music videos (post 2017 at least) is how stripped back and “diy” her art tends to be. Like the mv for Video games which was literally a complication of public domain videos Intertwined with videos of her friends was a refreshing approach to Music videos back in 2011. (Check out Blue Banisters for an example of Lana stripping back and fixating on simple video concepts by painting banisters with her friends and sister.) As for this poetry book, the book reminds me much of an intimate diary or journal she’s constructed over time now being shared to the reader. The poem “ringtone” for example, references her 3rd phone (an iPhone 6s) with an actual picture of the aforementioned phone on a jewelry dish mixed in with her rings, nick nacks, etc on her actual dresser. It creates a more intimate and personal connection to the poetry. Whereas the professional photography (imo) would make the poetry book less “organic” and complicates the stripped back personal appeal of her art. Even then, the photography in the book are all from Lana or even family albums, thus as a fan I love seeing parts of Lana’s home and life portrayed through the images she provided in the book. I feel as though some of the photos are from her sister Chuck though! All in all, Lana’s poetry book presents perfectly fine with the intimate images hand-selected by her.

[@Dave-vb4nd]

@@Hivdghn I was about to reply but I just wrote my own one, I couldn’t help it. No f idea. Worst (or best) part of it is fandom coming here to know what is about LOL. Ok my comment just disappeared…

[@Dave-vb4nd]

Which just dissapeared.Itwasn’tdisrespeful

[@CeCe-xv1fr]

I do love the book overall. Sometimes I felt like I was reading a diary. I have to say she did donate the money she made from this to indigenous charities, particularly water. She donated over a million dollars throughout the nation in 2020 alone. I do have to agree with your comments on the photograph on the back and the photos throughout.

[@natasham4184]

Yes, this needs to be known! She does do things for the good of others, even if some people don't know/want to see that

[@jayy2949]

She did that to " make up" for her unapologetically wearing a headdress and to this day she says her using it as a symbol of freedom and dance, something we as Native ppl couldn't even use it for for years, she put her " looking into America's history with Native ppl " as her reason for donating the money though Native groups said its offensive to wear that in music video she pulled white privilege and said her reason matters more. Racist actions.

[@faizam5789]

(why isnt this common knowledge tho, the press are quick to stoke gossip but when it comes to meaningful acts of kindness it's just crickets and you have to find out yourself?). She's always been accused of not being authentic from day #1 though. I *feel* she's continuing with an aesthetic that resonates with her soul and therefore she remains to stay true to that. Clearly she has a penchant for this way of presenting stuff. Honestly, in regards to the kind of stuff she's drawn to, she can appreciate the beauty (& milks it relentlessly) in something that may be perceived as seemingly 'mundane' & 'boring'. And be able to marvel at anything with awe and wonderment is inspiring. Like it doesnt have to be what your perceptions are of perfection bcos it's all in the eye of the beholder. So I actually find her vision refreshing. I know this youtuber is taking the role of critic here, but it is possible for deep introverted soulful sensitive types to have integrity no matter how much riches they've accumulated. I feel she really is following heart in all her creative endeavors but is understandable that many would be cynical obviously. Btw, re: her picture at the back, iirc, she vehemently stated that she prefers to do her own make-up rather than have others do it for her no matter how talented they are (not all the time obv). She said it was bcos she loves the sensual act of doing her own make-up in terms of the way it feels to her and that it's a very personal thing to her as a woman.

[@lunapierce4949]

@@faizam5789 yessss all of this agreed

[@dialecticsjunkie7653]

I think a lot of good songwriters don't realize that poetry is its own form with rules and expectations that don't always match up exactly with good songwriting. Sondheim puts it best when he says that a poem can be dense and packed and the reader has time to re-read it as slowly as they want to catch all of the nuances. Whereas a good song has to make an emotional impact on first hearing, so the imagery needs a lot of space. Lana Del Rey is obviously an extremely talented songwriter and some of her best lyrics are as good as the best poetry, but you can definitely see that she doesn't fully adjust to the requirements of rhyme without music, so while her talent carries her part of the way, she lacks the finish to make her poetry truly great.

[@lordfreerealestate8302]

I agree: a lot of good songwriters make bad poets.

[@canvas_125]

Yes! A poem is something special. Poetry is more than just putting pretty words together.

[@-jg9pi]

I disagree. There was barely anything in the poems that had a song-like rhythm. Her lyrics in songwriting to me are second class. I feel like your comment could be directed to any musician that has released poetry and it would sound valid without looking into the poems. And just to clarify, when I talk about the poems I mainly mean the 14 selected one's for Audible, not the Haikus as I have a feeling the rest were onky there to fill pages and weren't meant to be a highlight of the book.

[@livaaispure1827]

She is not a singer who decided to write poems. She was a poet long befire she started singing.

[@dialecticsjunkie7653]

@@livaaispure1827 Doesn't change the fact that she is clearly more accomplished as a songwriter than a poet. It's like me with novel writing -- as a kid, the first artistic form I attempted was the novel, but my personality didn't fit the requirements of the medium at all. The medium you start with doesn't mean it's your strongest medium.

[@sashakononova8968]

I know you probably won't read this and it's not super relevant to this video, but have you considered making a few videos looking at the way schools treat poetry? (Like looking at what A-levels/GCSEs/American AP exams, etc ask students to analyze in poetry -- I think it just could be interesting to see how those compare and contrast and how they relate to how you read poetry and how they might affect the ways people view poetry.)

[@lydiarand4786]

I love this idea!

[@supergingerr]

Please review Florence Welch’s poetry, she’s absolutely brilliant at writing.

[@CeCe-xv1fr]

SHES HAS POETRY??? I didn't even know omggg

[@kassakakasan8969]

@@CeCe-xv1fr She has one collection out called Useless Magic. From what I've seen critics seems to love it.

[@zephyrjordan1808]

Wait…Florence Welch made a poetry book?!?

[@lizmary8207]

omg yes!!! Rachel please!!!

[@momo2205]

yes please do review that book!

[@franzi6715]

I think the selfie in the back is not only a hint at the other selfie jokes in her fandom but was also supposed to show that this is separate from her singer persona

[@RosalindPeters]

32:30 - also ‘grasping onto dandelions’ could be a metaphor for grasping onto youth? Cos one they turn into their ‘clock’ form, they become a symbol for time passing and how death catches up to all of us…

[@alexandervandenberge8384]

The photo of the flowers on the stove do have a meaning! Sylvia Plath, referenced in the poem on the previous page, killed herself by sticking her head in her oven. It represents her grave.

[@Thepriestessdeath]

Yea I actually really loved that photo and I didn’t even get the reference but now knowing that I love it even more…

[@chrystianaw8256]

I got that but that image is still terrible

[@Dave-vb4nd]

Exacty

[@safala]

As someone who lives in the other-ish side of the world, I’m so excited that I’ll be able to catch this premiering. As always, looking forward to your thoughts and constructive criticism.

[@Anabórshën]

OMG, Im a LDR stan and I don't understand toxic fans in the comments, just see it as someone critiquing a poet and go, not everything is a personal attack on Lana Del Rey, she's a grown woman who can stand some criticism on her poetry and photography. Stop victimising her 🤦🏽‍♀️

[@heriette]

Oooh, could you do more photography reviews or just photography talks? I can't take a good photo for shit but I love looking at photos by people who can.

[@RachelOates]

sure! :)

[@epicviewerJJ]

I second this!

[@truecrimelover2022]

i third this

[@emaraOO]

I fourth this.

[@elorarose3533]

@@RachelOates honestly I would adore this !

[@pixi3d3ath47]

I liked her style, the book was just kind of confusing at times because it felt like a ramble that was incredibly vague, the same way she wrote her question for the culture letter (which in the future, isn't the best way to address public media.) I was expecting it to be like some of her lyrics on her music-the way she builds these entire worlds effortlessly in songs like Gods and Monsters and Diet Mountain Dew, even if it was more like White Dress and her Chemtrails album.

[@angelx6736]

It's called free form poetry (a style that doesn't follow any particular structure)

[@naheenisapoet69]

it's called free verse poetry fyi.

[@chrystianaw8256]

@@angelx6736 even free verse has certain rules

[@angelx6736]

@@chrystianaw8256 like what? just curious

[@chrystianaw8256]

@@angelx6736 it still has to follow a natural cadence of speech. So overly long lines with no pauses don't really make sense. And good poetry regardless of the type you're writing, needs figures of speech to really make it come alive. Writing that it too direct or too simplistic kills the magic. Very few can pull good poetry off without literary devices. I wish I had seen more artistic use of language in Lana's book, especially since she's familiar with Walt Witman and Sylvia Plath.

[@babybluebabyblue]

i think what you're perceiving as falsehood is more like the essence of the concept of the "lana del rey universe" which always has had that struggling artist/ diva/ lover retro vibe mixed in with every day life normcore, i mean you can see this same concept all over through her career: her videos, her clothing, etc its always kinda suffering retro diva very dramatic mixed with cheap mundane-could've been from forever 21 kind of vibes, i think it actually represents perfectly this universe of her persona mixed with the present that is kind of the whole concept behind all her art

[@PHYSHY47]

She did admit to not knowing much about her. She's also just reviewing a book that was released to the public. Lana's fans have to accept that once the book is out there, not everyone is going to know her but her poetry should speak for itself.

[@jessesotheysay]

This video is annoying lols especially bc she was criticizing lana like shes a photographer or something when it was literally just a project lols

[@pinkbluepanter2374]

@@jessesotheysay Rachel ist essentially a poetry critic. She doesn't say that Lana is a bad artist (which is essentially not anyone's place to say to anyone) she just critiques her poetry. In connection to the layout/photos/ drawings but also the poetry alone. She states that she doesn't know her well, but as already said, poetry is a distinct art from and should therfore stand for its own. And Lanas couldn't keep up outside of her own Lana del Ray universe bubble. Which is okay, just not poetry yk

[@Thepriestessdeath]

Well said! Very true!

[@chrystianaw8256]

@@jessesotheysay art is meant to be critiqued. It's how it is and I'm saying this as a Lana fan. We can't just blindly like everything she puts out. I'm a poetry writer myself and collect photographs, I'm an amateur but even I could see the flaws in her work. I was disappointed by Lana's debut poetry book.

[@ElenaSemanova]

I actually also like the photos in the book that Rachel thought were boring but that's me, I really know nothing about photography, these photos just fit the whole aura around Lana in my opinion

[@mirakocvarova5557]

Yeah, I especially like the flowers on stove, it just fits her vibe

[@katietrongogo]

Yeah I liked the one of the street with the cell phone tower in the background and wires crossing the foreground. Or maybe I just thought the subject was interesting? I can see how it def could have been framed better. Same with the backyard one, the tree limbs in the upper left were super pretty in how they twisted together, but again maybe if it was framed to be just those branches, using the sunlight through them or around them I could have been much more impacting.

[@AmberWoodMusicx]

photography is very very subjective so it’s honestly fine that you liked them

[@xequth]

I would love if you could do a chilled, easy video of you showing us your vintage cameras and just talking about them! It was so great to hear your passion in the short section of the video and as a fellow vintage camera lover who is just starting her film journey it would be so interesting!

[@raveng8217]

Yes!!! Camera tour!!! It would be super cool if she showed examples of photos that shes taken with the different cameras too, to see how they differ from each other. And I just love listening to people ramble about things they're passionate about

[@user-pp6kd7ut4k]

Red is SO your color. The coordination between the dress & the eyeshadow is so cute 🥺😍

[@riversrhodell2359]

It's so on point this video especially. Always love to see what Rachel we're getting every video :)

[@cloverisblue]

Rachel, I love love LOVE your poetry reviews! They've become my favorite series of yours. Great one, as always. I think you should review some of your own personal favorites as well, and not just celebrity poetry =D

[@juancarlogonzales8442]

When I was reading Violet, I didn't feel like she was telling a fake story or a fake persona, tbh it did feel more like she was telling a fictional or imagined character or stories with a few metaphysical or philosophical things thrown in the mix and I kinda enjoyed that despite not completely getting it. I think the appeal of her poetry in my opinion, is the sense that you're reading something vague and mysterious and it does confuse and complicate the message behind the poems sometimes but leaves you with very strong and vivid imagery. Overall, I don't think she comes out as pretentious or shallow to me :) And I actually agree, there are parts where she does ramble a bit which makes some of her poems dissipate towards the end unfortunately but I do enjoy her work. Amazing and very solid unbiased review btw Rachel! Keep it up!

[@juste.une.mouche]

When my friend got the book and we absolutely died at this poem 😭😭😭 "I stepped on a bird cried in my new boyfriend's arms to live is to kill" she takes herself so seriously i absolutely love her character she is unhinged i will continue to support her forever i stg

[@brigeem5022]

Lana’s contrived image is fascinating to me in that it was constructed mainly by the media alone, and it has STUCK throughout her career. It sucks in that people tend to not dig deeper into her because of this. I loved this review, Rachel! I hope you do listen to her music some day, especially her unreleased album from 2005 called Sirens.

[@Aster_Risk]

The image "stuck" because she plays into it. She does nothing to move away from it.

[@brigeem5022]

@@Aster_Risk You’re not wrong, and at the end of the day she makes a damn good album. I just find the social construction and maintenance of celebrity images interesting :)

[@samkim9639]

Hi Rachel! I just wanted to mention that you have helped me maintain my anxiety while rushing my university work for graphic design. Your voice is always a delight to hear and for some reason, I concentrate more while watching your videos and listening to what you have to say. I feel inspired to create rather feeling drained to the core and it's all because of your wonderful videos. P.S. Great video as usual!

[@its_leyl.a]

It feels like Lana was going for a vulnerable, raw, Rythmic, kinda poetry but wasn't able to balance and skill fully carve the freestyle aspect that comes along with it because of which the some parts felt like filler and un-necessary ( i post poems on this KZbin channel and any criticisms, perspective, etc is appreciated )

[@breebell468]

You should make a celebrity poetry book tier list

[@pantyhoes-r9e]

Happy is my favourite poem. It's about her feeling happier within her memories and using certain little objects like receipts as escapism to remind her of different memories so she can be happier there. Her music and poetry has kind of always been about pursuing happiness. Back in 2012 - 2013 she was much more concerned with wealth, status and glamour than she is now because she thought it would've made her happy. She has a song about money not buying happiness. In it she sings, "Maybe I'd get less stressed if I were tested less like all of these debutantes... but I'm not" Her song "White Dress" is about being better off poor and unknown and her latest album is about the dark side of wealth and fame. These poems are about replacing monetary values for value in memories. She also has issues with establishing dominance in relationships, which so many of these poems are about.

[@ninab9464]

Totally respect that this is your favorite poem! I think what Rachel is saying here though, and why some people feel icky about this poem, is that it’s odd to hear multi-millionaires preach out how much money doesn’t matter, or how it’s better off to be poor, when they have so much money, more than most people will ever see in their lifetimes. Of course there’s value in a message that memories and experiences are more valuable than money, but when someone with loads of money is the one saying it, it feels almost prescriptive and preachy, and dismissive of lower income people’s struggles. Like of course she doesn’t think money is that important, because she has it

[@notonfire7318]

Agreed. Also Lana WAS a struggling artist. She literally lived in a trailer park for a year. Just because her parents were wealthy didn't mean they always supported her. So I feel it odd people always call her so privileged. Also you're completely right about Happy being not just about bragging. Lana in 2011 2012 used to talk a lot about the power of money and fame and a lot of her albums talk about her struggle to find meaning in unhealthy relationships, money and fame and her failure to do so. In some songs like National Anthem she mocks the idea of idealising money "money is the reason we exist everybody knows it it's a fact.... Wining and dining drinking and driving overdose and dying...dark and scary I need somebody to hold me" In Happy she talks about how while she does have those things now she doesn't need them to be happy since she can find meaning else where. It's a personal poem. She is not talking down to a poor person who can't pay rent and saying "money can't buy happiness". I think she acknowledges that some wealth is essential for survival but at the same time wealth and fame can not be her aim in life, and she finds happiness elsewhere.

[@avivalilith]

its so funny as a long time lana fan, cause i have really picked up on the fact that her music lyrics are waaay more poetic than her poetry. that being said, music is poetry for lana in a lot of ways so i think when writing in the context of poetry, something gets lost.

[@raspberryitalia3464]

I always love hearing your insights on art, written and visual. I don't know anything about photography but hearing you talk about it makes me so excited to learn about it because you're so passionate and knowledgeable and make it so accessible!

[@lilaboxx]

I kinda wanna see Rachel react to the whole dark academia aesthetic, as much as I like the aesthetic™ for the fashion style and the pretty library, she'd hate how pretentious it is (hate is a strong word but I don't know how to phrase it differently)

[@LivinSpacemusic]

Your poetry reviews make me feel like I’m in a book club. Thanks for your genuine input😊

[@silverteinbas]

The poem SportCruiser from this collection, at least the audioversion on youtube, is in my view one of the best things I've ever read (or heard her reading it), I love this poem so much and I think I've listened it at least 50 times!

[@departed9238]

sortcruiser also really spoke to me! i always go back to it. it’s so raw and personal, and teaches a good lesson on self discovery

[@potatopenguin5700]

I wonder what your opinion would be on Marina's (and the Diamonds) tumblr photos she did for her Electric Heart concept album? I believe she took them across the U.S. It's from 2012 and her then aesthetic was very much the precursor to (Western) "e-girl" craze.

[@neu_dae]

Kyra cares so much about your well being - any time you get heated she runs to you to comfort you, my staffy is the same way

[@elizabethbaron7904]

I’m exited for this video! I’m a fan of Lana’s lyrics and I’ve read some of her poems before. Some of it in my opinion is liquid gold, but also interested in hearing your constructive critique of her writing, as well as your opinion on her writing in general! I think one of the best things she’s written within a song was a lyric in a song she titled after Sylvia Plath. She goes ‘Hello, it's the most famous woman you know on the iPad Calling from beyond the grave, I just wanna say, "Hi, Dad" When I first heard that I legit felt as if she channeled Sylvia Plath from beyond the grave! It slapped me across the face & I loved it! I’ve heard that Lana’s favorite novel is my personal all-time favorite, Vladimir Nobakov’s Lolita. I think that novel is so beautifully written and Humbert Humbert is the most compelling and intriguing fictional pedophile/villain! But it concerned me hearing that she kind of romanticizes Humbert Humbert’s so called ‘love’ for Lolita. I mean it’s not really surprising considering she’s Lana del Rey the Queen of romanticizing bad bois with tattoos and drug addictions. I know he’s only a fictional pedophile, however- I can’t jive with her on the impression that Humbert’s obsession and perverse ‘love’ for Delores Haze is any kind of pure and real love. Humbert Humbert tries to sell himself as a redeemed pedophile at the end of the novel because he ends up still ‘loving’ Lolita when she’s no longer a child anymore, and pregnant and big with another man’s child. I have ‘And the rest is rust and stardust’ tattooed on my back from when I was 19. Ugh, I kind of regret it 😫

[@safala]

In your defense, it’s a beautiful quote to someone like me who doesn’t know (didn’t know would be the correct tense, I guess) the context behind it.

[@fj59]

Lolita is one of my favorite novels too! I loved Lana for a long time. I think she has lost a lot of her passion though, or the luxury lifestyle has finally caught up. Chemtrails was a huge miss for me. It just screamed bourgeoisie carelessness while the world burned around her.

[@chickpeapasta]

I love that quote so much! I know you say you regret it, but I can see why you would have wanted it on your body. I read Lolita because of Lana and it’s my favorite book.

[@lavendarroberts3136]

You know I find Lana Del Rey's love of Lolita really revealing. I read a book called My Dark Vanessa a couple months ago, and the main character's favourite book is also Lolita. The main character was also groomed by a pedophile and had been in a relationship with him for years. The character uses Lolita, and self identifies with her to protect herself from the abuse, if she can see herself as Lolita, she can imagine herself to be in a great love story, instead of a victim of a pedophile. I think Lolita is the ultimate excuse for abusers, and I think many women and victims use it to protect themselves. Anyone looking to detox from that stuff, I suggest bell hooks' All About Love: New Visions. It's an incredible book, and will definitely make you reassess how you approach love. Here are some of my favourite quotes: “Abuse and neglect negate love. Care and affirmation, the opposite of abuse and humiliation, are the foundation of love. No one can rightfully claim to be loving when behaving abusively.” “the wounded child inside many males is a boy who, when he first spoke his truths, was silenced by paternal sadism, by a patriarchal world that did not want him to claim his true feelings. The wounded child inside many females is a girl who was taught from early childhood that she must become something other than herself, deny her true feelings, in order to attract and please others. When men and women punish each other for truth telling, we reinforce the notion that lies are better. To be loving we willingly hear the other’s truth, and most important, we affirm the value of truth telling. Lies may make people feel better, but they do not help them to know love.”

[@elizabethbaron7904]

@@safala “My car door is limping Delores Haze- and this last long lap is the hardest. And I shall be dumped where the weeds decay, and the rest is rust and stardust” I didn’t even have to look that up, I have had it memorized in my soul for a long time!!! It was my favorite novel since I was a teenager; and only as a young teen did I romanticize it perhaps at all; as a ‘love story’ but perhaps Lana’s opinion on that has changed as she’s gotten older. Thank you 💕 yes the quote is beautiful in its own way; it holds a lot of sentiment to me & reminds me of a time in my life I’ll never forget! You made me feel better bout it, 😂 thank you! It was only when I thought how I don’t want others who know wheee it’s from to assume I’m some sort of pedo sympathizer! I think true pedos and hell even the fictional ones are the most scum & degenerate of this earth! I think what makes Humbert quite unrealistic is that statistically most pedophiles have very, very low IQ’s. Which of course makes sense in reality!

[@jiraffejimmy2159]

PLEASE check out Taylor Swifts poetry. She has a couple poems from her Reputation era but her new albums folklore and evermore are poems in song form. Songs like Hoax, Seven, and the lakes are pure poetry with instrumentals She’s insanely talented and I think you will like it

[@walkerdeserttracer6767]

I love how constructive your critiques are, especially when you put in a bit of your experience behind them.

[@jscullane1]

Rachel reading Lana del Ray With Kyra on a gorgeous day Together with her friend She reads to the end And releases a new video (hooray!)

[@chalkandrubble5702]

I genuinely don't think her being a millionaire and trying to paint herself as a struggling artist has anything to do with it at all. She just likes this kind of style (as evident from her music videos and instagram). It's just for the aesthetic

[@chalkandrubble5702]

Also I personally think she does this to create a feeling of nostalgia

[@didionkerouac]

love the video as always, Rachel!! i just feel the need to interject and explain something about lana, since you don't know her that well as a person, like you said. the impression you got from her of trying to embody the aesthetic of "the starving artist tryna make it" is 100% correct. lana has always portrayed herself as the plain girl, who came from nothing and had to seek love wherever she could get it; no money, hitchhiking kind of girl, who had no one and owned nothing, when in reality her family had always been nurturing and wealthy. she has always done everything she could to stray away from the typical rich white girl image, so you're right on point!

[@notonfire7318]

Her family is wealthy but Lana did struggle a lot earlier. She literally lived in a trailer park for a year, she most probably wasn't supported by her parents early on

[@didionkerouac]

@@notonfire7318 the fact the she lived in the trailer park just proves my point.

[@notonfire7318]

@@didionkerouac wait how?

[@angelx6736]

@@notonfire7318 You can live in any shithole on earth but if you come from money and always have that safety net when things get truly bad, then you're richer than those who are in the slums with nothing and nobody at all

[@Aster_Risk]

Thank you for this honest comment.

[@evamatthaiou6032]

as a huge fan of her music i was actually almost dissapointed because she is such a gifted songwritter that you could take the music out of her some of her songs and the lyrics alone could be poems, much better poems than the ones in this collection. however for a debut book and in comparison to what other celebrities have published i think it's a solid collection. and since i've followed the course of her career for some years now its refreshing to see she deeply cares about art and in this case poetry, while others only try poetry for a quick cash grab

[@daniellemeese1122]

Hit and miss is basically how I feel about her music as a whole. Sometimes it’s so good and sometimes I just feel it’s trying to be deep and failing

[@meat1575]

She is one of the best lyricists of our generation, if you can't recognize that then...

[@hayatzor6249]

@@meat1575 i agree with u

[@yazminlares6000]

@@meat1575 she's not that great, some of her songs are amazing but she tends to be pretentious and some of her work can be perceived as trying to hard

[@notonfire7318]

@@yazminlares6000 in such song do you think she's trying too hard?

[@yazminlares6000]

@@notonfire7318 her songs with all the daddy shit, it's kinda cringe

[@SAVYWRITESBOOKS]

Excited for this!

[@robinmitchells]

I’ve only read bits and pieces of this book but it definitely felt to me like she was just going through the motions and I’m so glad to find someone who felts similarly

[@dustin4621]

i didn't buy after flipping through the book in a store, it wasn't what i thought it would be

[@Angel-hb7py]

I love Lana, I gotta admit some of the poems are not the best but overall it's amazing ❤️

[@diamondangel3442]

Lana on profile picture sisters?

[@Angel-hb7py]

@@diamondangel3442 we love her you know

[@faizam5789]

@@Angel-hb7py James Franco -check his so called poetry out.

[@cryptidonstrike]

It feels a lot like she was going for a Plath-era vibe. Even the layout and typography choices reminded me of the choices made in the restored edition of Ariel. I may be wrong on that, but it wouldn’t surprise me if that’s where some of the inspiration came from.

[@Emz152]

A different perspective on the photo of the oven that you called the worst in the book: that photo is next to Bare feet on the linoleum, a poem detailing Lanas thoughts about su_icide, referencing her poetry hero Sylvia Plath, begging her to stay alive and not take her thoughts and stories to the grave to soon. Sylvia Plath died of carbon monoxide poisoning with her head in the oven. Lana, standing in front of the very machine that took the life of her role model, is contemplating the possibility of leaving, giving up, dying but ultimately decides against it. She chooses life, represented in the flowers on the stove, simultaneously composing an altar for Sylvia. The photography in the book reveals a much deeper context in its simplicity, i believe

[@Stephaniebeav]

I have mixed feelings about Lana. I agree, she isn't as authentic as she tries to portray herself. I am less of a fan of her poetry, but I do like her voice and aesthetics of sound for her music. I don't think I can ever become a fangirl of hers, but I do appreciate some of her work.

[@thesilenttreatment6837]

Explain "authentic." 'Cause why would she be lying?

[@notonfire7318]

A lot of your criticisms were on point, but yikes your criticism about her makeup seems really sexist to me, and that's surprising coming from you. It's strange because no one ever says "oh ed sheeran is wearing really casual clothes because he's trying to look like a struggling artist" because we never put men to the same standards as we put women. Men can put in 0 effort into how they look and we'll still appreciate their art (although yes, men do go through body shaming as well but their fashion choices are hardly ever criticised unless the dress in a feminine way), but we always assume there's a motive behind why a woman dresses up certain ways. This reminds me of how some people got mad when Billie wore a dress to the met gala. So what if she's changing her style to wear something girly? The point of fashion is to experiment and have fun with it. Why does everything have to have a sinister motive behind it? Lana probably put that picture in because it represented a happy memory for her. Maybe it was taken on the day she was finished with writing her book? And about the vintage aesthetic, people forget that lana del Rey in 2011 popularised the vintage aesthetic. That was back when she used to edit her own videos before she got famous. She still has that vintage aesthetic as evident by her music videos for happiness is a butterfly (2019) and pawn shop blues (2017). She's not trying to be someone else, she's sticking to her og style. She's always been obsessed with old holywood cinema so this style doesn't seem that surprising to me

[@cherryhappily]

i agree, lana probably loved the photo which is why she included it. and that’s all that matters, it’s a strange thing to critique.

[@LuanFauth]

i'm a huge lana del rey fan and i loved your review. your criticism was respectful and quite insightful!

[@maggiemay37]

Ever since she announced her poetry book I've been waiting to hear your take on it! Super excited to watch :)

[@lovedevelopper1303]

The images, the picture on the back, the scribbles edits, even the picsart song covers, they are just SO Lana, but she’s been called fake her whole career for doing stuff like that. She does it because she likes it and doesn’t care what publishers say, it’s just her style

[@lovedevelopper1303]

I think if you knew more about Lana you’d get iy

[@frogguitar2192]

Amen yo

[@sophia_lilacheavenbby]

Yeah I think this book is truly for the fans and for the people who know her so I don’t blame non-fans or people who don’t know her think that’s it’s “fake”. As long as fans and people who care about her art know how much love she puts into her work, that’s all that should matter. Everyone is entitled to their own opinion.

[@drei1153]

this really was a poetry book for us longterm fans who know a lot about who she is and why her poetry is this way. i can see why someone stranger to her music and personal life wouldn’t appreciate this book, but i’m still glad you bought it and (hopefully) you still have it with you. and i’m hoping you give her recent album a chance? every lyric from that album is pure poetry and in my opinion, it shows just how much her writing skills have evolved amazingly so i’m crossing my fingers for a new poetry book from her very soon!

[@manifestationsofasort]

Have you considered reading Florence Welch's poetry book? I've heard it's really good.

[@EruditeGayming]

Rachel, there's a typo in your title, might wanna fix that. Love your work

[@RachelOates]

Thank you!!

[@averyl6086]

I always look forward to your poetry reviews.

[@annabeinglazy5580]

Love These poetry videos. I have trouble with poetry, it's an Art form i learned to Kind of hate in school and it never really got better. But listening to you talk about it and hearing your excitement and analyses helps to mend that a little. I recently bought my First little poetry collection and am actually trying to take the time to read it in peace. And read it aloud cuz turns out... I need to hear poems in order to get them. Reading doesnt cut it. Also If you ever want to make Videos on photography, your take on the ones in this book was so enjoyable. It would be nice to hear more :)

[@teodoradjordjevic263]

Hey Rachel, love your video as always ❣️ However as a subscriber with a medium hearing loss it would be wonderful if you somehow enabled captions or anything of that sort, just a suggestion :)

[@RachelOates]

I think there are captions available now :) sometimes it just takes a little time for them to be generated, sorry about that!

[@teodoradjordjevic263]

@@RachelOates Thank you lots! I hope you and Kyra are happy and doing well

[@KarenGomez-iv7bh]

I think Lana has been in conflict with her public persona and it bleeds into the book's aesthetic. Her writing is really good, tho. I liked "What happened when I left you" a lot.

[@The_Open_Book]

Your criticism of the consistency of the photography was extremely valid. I feel bad having to admit some pieces undermine others in a collection that really are good, and wishing they hadn't made the cut. Consistency in quality is very important!

[@epistoliere]

For some reason, I love the stove photo. But i generally tend to like spontaneous photos with stark contrast and yellowish lighting

[@marinaSassygUrl88]

I love your analysis and the way you give everything and everyone a chance with no biases and just truthfulness. I love you! 🖤 Your artistic views are also to d*e for. I sat through the whole video with zero boredom; and that happens rarely.🥀

[@haleyselene]

So its.... manufactured authenticity as a book. Thats the vibe I'm getting

[@samanthawright7053]

I love Lana’s music, it’s pure poetry! Hope is a Dangerous Thing for a Woman Like Me to Have is absolutely genius, I hope you give her credit where credit is due!

[@owenjames1156]

I really think NFR album lyrics are better examples of poetry than this collection

[@Aster_Risk]

The credit is only due if you agree that her music and lyrics are good. Some of us don't.

[@samanthawright7053]

@@Aster_Risk millions of people see her as a great lyricist what are you talking about

[@chrystianaw8256]

@@owenjames1156 honeymoon was her best example of poetry

[@mikey-yt5wr]

NEW RACHEL POETRY REVIEW!!! you're so right abt the faux "authenticity" that lana has going on and i love hearing you speak abt poetry, you're always so spot on (the outfit looks so good btw)

[@Sleipnirseight]

Ugh right off the bat, I gotta say I absolutely love the book cover jacket

[@trashmagic5967]

She's not making a lot of money back on this lol she literally has donated the money from her audio book to a native American organization.

[@linnvi08]

Exactly

[@brida9721]

She said that on the video

[@sashakononova8968]

I have no idea who Lana is even in a musical context (you're more cultured than me here Rachel, can you believe it?) but I think it's really cool that you talk not only about the writing but about the aesthetics and stuff! Hope nobody gives you hate for this vid, it's amazing and people really shouldn't be hating on anyone for saying "hey this isn't my cup of tea because this and that felt this way"

[@gremily2399]

that socially anxious feeling of rehearsing your coffee order in the car en route to the cafe even tho u get the same thing every time hahahaha

[@GPerla26]

I'm living for the photography talk at the beginning of this video!! It's great to hear and see you talk about something you clearly enjoy, Rachel 😊

[@nalinbadyal4434]

My mama was a lecturer in English and died in june 6 and my birthday was on June 11th I have no brothers and sisters and since then my papa has gone depressed and angry and suffers from a heart ailment and my heart has also enlarged due to not being able to express myself to anyone and watching you and listening to you reminded me of her and I'm crying tears right now I bless you wherever you are and saty blessed and I hope you express yourself everytime everyday and keep nothing inside your heart which makes you cause pain

[@DeviliciousNails]

Rachel, you never disappoint. I didn't know the book had photos and I'm so glad you talked about them. You can really tell how much you love photography. I'd love to see more videos about photography!

[@elle1192]

The book wasn't for me but it's definitely not as bad as most celebrity poetry. Thanks for continuing to review poetry. 😊💜 P.s. I would LOVE a video on how to get into photography with some tips and tricks you've learned!! One of my fav things about your channel is that it helps me be more balanced by integrating a love of art into my left brain personality. 😄

[@SafeRouteDown]

I love the way you talk about poetry, you can tell how much care and knowledge you have for the subject

[@Prairiejoyyy]

I’ve been waiting in anticipation for this review for ages!! Every time I’ve been in a book store, I’ve picked up Lana’s book but have always ended up putting it down again. I wanted to hear your input on it first 💞💞

[@marianatorres2518]

Would you ever consider reviewing Taylor Swift's albums Folklore and Evermore from a poetic perspective?

[@c1nn4m0ng1rl]

her poetry’s so beautiful it’s made me cry.

[@harshasewlani5312]

I think lana and taylor are both amazing songwriters and there are some of their songs that could be called "poems" but they're not exactly poets. Florence Welch on the other hand has both poetry and songwriting

[@lily3323]

Honestly I feel like if ur not a lana fan I don’t see why u would get her book i only bought it because of her i did enjoy it and I liked how personal it is and the low quality photos taken by her makes it more authentic i still gave it 4 stars

[@clairebear-96]

“you’re only as happy as your least happy child” I mean…. i’m a preschool/toddler teacher and she’s not wrong but like………. that just sounds like something my boss would say 😂 not a poem

[@raveng8217]

I also thought that was a weird thing to write considering she doesn't have any kids. Like yeah shes not wrong, but ?

[@raveng8217]

@princess leia Ok, that's not what I said though. I just personally found it odd

[@alishagugnani6529]

Coming from a Lana fan-- I think knowing her back story and her relationship with her mother, it might make a lot more sense :)

[@Xer031]

I think its a comment on her own childhood.

[@niamhlancaster5936]

re: KZbinr books I'd recommend Leena Norms video on the subject since she draws on her experience working in the publishing industry in the UK I think you'd find it interesting if you're wanting to learn more about how it works.

[@veronicadow1407]

I loved listening to your photography commentary, you really gave me a crash course introduction on how to look at photos. Would love to see more in the future! I agree - I haven't been able to get into LDR bc her whole thing just feels so shallow, like I can't grasp onto anything, if that makes sense. It's infuriating that the audiobook is different, aside from the issues you pointed out, imagine being a blind/low vision fan and knowing you're not getting the same experience as sighted readers. By the way, I'd love to see your take on Till Lindemann's On Quiet Nights, since I'm a huge Rammstein fan

[@defnekartal2797]

I highly recommend Richard Siken! I absolutely love his poems, and I think you would enjoy them too. I would also be excited to hear your comments!

[@emaugusta9880]

I love the passion you exude when talking about your experience with photography. Makes me inspired to do the things I love :)

[@novemberssun9188]

I don't think u r familiar with poetry as a tool to reach the subconscious, behind the mirror stage. What lana is doing by typing her poems and correcting them is actually very inventive and smart, she is as Zizek puts it "Language Torture House" which is the method to discover what is behind the veil of reality. Actually, Lana's poetry is a great example to apply psychoanalysis methods such as Julia Kristeva's Semiosis. What lana is doing is no different to how Emily Dickinson used dashes and weird capitalization and people started judging her writing back then. A poet isn't supposed to adhere to what is normal a poet writes by twisting language! it is basic philosophy of the Belle litre! please don't go on accusing lana of trying to be a hipster when what she is doing is actually Raw and authentic to her as a poet.

[@tillymillard2303]

Talking specifically about the photos. It’s funny because I totally get what you’re saying about the ‘quality’ of them. However you’re coming from a professional photographer standpoint someone who’s obviously proud of their craft. But I personally LOVE ‘bad’ photos. Ones with my friends when we’re all blurry, not posing, lights bouncing off everything the wrong way. Sunset pics that don’t full capture the sun in a realistic way. My worst kinda photos are posed family portraits for instance. They’re so unnatural and disingenuous. That’s why I like lana’s. Totally respect your pov tho of course

[@animefreakshjo]

your little bean is such a good emotional service doggo. you should see about getting her registered as one. because she knows just how to comfort you and when you are upset and that is like the whole job of an emotional service doggo

[@Izzyfbr]

please review jhene aiko’s poetry book!!! it’s called 2 fish, and some pages are straight from her notebook and some stuff she wrote ended up in few of her songs from her album “trip”.i think it’s a lovely collection!!!

[@RosalindPeters]

All power to you, Rachel. I love these poetry critique videos! You’re so knowledgeable and insightful.

[@Hivdghn]

Lana Del Rey is my favorite example of loving the art but not the artist. She seems very inauthentic and has done some controversial things, but her music speaks to me in a way she doesn't and I love it

[@Mel-ph4py]

i've never been very interested in poetry but i love your videos so much i actually want to start reading more, this is just a rachel appreciation comment, there's no actual point to it

[@Lavathelamps]

Loved the time breakdowns in this video compared to your other poetry reviews! So much better for the way I personally watch videos

[@valterssluka1945]

your critics seem very centred around her persona and privilege and also in a way privileged selfishness. Lana may not be the best poet in the world but this project was an attempt at authenticity for sure. Poetry has been her passion and a dream of hers since her childhood, this wasnt a cashgrab. Also authenticity for a privileged person like her will never be the same as one of a struggling artist. This book was an expression of her thoughts and her way of writing isnt the most polished. It is a privilege of hers to have something like this be published, cause without her fame this would not have gotten released, but can we fault her for having that privilege? In the end it needs to be acknowledged that that all the income from the book was donated to charity, so this definitely wasnt an evil showing of privilege and inauthentic attempt at relatability.

[@Andy-ne5qi]

I consider myself both an unprofessional poet and novice hobby photographer. I did find a lot of the content less than mediocre but i loved sigting through and finding gems of lines throughout the book.

[@elefantefresa1059]

I’m on this channel because some tiktok was mad that she criticized bo burnhams poetry and now i want to write a poetry book lol

[@sajahkuderman]

hi im obsessed with you, rachel! youve helped me get out of a writer’s rut and i always appreciate your takes and recommendations:)

[@gremily2399]

"LA" sounds like an Allen Ginsberg line from Howl, "America I've given you all and now I'm nothing"

[@Catitalaratoncita]

The love of the art vs the love of the aesthetic

[@ladycaticorn2950]

Great review, Rachel! Have you thought about making any kind of photography tutorials? I'd love to hear your tips and tricks and learn more about your image-making process, especially since you have so much experience!

[@novepipps]

Avan Jogia's (Beck from Victorious) 'Mixed Feelings' is another celebrity poetry collection you could review. It's mainly about being a mixed race person.

[@brunetteartist24]

Wait this video was an hour long- Anyways, it was a fun review, the dress and necklace looks absolutely gorgeous on you, the titular poem was the best one imo💖