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    Violet Bent Backwards Over the Grass
    Violet Bent Backwards Over the Grass
    Violet Bent Backwards Over the Grass
    Ebook132 pages31 minutes

    Violet Bent Backwards Over the Grass

    By Lana Del Rey

    3.5/5

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    About this ebook

    The New York Times bestselling debut book of poetry from Lana Del Rey, Violet Bent Backwards Over the Grass.

    “Violet Bent Backwards Over the Grass is the title poem of the book and the first poem I wrote of many. Some of which came to me in their entirety, which I dictated and then typed out, and some that I worked laboriously picking apart each word to make the perfect poem. They are eclectic and honest and not trying to be anything other than what they are and for that reason I’m proud of them, especially because the spirit in which they were written was very authentic.” —Lana Del Rey

    Lana’s breathtaking first book solidifies her further as “the essential writer of her times” (The Atlantic). The collection features more than thirty poems, many exclusive to the book: Never to Heaven, The Land of 1,000 Fires, Past the Bushes Cypress Thriving, LA Who Am I to Love You?, Tessa DiPietro, Happy, Paradise Is Very Fragile, Bare Feet on Linoleum, and many more. This beautiful hardcover edition showcases Lana’s typewritten manuscript pages alongside her original photography. The result is an extraordinary poetic landscape that reflects the unguarded spirit of its creator.

    Violet Bent Backwards Over the Grass is also brought to life in an unprecedented spoken word audiobook which features Lana Del Rey reading fourteen select poems from the book accompanied by music from Grammy Award–winning musician Jack Antonoff.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherSimon & Schuster
    Release dateSep 29, 2020
    ISBN9781982167301
    Author

    Lana Del Rey

    Lana Del Rey is an American singer, songwriter, artist, and poet. Violet Bent Backwards Over the Grass is her first book.

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    Reviews for Violet Bent Backwards Over the Grass

    3.5/5

    114 ratings6 reviews

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    • 3/5
      Oh, dear... I'm a little prejudiced (maybe even more than I realize) because I favor the structured style of older poetry. As one writing teacher once said, the very precise structural requirements of (for example) iambic pentameter saved some mediocre poetry by giving it a rhythm and balance. He said that many people felt that free verse meant no longer needing to have any structure and left mediocre poetry sounding like idle or even random thoughts. ...As in nothing like real poetry. At least the original required patterns seem to give weight to certain lines, seem give them relevance, by tying them to previous lines. It also added an appealing cadence as apparently the human brain seems to appreciate symmetry. I have to agree that much of modern poetry sounds like drivel to me. I'm often amazed that something could actually have been published without having a clear point to make or much if any connection between the opening line and the final one without any vivid imagery, striking metaphors or new connections between ideas. Sometimes the authors will use a very short final line, a phrase that sounds like a summary of the writer's philosophy as though the previous musings led to that point and the brevity must lend power and emphasis. Often it doesn't. I find that this poetry also leaves me utterly cold because there just doesn't seem to be anything other than casual musings and reminiscence described in the usual way of experience and emotions without necessarily any relevance to the reader or explanation of the relevance to the writer. It just lacks beauty, emotions that I can relate to, or pretty much anything profound. Common experiences-- especially. nearly universal ones that we all know about--and thoughts or remembered feelings just don't substitute. That said, this seems to be so common that maybe the bar has just been lowered and this is outstanding in comparison to the average work that I'm just not judging it in context. Two poems in, I lost interest. Sometimes posting an honest review feels too cruel but I guess if I'm going to post anything I need to be honest or they will be useless. To be fair one had to be extremely special to be published 100 years ago because there was just very much less being published at all. And also to give perspective I find much of the work of Maya Angelou to sound more like inspiring speeches than true poetry. Just as I find her autobiographical novel more a personal memoir written in a plain style without much artistry then fine writing, even though she was quite daring and brave to tell her story and her life story is pretty extraordinary in many ways. But I guess we can't all be Langston Hughes, or ee cummings. And I judge my own poetry just as harshly even though some have expressed very positive thoughts about it. I don't meet my own standards for publishing :-) however there are some singer-songwriters whose lyrics very much qualify as beautiful free verse. Dar Williams."Pompei" or " We Came to learn the Sea". They do have some structure because music requires it but not the traditional poetry standards. Still evocative, beautiful, and full of amazing metaphors and allegories. Just beautiful!
    • 4/5
      Read it simultaneously while listening to the audiobook. Pretty great <3
    • 4/5
      Queen of Coney Island, Norman Rockwell's widow, Jim's mistress, UV forever!
    • 5/5
      poet of our generation. she's really the best there is.

      2 people found this helpful

    • 3/5
      there are some really thoughtful, touching pieces among the sea of average ones

      1 person found this helpful

    • 5/5
      First I just have to preface this review by saying that I am a huge fan of Lana Del Rey. She is one of my all time favorite singers and I’ve been in love with her music for years. I’ve always resonated well with her songs so that made me super eager to read her poetry.

      This poetry collection is very atmospheric. Reading the poems is like being transported to a sunny and dreamy day in LA. It’s very on brand for Lana Del Rey.

      I liked how a lot of the poems had substance. A lot of poetry collections nowadays have very short poems so I was glad to see that this one had long ones. I really liked how a lot of the longer poems told a story.

      Additionally, I liked how there were some haikus (my favorite type of poem) and that they were separated in their own section.

      The book itself is also incredibly gorgeous. Throughout the book are photos taken by Lana Del Rey herself. The photos are really beautiful and add to the overall vibe of the collection. The poems themselves are presented exactly as Lana had typed them out making the book feel really personal.

      Lastly, I loved the Notes For A Poet section, which was a lined section where the reader could write their own thoughts/notes/poems. I thought that was just a brilliant touch.

      Overall, I loved the poems in this collection just as much as I loved the overall presentation of the book!

      1 person found this helpful

    Book preview

    Violet Bent Backwards Over the Grass - Lana Del Rey

    Violet Bent Backwards Over the Grass

    I went to a party

    I came in hot

    made decisions beforehand

    my mind made up

    things that would make me happy

    to do them or not

    each option weighed quietly

    a plan for each thought

    But then i walked through the door

    past the open concept

    and saw Violet

    bent backwards over the grass

    7 years old with dandelions grasped

    tightly in her hands

    arched like a bridge in a fallen handstand

    grinning wildly like a madman

    with the exuberance that only doing nothing can bring

    waiting for the fireworks to begin

    and in that moment

    i decided to do nothing about everything

    forever.

    Bare feet on linoleum

    Stay on your path Sylvia Plath

    don’t fall away like all the others

    Don’t take all your secrets alone to your watery grave about

    lovers and mother

    The secrets you keep will keep you in deep like father and Amy

    and brother

    And all of the people you meet on the street will reiterate lies

    that she uttered

    Leave me in peace I cry

    late at night on a slow boat bound for Catalina for no reason

    tiny beads of sweat dot my forehead

    could be mistaken for dewdrops if this were photo season.

    But alas this is a real life - and it’s been a real fight just to

    keep my mind from committing treason.

    Why you ask?

    Because she told the townspeople I was crazy and the lies they

    started to believe them

    But anyway - I’ve moved on now

    And now that I’ve gone scorched-earth

    I’m left wondering where to go from here.

    To Sonoma where the fires have just left?

    South Dakota?

    Would standing in front of Mount Rushmore feel like the Great

    American homecoming I never had?

    Would the magnitude of the scale of the sculpture take the place

    of the warm embrace I’ve never known?

    Or should I just be here now

    In the kitchen

    Bare feet on linoleum

    Bored - but not unhappy

    Cutting vegetables over boiling water that I will later turn

    into stew.

    What happened when I left you

    Perfect petals punctuate the fabrics yellow blue

    silver platters with strawberries strewn across the room

    In Zimmerman with sandals on one summer dress to choose

    Three girls

    eyes rolled

    loud laughter

    dust specks lit by afternoon

    My life is sweet like lemonade now there’s no bitter fruit

    eternal sunshine of the

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