“Love Looks Pretty on You”
Written by Lang Leav
Reviewed by Diana Iozzia
“Love Looks Pretty on You” is a feministic and overdramatic
collection of short stories. Unfortunately, in most poems, it feels apparent
that Leav has attempted to create poetry that speaks to people.
Leav’s poetry spans across many popular topics in
modern poetry: love, abuse, relationships, heartbreak, feminism, slut shaming, and
mental illness. Many of her poems feel forced, in discussing many buzzwords and
topics that are included in nearly every poem collection nowadays. Long live the
poems that are unique. Her poems feel as if she had written them with a rhyming
dictionary around, with so many verses rhymed in unnatural and forced couplets.
Additionally, Leav’s work feels very false. If one speaks directly to the audience
and mentions how we women must be encouraged and stand up for ourselves, her
work cries false to me.
If this poetry is just not for me, then I accept
that. However, I do see many people who feel similarly about her work. I understand
that poetry is an outlet for writers and artists to vent and speak their truths,
but many of these poems feel disingenuous.
The poems I enjoyed from this collection are mostly
romantic. Additionally, I have always been a sucker for poems with figurative
language and allusions. I enjoyed:
“Making History”
“Wonder”
“Twenty-Seven”
“Flowers”
“A Love Letter to Bali”
“Never Again”
“It Was Love”
“Gold”
“This Was the Year”
“More Than You”
“How Love Comes and Goes”
“Sunday Afternoon”
I may read more poetry collections by Lang Leav in
the future, but I do think I will consider taking a break for a bit.
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