Violet Bent Backwards Over the Grass
By Lana Del Rey
3.5/5
()
About this ebook
“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.
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
94 ratings5 reviews
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Read it simultaneously while listening to the audiobook. Pretty great <3
- Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5there are some really thoughtful, touching pieces among the sea of average ones
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Queen of Coney Island, Norman Rockwell's widow, Jim's mistress, UV forever!
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5poet of our generation. she's really the best there is.
2 people found this helpful
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5First 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