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Of Yesteryear
Of Yesteryear is a collection of poetry that effortlessly transcribes the chaos of the never ending battle between head and heart. In her debut, Lauren Eden’s succinct and beautiful observations of human nature and its gains and losses will lead readers to understand their own journey in love and self discovery - now, and of yesteryear.
- GenresPoetryContemporary
170 pages, Paperback
First published February 26, 2016
26 people are currently reading
951 people want to read
About the author
Lauren Eden
6 books150 followersLauren Eden is a writer from Melbourne, Australia, who began her writing career posting her daily musings on life and love on her popular Instagram account @ofyesteryear She has two published poetry books Of Yesteryear, and most recently Atlantis.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 50 reviews
February 22, 2019
Of Yesteryear by Lauren Eden is a solid collection of poetry addressing relationships, the complexities, joys and frustrations of being in them. Eden's work is not particularly rhythmic like Alice Oswald's, for example, however the poignancy of her vocabulary is evident in most of the poems collected here.
There are several images she likes to draw upon, in particular, hands, stars and the moon, and whilst these are lovely images, some of her poems did tend to blend into one another which made them less striking.
Some of my favourite poems included: Metamorphosis, Tidal Whispers, The World in You, A Fickle Fantasy, Feminist, Heartbreak, Blue Murder and Sunday.
I know some comments on GR have likened her style to Rupi Kaur's Milk and Honey, and while it is similar, I gave Kaur's work 5 stars because she had that grittier and heart-wrenching edge.
For a debut poetry collection, Of Yesteryear is an accomplished work and a text I shall be re-reading in the future.
There are several images she likes to draw upon, in particular, hands, stars and the moon, and whilst these are lovely images, some of her poems did tend to blend into one another which made them less striking.
Some of my favourite poems included: Metamorphosis, Tidal Whispers, The World in You, A Fickle Fantasy, Feminist, Heartbreak, Blue Murder and Sunday.
I know some comments on GR have likened her style to Rupi Kaur's Milk and Honey, and while it is similar, I gave Kaur's work 5 stars because she had that grittier and heart-wrenching edge.
For a debut poetry collection, Of Yesteryear is an accomplished work and a text I shall be re-reading in the future.
March 25, 2017
This book has definitely exceeded my expectations. Beautiful.
October 3, 2016
I never thought another poet could challenge Rupi Kaur as my favourite poet, but Lauren Eden does. Alongside Milk and Honey, Of Yesteryear is equally my favourite poetry book. Heartbreakingly beautiful.
August 15, 2017
In my opinion, Eden is the only writer who has gotten this one-liner style down to a science. It never seems cliche - and I never feel as though I have heard her lines before, somewhere else. It is very hard to achieve this, I think, since the less words you use, the more likely it is it has been said before. That isn't the case here and I love that she embraces womanhood and being sexy. Eden is funny as hell and her work reflects that too, but in a very mature, seasoned way. I recommend!
March 14, 2016
I've been a fan of Lauren Eden for some months now, having found her poetry on Instagram, so I've been anxiously awaiting this book. Lauren is a wonderful poet, hands down my favorite. This book is full of very short poems, only a few that reach the end of a page, and they're all tantalizingly good. Some of my favorites were HER OWN NIGHT, FATE, HOW MANY NIGHTS, MY FAVORITE COMPANY, SOME NIGHTS, PEDESTRIAN LOVE, LAYERS OF YOU, and LULLABIES. If I had to pick, though, I think THE EVOLUTION OF MAN is my #1.
“Men
wear hearts
on the sleeves
that boys wipe
their noses on.”
In my opinion, the book gets better and better with every page you turn. This is a great read, and following @yesteryear on Instagram is a must.
“Men
wear hearts
on the sleeves
that boys wipe
their noses on.”
In my opinion, the book gets better and better with every page you turn. This is a great read, and following @yesteryear on Instagram is a must.
November 26, 2018
Really easy read. Some of my favorite poems: NOT ONE, SOMEONE ELSE, KALEIDOSCOPE, MOST, THAT TYPE OF GIRL, ALONE, WHAT SHE DOESN'T KNOW, REINS, MEMORY LANE,YOUR DISAPPOINTMENTS, LOVE, YOURS, PLEASE, LAST ATTEMPT, MORE THAN A GIRLS BEST FRIEND, NAIVE, REGRETS, SECRETS, LIES, YOU JUST DON'T WANT TO BE LONELY, A PLACE THATS NOT ME, SLIP, DISAPPEARING ACT, MY FAVORITE COMPANY, PLEASE DON'T BE EVERYTHING, FEMINIST, WRONG, TOO BADLY, COVERS, DIRECTIONS, COMPANY, SUNDAY.
April 9, 2016
I couldn't wait to dive into this debut! I too follow Lauren on IG and reason with her words more often than not. Her collection of poetry is beautifully organized and brilliant. I love the simplicity of the book, letting the reader explore the written word timelessly. I will surely read this over and over.
September 13, 2016
A book I didn't even want to press 'finished' to. 4 stars on how well it's written, five for how much I enjoyed it. Making me fall in love with contemporary poetry all over again.
February 22, 2017
Incredible collection of poetry simply written but full of meaning and honesty.
July 14, 2018
‘ he looked like love until he got closer. Then he looked like heartbreak.’
Nice poetry collection!♥️
Nice poetry collection!♥️
April 23, 2018
Love Lauren’s writing since the moment I discovered her on Instagram as a fellow poet! And was reading the reviews on here by some that compare her to Rupi Kaur.....! That certainly wasn’t the case for me, but then that’s cuz I HATE Rupi with a passion as a book/ literature/ poetry lover and reader ! So to me , while RK’s work comes across as a collection of Facebook updates and like someone else said , tumblr posts - I actually think that what Lauren does here is poetry !!!!! Read the book in a day , but not in one sitting ....and I was bawling at the end of it! This is one book I will visit again and again and each time it will be jus as good a read , I know that ! Grab this book - and even Atlantis while u are at it !
June 9, 2017
"I sleep
in the graves
of every
person
that ever
left me."
I expected more from this book since I really love the instagram posts of the author. Oh, well. I'm on to the next poetry collection.
"Not
wanting me
to leave
is not
the same
as wanting me
to stay."
in the graves
of every
person
that ever
left me."
I expected more from this book since I really love the instagram posts of the author. Oh, well. I'm on to the next poetry collection.
"Not
wanting me
to leave
is not
the same
as wanting me
to stay."
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 14, 2017
When I read poetry I mostly search for relatability. Words put in the a certain order that explain all the things I struggle too. Of Yesteryear does an amazing job of saying all I feel.
December 6, 2018
i’ve mostly stayed away from modern poetry this year because 9 times out 10, it leads to disappointment. this one followed that pattern
November 24, 2016
Short, but touching, poetry/prose.
April 24, 2021
This is probably the most magical poetry adventure I've ever been on, up there with Milk and Honey and The Sun and Her Flowers
Eden has such a beautiful way of writing, much like Rupi Kaur in that she's sometimes very raw, and sometimes her poetry has hidden depths.
Every poem in this book spoke to me in a different way for different reasons. There's a lot of symbolism and metaphor and I adore all of it so much.
What I love about Eden's writing style is that many of her poems are short but pack such a punch. They don't always rhyme like typical poetry but they're still so authentically poetic.
I just have to talk about my favourites:
I was blown away on page 1 with the poem All We Cannot Say, because it's so true. We're often held back by what we chose not to say, and things we should've said but haven't.
Universe on page 2 was incredible and really connected with me. The feeling of adulation comes up a lot in this book and Eden portrays it so well. When we love someone like this, we cling onto and admire every one of their words as if they're gospel.
Losing You on page 4 was heartbreaking but so true. It describes the brutal feeling that everything is ending after losing someone special.
Too Big An Ask on page 6 is about shrinking yourself, and painfully accurately portrays thinking you're not worthy of the simplest gestures. And it hit me hard.
Most on page 11 was short yet very thought provoking. It has a lot of implication, and my inference is; when you have been hurt so much by others, you begin to want to hurt back, and you lose trust in people you've never even met. You put your guard up and you're so defensive... but then that special person comes along, and you could never think of hurting them in the way you've been hurt, and it takes a lot of strength, trust, and love to feel that way.
Tidal Whispers on page 12 is about melting into your lovers' body. Being lost in them, they're everything. They're you. It reminds me of a quote from Wuthering Heights, "Whatever our souls are made of, his and mine are the same."
The World In You on page 17 is a hard hitting poem about adoration, being absorbed in someone to the point that everything reminds you of them, and you see them more in yourself than anything else. This poem was so beautiful, I'm speechless.
Veils on page 21 is about that desperate feeling about wanting to be closer, never getting enough of someone you love so much. It's so true.
Life on page 22 describes how we can get lost in our own worlds of thinking about other people and places. We hide from life so much that life becomes the inconvenience and daydreams become our own reality. I felt this too much.
Rain on page 23 explores ungratefulness. How we're willing to pour our heart and soul out for other people, who in turn give nothing back. It's a beautiful, beautiful metaphor. Definitely one of my favourites.
Scatter on page 26 beautifully depicts being lost in love until it blinds you to all else.
Cusp on page 28 is a hard-hitting poem about attachment. The thin, gradually blurring line between want and need.
No Other You on page 31 resonated with me. It explores uniqueness, how that one special person will never be captured by someone else. It reminds me of Rupi Kaur's Irreplaceable from page 197 of The Sun and Her Flowers, which is one of my favourites of Kaur's. In turn, this is one of my favourite of Eden's poems.
Your Disappointments on page 35 implies that Eden has recognised she's enough, and if someone isn't satisfied by her then that's their problem. I admire this way of thinking and I think more people need to adopt this.
Insanity on page 36 really, REALLY spoke to me. It's about how some people are so used to being hurt and let down, yet they still expect the best out of people, and it makes them wonder if that's a positive or negative.
Yours on page 40 is so relatable, just that feeling of bowing down and complying to the wishes of that special person, no matter what they do.
Change Of Heart on page 43 is brutally real. I'm speechless.
That Little Voice on page 44 is about refusing to shrink for someone else anymore, about fighting back when we've been pushed to the brink and walked all over.
Awkward Silences on page 45 was... wow, just so so so so so WOW. Once again, striking use of metaphor.
Hurricane on page 48 depicts how brutal the feeling of missing someone can be. Maybe the relationship was meaningless to them but to us it left a huge, lasting, growing impact.
He Tells Me Things on page 52 is another wow.
The Best Parts Of Me on page 54 is a stunning poem about love opening our eyes. How at first we don't understand why or how we're loved back... but they slowly show us.
Like A Record on page 56 explores the need for reconfirmation, but also not being able to get enough of, and indulging in those three words.
Fate on page 64 talks about the surrealism of the most perfect, or even most dreadful matches. How can it just be a coincidence? This leads into why I'm so spiritual - something made this happen, it's too perfect, or too terrible, to have just happened without explanation.
A Love Poem on page 67 explains the feeling of being captivated by love, a prominent theme throughout these poems, and it's handled so well each and every time.
This theme is followed up in Please Don't on page 71, and the metaphor is once again striking.
Love You Not on page 74 is another... wow.
I Saw The Stars on page 85 is another beautiful poem about adoration, and is the perfectly chosen poem for the back cover of the book.
Two Caught Fish on page 86 is another stunning show of metaphor.
Once on page 87 follows the recurring theme of being lost in love and merged into that one person.
Time on page 90 is probably my favourite, and the most relatable, poem of the collection. I love ut SO much, it's SO true. Once again, the feeling of losing all else but them.
All The Stars on page 91 is SO beautiful. Like stunningly, strikingly beautiful.
Two Hands on page 94 explores loneliness so well. So sadly.
Confusion on page 98 is so deeply thoughtful and thought-provoking, at first simple but is an onion with so many layers of feeling.
Wading on page 100 deserves a page like 100 because it's so strong. It's firm in its meaning and implications and I love it.
Love Scales on page 104 is another WOW.
Healer on page 107 is another favourite. That one person really can make it feel like everything is okay... I want this poem on my wall. I just have no words for how much I love it.
Lullabies on page 113 isn't about love but possibly trauma and how it ages you. It's another brutally real and deeply thought-provoking yet also short poem. So powerful.
Windows on page 115 is another WOW, I know that doesn't sound like much but I am so stunned.
Pick You on page 116 explores how we are the most important to ourselves. It speaks to the selfless, and we need to give attention and tend to ourselves more.
Wrong on page 119 explores a possibly toxic, maybe controlling, relationship, about how we try to fit others' molds of us until we become someone entirely new.
My Best Pages on page 121 is so short and simple but so hard-hitting. How time flies and the best parts of our lives are gone in a flash and only linger as treasured memories.
Melancholia on page 122 reminds me of a similar Kaur poem about feeling deeply, on page 101 of Milk and Honey
Rosemary on page 126 is beyond stunning. Another favourite.
A Secret This Good on page 133 takes some thinking. Is it talking about a person too lovely or too horrible to keep secret? It's something to think about, and that's what I mean when I say Eden's poems are so thought provoking, she puts her message across so well but still leaves room for audience interpretation and I admire that.
Centrepiece on page 136 follows the theme of infatuation again and it's painfully relatable. Again, it makes me wonder if it's intended to be positive or negative- I originally interpreted it as positive.
Stand Tall on page 139 is pure metaphor, and I infer it's about inconvenience and being given the things we want but for the wrong reasons. I'm sure many have contrasting opinions on this and I'd love to hear them.
Fantasies on page 141 is once again so relatable. I know I keep talking about "That One Person" but it's so true how love just captivates you like this, and Eden portrays that fact perfectly.
My Words on page 143 explores interpretation of words and how they can go from mouth meaning one thing and into ear being heard as something the complete opposite, and I love this. I've never thought about this too much and yet again Eden's poetry really makes me think.
Beauty Magazines on page 144 is a poem everyone needs to hear.
Glass Jar on page 146 deeply resonated with me. At first I inferred this as a positive, that person who builds you up until you believe you can do anything. Yet it may also be a negative, how doing something so small and simple feels so drastic when in the presence of someone controlling.
What My Heart Wants on page 149 is another wow. I love it.
I Only Knew Love on page 151 struck me. It further explores the depths of being lost in love.
They Don't Understand on page 152 is about perspective, which is actually what I've spoken about a lot in this review. The contrast of the positives and the negatives and how you see things. I infer this poem to be about a toxic or abusive partner that one can only help but love, but everyone on the outside sees what they're really like.
All in all, I LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE every single word in this book, and I can't wait to read more of Eden's work. I hope she knows what an impact her poetry has had on me, she deserves so much love for this.
Eden has such a beautiful way of writing, much like Rupi Kaur in that she's sometimes very raw, and sometimes her poetry has hidden depths.
Every poem in this book spoke to me in a different way for different reasons. There's a lot of symbolism and metaphor and I adore all of it so much.
What I love about Eden's writing style is that many of her poems are short but pack such a punch. They don't always rhyme like typical poetry but they're still so authentically poetic.
I just have to talk about my favourites:
I was blown away on page 1 with the poem All We Cannot Say, because it's so true. We're often held back by what we chose not to say, and things we should've said but haven't.
Universe on page 2 was incredible and really connected with me. The feeling of adulation comes up a lot in this book and Eden portrays it so well. When we love someone like this, we cling onto and admire every one of their words as if they're gospel.
Losing You on page 4 was heartbreaking but so true. It describes the brutal feeling that everything is ending after losing someone special.
Too Big An Ask on page 6 is about shrinking yourself, and painfully accurately portrays thinking you're not worthy of the simplest gestures. And it hit me hard.
Most on page 11 was short yet very thought provoking. It has a lot of implication, and my inference is; when you have been hurt so much by others, you begin to want to hurt back, and you lose trust in people you've never even met. You put your guard up and you're so defensive... but then that special person comes along, and you could never think of hurting them in the way you've been hurt, and it takes a lot of strength, trust, and love to feel that way.
Tidal Whispers on page 12 is about melting into your lovers' body. Being lost in them, they're everything. They're you. It reminds me of a quote from Wuthering Heights, "Whatever our souls are made of, his and mine are the same."
The World In You on page 17 is a hard hitting poem about adoration, being absorbed in someone to the point that everything reminds you of them, and you see them more in yourself than anything else. This poem was so beautiful, I'm speechless.
Veils on page 21 is about that desperate feeling about wanting to be closer, never getting enough of someone you love so much. It's so true.
Life on page 22 describes how we can get lost in our own worlds of thinking about other people and places. We hide from life so much that life becomes the inconvenience and daydreams become our own reality. I felt this too much.
Rain on page 23 explores ungratefulness. How we're willing to pour our heart and soul out for other people, who in turn give nothing back. It's a beautiful, beautiful metaphor. Definitely one of my favourites.
Scatter on page 26 beautifully depicts being lost in love until it blinds you to all else.
Cusp on page 28 is a hard-hitting poem about attachment. The thin, gradually blurring line between want and need.
No Other You on page 31 resonated with me. It explores uniqueness, how that one special person will never be captured by someone else. It reminds me of Rupi Kaur's Irreplaceable from page 197 of The Sun and Her Flowers, which is one of my favourites of Kaur's. In turn, this is one of my favourite of Eden's poems.
Your Disappointments on page 35 implies that Eden has recognised she's enough, and if someone isn't satisfied by her then that's their problem. I admire this way of thinking and I think more people need to adopt this.
Insanity on page 36 really, REALLY spoke to me. It's about how some people are so used to being hurt and let down, yet they still expect the best out of people, and it makes them wonder if that's a positive or negative.
Yours on page 40 is so relatable, just that feeling of bowing down and complying to the wishes of that special person, no matter what they do.
Change Of Heart on page 43 is brutally real. I'm speechless.
That Little Voice on page 44 is about refusing to shrink for someone else anymore, about fighting back when we've been pushed to the brink and walked all over.
Awkward Silences on page 45 was... wow, just so so so so so WOW. Once again, striking use of metaphor.
Hurricane on page 48 depicts how brutal the feeling of missing someone can be. Maybe the relationship was meaningless to them but to us it left a huge, lasting, growing impact.
He Tells Me Things on page 52 is another wow.
The Best Parts Of Me on page 54 is a stunning poem about love opening our eyes. How at first we don't understand why or how we're loved back... but they slowly show us.
Like A Record on page 56 explores the need for reconfirmation, but also not being able to get enough of, and indulging in those three words.
Fate on page 64 talks about the surrealism of the most perfect, or even most dreadful matches. How can it just be a coincidence? This leads into why I'm so spiritual - something made this happen, it's too perfect, or too terrible, to have just happened without explanation.
A Love Poem on page 67 explains the feeling of being captivated by love, a prominent theme throughout these poems, and it's handled so well each and every time.
This theme is followed up in Please Don't on page 71, and the metaphor is once again striking.
Love You Not on page 74 is another... wow.
I Saw The Stars on page 85 is another beautiful poem about adoration, and is the perfectly chosen poem for the back cover of the book.
Two Caught Fish on page 86 is another stunning show of metaphor.
Once on page 87 follows the recurring theme of being lost in love and merged into that one person.
Time on page 90 is probably my favourite, and the most relatable, poem of the collection. I love ut SO much, it's SO true. Once again, the feeling of losing all else but them.
All The Stars on page 91 is SO beautiful. Like stunningly, strikingly beautiful.
Two Hands on page 94 explores loneliness so well. So sadly.
Confusion on page 98 is so deeply thoughtful and thought-provoking, at first simple but is an onion with so many layers of feeling.
Wading on page 100 deserves a page like 100 because it's so strong. It's firm in its meaning and implications and I love it.
Love Scales on page 104 is another WOW.
Healer on page 107 is another favourite. That one person really can make it feel like everything is okay... I want this poem on my wall. I just have no words for how much I love it.
Lullabies on page 113 isn't about love but possibly trauma and how it ages you. It's another brutally real and deeply thought-provoking yet also short poem. So powerful.
Windows on page 115 is another WOW, I know that doesn't sound like much but I am so stunned.
Pick You on page 116 explores how we are the most important to ourselves. It speaks to the selfless, and we need to give attention and tend to ourselves more.
Wrong on page 119 explores a possibly toxic, maybe controlling, relationship, about how we try to fit others' molds of us until we become someone entirely new.
My Best Pages on page 121 is so short and simple but so hard-hitting. How time flies and the best parts of our lives are gone in a flash and only linger as treasured memories.
Melancholia on page 122 reminds me of a similar Kaur poem about feeling deeply, on page 101 of Milk and Honey
Rosemary on page 126 is beyond stunning. Another favourite.
A Secret This Good on page 133 takes some thinking. Is it talking about a person too lovely or too horrible to keep secret? It's something to think about, and that's what I mean when I say Eden's poems are so thought provoking, she puts her message across so well but still leaves room for audience interpretation and I admire that.
Centrepiece on page 136 follows the theme of infatuation again and it's painfully relatable. Again, it makes me wonder if it's intended to be positive or negative- I originally interpreted it as positive.
Stand Tall on page 139 is pure metaphor, and I infer it's about inconvenience and being given the things we want but for the wrong reasons. I'm sure many have contrasting opinions on this and I'd love to hear them.
Fantasies on page 141 is once again so relatable. I know I keep talking about "That One Person" but it's so true how love just captivates you like this, and Eden portrays that fact perfectly.
My Words on page 143 explores interpretation of words and how they can go from mouth meaning one thing and into ear being heard as something the complete opposite, and I love this. I've never thought about this too much and yet again Eden's poetry really makes me think.
Beauty Magazines on page 144 is a poem everyone needs to hear.
Glass Jar on page 146 deeply resonated with me. At first I inferred this as a positive, that person who builds you up until you believe you can do anything. Yet it may also be a negative, how doing something so small and simple feels so drastic when in the presence of someone controlling.
What My Heart Wants on page 149 is another wow. I love it.
I Only Knew Love on page 151 struck me. It further explores the depths of being lost in love.
They Don't Understand on page 152 is about perspective, which is actually what I've spoken about a lot in this review. The contrast of the positives and the negatives and how you see things. I infer this poem to be about a toxic or abusive partner that one can only help but love, but everyone on the outside sees what they're really like.
All in all, I LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE every single word in this book, and I can't wait to read more of Eden's work. I hope she knows what an impact her poetry has had on me, she deserves so much love for this.
February 28, 2017
I follow Lauren on IG and I have for about a month. I found myself consistently enjoying, liking, loving, feeling, smirking, blushing, laughing and applauding her posts. I also enjoyed her, as a person, in the little slivers she occasionally shared of herself. So I wanted to support her as a writer by purchasing and I also wanted to hold the work in my hands. I wanted the book version because I couldn't get close and deep enough into it through IG. I loved it and I will read it many more times.
I find her work honest and relatable, it is often simple - but in a beautiful and uncluttered way - (unlike the effortless, trite, one liners I constantly come across on IG) #notsorry
Her work is like walking into a beautiful hotel room to me, it's clean, I like it there, I don't feel at home, but I'm comfortable, it is familiar without being boring, it invites me to stay in it, sleep with it... and maybe even get a little dirty.
<3
@wildcaughtword
I find her work honest and relatable, it is often simple - but in a beautiful and uncluttered way - (unlike the effortless, trite, one liners I constantly come across on IG) #notsorry
Her work is like walking into a beautiful hotel room to me, it's clean, I like it there, I don't feel at home, but I'm comfortable, it is familiar without being boring, it invites me to stay in it, sleep with it... and maybe even get a little dirty.
<3
@wildcaughtword
February 19, 2018
I was really hyped to read this poetry collection after seeing all the good ratings it received.. and it kills me to say I just didn't enjoy it that much.
It wasn't a disappointment, but it wasn't an amazing read either.
I just didn't connect with the poems. For 95% of them, I just forgot about them the moment I turned the page. Yup, not glorious.. I'm not really picky when it comes to poetry, but I find that the more I read poetry collections, the harder it gets for me.
For me, Of Yesterday was just another poetry collection about love, and though the poems were beautifully written, it felt too much like other collections I have already read.
If I had to recommend poetry collections to someone, Of Yesterday wouldn't be part of it, though I wouldn't say to anyone to read it because it is a good book nonetheless.
It wasn't a disappointment, but it wasn't an amazing read either.
I just didn't connect with the poems. For 95% of them, I just forgot about them the moment I turned the page. Yup, not glorious.. I'm not really picky when it comes to poetry, but I find that the more I read poetry collections, the harder it gets for me.
For me, Of Yesterday was just another poetry collection about love, and though the poems were beautifully written, it felt too much like other collections I have already read.
If I had to recommend poetry collections to someone, Of Yesterday wouldn't be part of it, though I wouldn't say to anyone to read it because it is a good book nonetheless.
May 8, 2019
I love modern poetry and what made me purchase this book was the hype around it. Unfortunately I can’t help but be a tad bit disappointed. The book is a collection of short pieces of poetry. It is so easy to read which was enjoyable. The pieces are beautiful and describe the feelings, complications and the all round journey that being in a relationship is. In that sense, the poetry is very relatable. However, when it came to the slightly longer pieces I couldn’t help but be bothered by the way they were written. Unfortunately some also just were too simple... too straight to the point for me to be moved by them. None the less I did enjoy the book, it’s just neither the best nor the worst I’ve read
July 28, 2020
Yesterday, I went on a poetry binge, and I regret nothing. Lauren Eden's Of Yesteryear had been on my TBR list for a while, and so I consumed it while watching/listening to Stratford Festival's production of Romeo and Juliet. (Yeah, I know, I'm cultured.)
If you're already a constant consumer of "Instagram" poets, Lauren Eden's stark, short verse form will feel familiar with her. Her writing mostly focuses on falling in and out of love, a topic that doesn't often interest me, but there were kernels of interesting verse and thought here and there. I would love to see a longer collection from Eden with more fully developed ideas. Until then, though, I can take or leave Of Yesteryear. Read it if you want or check her out on Instagram first to get a taste of her work.
If you're already a constant consumer of "Instagram" poets, Lauren Eden's stark, short verse form will feel familiar with her. Her writing mostly focuses on falling in and out of love, a topic that doesn't often interest me, but there were kernels of interesting verse and thought here and there. I would love to see a longer collection from Eden with more fully developed ideas. Until then, though, I can take or leave Of Yesteryear. Read it if you want or check her out on Instagram first to get a taste of her work.
April 14, 2018
Very playful
The book is not just very erotic but also very playful. The author knows how make words look sexy. As much as I liked it, sometimes I felt it just became repetitive in the book. There were several dialogues that had the same imageries like hands or books or revolving doors. They were all great. I guess this was the only turn off for me. Otherwise it's a great play of words.
The book is not just very erotic but also very playful. The author knows how make words look sexy. As much as I liked it, sometimes I felt it just became repetitive in the book. There were several dialogues that had the same imageries like hands or books or revolving doors. They were all great. I guess this was the only turn off for me. Otherwise it's a great play of words.
November 9, 2017
Of Yesteryear is a poetry book written from a girls perspective describing her relationship with a guy. Each poem in the book is very compelling, and even though there are tons of different poems in the book, you can tell there is a story line behind the poems. This book is a quick read and really enjoyable.
January 20, 2024
This kind of poetry does nothing for me, reminds me of Rupi Kaur. Basically it’s written like a diary entry with weird spacing. Both authors were recommended to me by the same person and I bought this during the pandemic, never read it, and found it yesterday in my closet. One or two were nice and the rest just sounded like a teenager with a broken heart trying to sound artistic.
March 19, 2018
"WINDOWS
Do not tell me
who I am
before I know.
That is impossible-
I live in me.
It’s like saying
you have lived
in a house
when you’ve
only peeked
through its
windows."
Do not tell me
who I am
before I know.
That is impossible-
I live in me.
It’s like saying
you have lived
in a house
when you’ve
only peeked
through its
windows."
April 23, 2018
Me decepcionó bastante. Lo quería leer hace tiempo y lo encontré de casualidad, lo leí en dos noches y no es para nada lo que esperaba.
No me gustó el ritmo de los poemas y a pesar de que hay un par de poemas que me gustaron, no lograron salvar el libro para mi.
No me gustó el ritmo de los poemas y a pesar de que hay un par de poemas que me gustaron, no lograron salvar el libro para mi.
May 25, 2017
Go to my Instagram for reviews 👉 www.instagram.com/sundresssecrets
June 5, 2017
A great eye opener! She really makes you think. Even days after I've read a poem I am still thinking about the topic. Great work!
July 21, 2017
Strong cohesive collection. The cover is gorgeous and works perfectly with the many star themed poems. True rating is 3.5 stars
Such a true testament of love both real, imagined & wished for.
Such a true testament of love both real, imagined & wished for.
October 23, 2017
So many poems that I could relate to. Even the poems I didn’t find relatable, I loved. Can’t wait for her second book!
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