Salt - Nayyirah Waheed - A Short Summary & Review
Salt - Nayyirah Waheed - A Short Summary & Review
By: a.d. elliott | Take the Back Roads - Art and Other Odd Adventures
A Rite of Fancy Book Recommendation and Review
Poetry, to the point.
A short summary:
In Salt, Nayyirah Waheed delivers poetry stripped to its essentials. These poems are brief, urgent, and precise, often just a few lines, yet they carry immense emotional and political weight. Waheed writes about identity, race, womanhood, love, violence, and survival with language that refuses excess.
Each poem functions like a shock of clarity. There is no narrative padding, no explanation offered for comfort. Instead, Salt trusts readers to feel first and interpret later, allowing meaning to arrive all at once, or linger uncomfortably after the page is turned.
My favorite poem from the book:
Questions to ponder while reading:
My review:
Reading Salt feels like an impact. The poems are to the point, and they do not soften themselves for the reader. That’s part of their power.
I keep thinking of The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy and the Pan Galactic Gargle Blaster, the drink that’s supposed to feel like having your brains smashed out by a slice of lemon wrapped around a large gold brick. Waheed’s poems feel exactly like that.
Sharp. Jarring. Electrifying.
It’s a great sensation, not because it’s gentle, but because it’s alive. Salt wakes you up. These poems don’t linger politely; they announce themselves and then stay with you. Try it and see.
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About the Author
a.d. elliott is a wanderer, photographer, and storyteller traveling through life
She shares her journeys at Take the Back Roads, explores new reads at Rite of Fancy, and highlights U.S. military biographies at Everyday Patriot.
You can also browse her online photography gallery at shop.takethebackroads.com.
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