Visual Illustrations (Symbols)
Many of the poems contain ink doodles that accompany the words. The function of these visual symbols is to add depth by further explaining the context of the words. Because Kaur's poems are written in a spare style, the drawings carry significant symbolic weight. Consider the picture accompanying the poem "loneliness is a sign..." A stylized tree takes the form of a woman growing over the text, which reads, "loneliness is a sign you are in desperate / need of yourself." This poem is about self-acceptance in difficult times, and the tree is a metaphor for the connection between humans and nature. The woman/tree can be interpreted as being rooted down in herself as a result of her self-acceptance and love. Seasons will come and go, changing the woman as time passes, but she will remain rooted down for the entirety of her existence.
Milk and Honey (Symbols)
Kaur has stated that the name of the collection, milk and honey, came from a metaphor she used previously in a 2012 poem to describe the strength and resilience of Sikh widows who survived the Sikh genocide of 1984. Kaur loved the metaphor of milk and honey and began to use it frequently, which is how it became the title of the collection. These foods are also tied to the tradition of Ayurveda, which Kaur's father used as a healing practice, and they connect Kaur to the holistic practices of her people.
The title also carries a religious weight, referencing the Land of Milk and Honey from the Hebrew tradition concerning Moses's exodus from Egypt and subsequent wandering in the wilderness. Milk and honey represented the notions of fertility, abundance, hope, and nourishment. Though Kaur had a specific intention in using the words "milk and honey" (connecting them to her own culture), these words still resonate with other cultures and experiences.
Eating (Symbol)
The title of the collection evokes eating, and the act of eating appears in the poems in significant ways. In "how is it so easy for you," someone asks the speaker how she can be so kind to people. Her response of "cause people have not / been kind to me" is given with milk and honey dripping from her lips. This signifies the emotional nourishment that the speaker provides to other people. In "the first boy that kissed me," the speaker describes how the first boy who kissed her picked up the smell of starvation that lingers on his lips from the way his father feasted on the boy's mother at 4 a.m. This patriarchal notion of a man "feasting on" a woman signifies that the woman is both physically and emotionally consumed by the man.
Voice (Symbol)
The speaker's voice is a symbol for her ability to express herself. A poem in "the hurting" addresses someone who was "so afraid" of the speaker's voice that she decided "to be / afraid of it too." A drawing accompanying this poem shows a girl with shocked wide eyes whose mouth is covered by someone else's hand. This demonstrates her inability to speak. Later in the collection, the speaker begins to assert herself and the importance of her voice. In "-kaur / a woman of sikhi," the speaker states that she feels a "universal duty to share with / humanity," meaning that sharing her words is a higher calling.
Body Hair (Symbol)
Body hair appears as a symbol of self-acceptance in the collection. In every poem that mentions body hair, the speaker encourages women to regard themselves as beautiful no matter what (whether they prefer to grow or shave their hair). In "the next time he," Kaur writes that men should not be able to tell women what to do with their bodies. A drawing accompanying this poem illustrates body hair as little plants and flowers sprouting from a woman's body. This characterizes hair as completely natural and beautiful. Body hair also symbolizes a challenge to mainstream beauty ideals.
