On Sun Swallowing by Dakota Warren - Book Review

On Sun Swallowing is Dakota Warren's debut collection of poems, prose and journal extracts that are seeped in hedonistic persuasion and a glorious lust for life (and death!). Touching on themes of girlhood, youth, femininity, existentialism, her relationship with religion and the gods, confessions of murder and blood spill, and letters to the devil himself. Dakota's words consumed me entirely. Her language, ingenuity and expression are beautiful. She has a way of connecting intimately with her readers and cult following, allowing them to escape reality for a moment.

I am fairly new to poetry so perhaps I am slightly unqualified to be reviewing it but I feel Dakota Warren's work was the perfect gateway for me. We share a lot of the same interests in literature, art and culture, which she explores and references in her work. Before reading Warren's collection, my knowledge was limited to the collection of poems we studied at school which I found extremely unenjoyable; maybe I'm just being bitter because the curriculum allowed for either 'power and conflict' or 'love and relationships' and to my disappointment we got poems on war over love. (Perhaps I should revisit them with my fresh, poetry-appreciating eyes!) My recent interest in poetry is all thanks to Sylvia Plath, Lana Del Rey; whose lyrics and poetry collection, Violet Bent Backwards Over The Grass, I just adore, and now Dakota Warren. 

I discovered Dakota about a year ago on Instagram, she is an Australian writer and poet who now lives in London. I was initially drawn in by her impeccable taste in books and her overall classically chic quality; her stunning platinum hair and cherry red-stained lips. I quickly discovered her writing, as she shares a lot of her poetry and other written work on her Instagram and blog, and I was eager to read more.

Amongst the beautiful selection of poems and extracts in this book, some of the pages are adorned with illustrations by Lydia Stone; skeletons and delicate ballerinas pirouetting across the page. There are also photographs by a number of photographers; Caroline Dare, Cheyenne Morschl-Villa, Francesca McConnell, Leche de Arte, Clara Slewa and Kyla Rain that compliment and enhance the imagery within the poems. 

One of the first poems that really stood out to me was The Art of Bone Carving. As a horror and Gothic literature fanatic, I loved the chilling language and dark imagery Dakota used. The lines 'you call it art and I'll call it murder', and 'promise me you can keep this secret forever.' reminded me of the characters, Henry and Camilla from Donna Tart's The Secret History, touching upon similar ideas of beauty in the insane, and the unsettling relationships that are portrayed in the book. Another possible reference I caught was from the opening line, 'I have washed my hands twelve times today but I still have blood dried under my fingernails from January.' reminding me of Lady Macbeth's infamous soliloquy when she says, 'Out, damned spot! [...] What, will these hands ne'er be clean?' I really loved Macbeth (another English literature gem from school), so anything mildly related to blood stains and murder immediately makes me think of Lady Macbeth. I know, from watching Dakota's YouTube videos, that she is also a Macbeth lover so I am going to assume I am not reaching completely when I make this connection. This poem as a whole is beautifully dark, Warren's ideas on love subtly intertwine in this ominous confession of murder.

My favourite piece from On Sun Swallowing is On Girlhood. Warren explores the romantic idea of girlhood and the plague that is a teenage girl's mind, with imagery of girlish innocence and Gothic metaphors. As we get older and escape the safety net of our teens it is almost ingrained in us to reflect on and obsess over the 'prime' years of girlhood that stick with you like a parasite. The line 'You're just a girl' recurs throughout the poem as a poignant reminder that society has deemed a young girl's feelings and hardships as insignificant, with emphasis on the just. One of my favourite lines reads, 'Girlhood is barefoot hot summer nights sticky-sweet with salted sweat, bruised shins and bony ankles and chipped cherry-red nail polish,' A perfect example of a romantic musing and idea of youth, with similar themes and imagery explored in Lana Del Rey's album Born to Die. This poem flows so beautifully, with bittersweet similes, and compelling alliteration.

Warren has a way with words that is reminiscent of the greats of the past. You can tell from her writing that she is extremely well read, in both classic and modern literature and poetry. Fans of Oscar Wilde, Edgar Allen Poe, Sylvia Plath and Mary Shelley will adore Dakota Warren.


Thank you for reading my little book review!

Love, Bella <3

Instagram: @venusincouture and @bellabbloss


Dakota Warren's links:

Instagram: @fairy_bl00d

Website/blog: www.dakotawarren.com (A link to purchase On Sun Swallowing is available on her website)

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