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Violet Bent Backwards Over the Grass: Connecting Elements in Lana del Rey's
Poetry

Thesis · November 2021

DOI: 10.13140/RG.2.2.28001.84328

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Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg
Department of English and American Studies
Sommersemester 2021
M. Sarikaya and Prof. M. Pincombe

Violet Bent Backwards Over the Grass

Connecting Elements in Lana del Rey’s Poetry

Moritz Tauer

moritz.tauer@gmx.de

15.09.2021
Table of Contents II

Table of Contents
1 INTRODUCTION ...................................................................................................................................... 3

2 DEPENDENCE .......................................................................................................................................... 4

3 PARALYSIS AND THE POET’S IDENTITY .................................................................................................... 7

3.1 PARALYSIS ................................................................................................................................................. 7

3.2 BEING A POET ............................................................................................................................................ 8

4 MELANCHOLY ....................................................................................................................................... 10

5 CONCLUSION ........................................................................................................................................ 13

6 LITERATURVERZEICHNIS ....................................................................................................................... 15
 3

1 Introduction

In 2020, Lana Del Rey published her first collection of poems, Violet Bent Backwards over the
Grass. The pop-singer, well known through her albums Born to Die, Ultraviolence and
Honeymoon, now brings her art into a new perspective. The interference and interweaving of
song lyrics and poetry is accepted and relevant in literary studies, even though their
examination may be insufficient1. Consequently, the connection of Del Rey’s poetry and her
music is one which must not be forgotten when talking about her work. In this paper I will try
to decode and define the lyrical I and the speaker in her poetry. The interdependence of
person and persona in her music was examined2, but it would be wrong to transfer this
interdependence onto her poetry.

The 35 poems, including 10 Haikus, show a commonness of first-person pronouns and

self-reference. To gain insight into the traits of the lyrical I and the potential to find connecting
elements, I will analyse reoccurring patterns and features which connect the poems and form
the identity of the collection of poetry. This paper is divided into certain segments, which are
not cohesive, but help to get an overview and the essence of the connecting character traits
and will analyse their continuity. In this analysis, the haikus are not taken into account. Even
though the examined motifs are relevant for them as well, haikus deserve a more detailed
inspection due to their special structure which is different from the other poems that can not
be assigned to a certain form of poetry.

All page references refer to the original version of Violet Bent Backwards Over the
Grass3, all line references refer to the previously mentioned poem.

1
von Ammon, Frieder, und Dirk von Petersdorff. 2019. „Einleitung.“ In Songtexte als Gegenstand der
Literaturwissenschaft, von Frieder von Ammon und Dirk von Petersdorff, 7-9. Göttingen: Wallstein
Verlag. p. 7-9.
2
Blackburn, Anton. 2020. „Voices That Matter: Authenticity, Identity, and Voice in the Musical Career
of Lana Del Rey.“ Nota Bene: Canadian Undergraduate Journal of Musicology 13 (1): 84-114. p. 96f.
3
Del Rey, Lana. 2020. Violet Bent Backwards Over the Grass. London: Simon & Schuster.
 4

2 Dependence

The stage name Lana Del Rey reveals the importance of dependence and why it deserves a
place in her work. According to Alana Massey, it can be translated to Child of the king4, using
the Gaelic translation of Lana as well as the Spanish translation of Del Rey. Massey concludes
that she defines herself as a woman who “comes from […] a place of male power”5. The name
suggests that she sees herself as a person who does not stand alone, who is dependent on
another, suggestively male, authority. In her poem happy (p. 68), the lyrical I describes the
love to a man and how it is substantial for her happiness, rather than her financial freedom.
The style of the poem is partially reminiscent of the style of a hymn, the inamorato is
addressed and praised directly but an answer is not expected. Consequential, a power
imbalance between the addresser and the addressee is created. The lyrical I describes the
actions of the addressee, and how much he or she loved them. It is remarkable that the
addressee is always the active participant – the lyrical I the passive participant. All actions
which are described as desirable are proactive from the addressee (“you visited me” l. 7, “you
took me in your arms” l. 13, “you put me to bed” l. 17, “you call” l. 37, “you were here lying
next to me” l. 40) and therefore the lyrical I becomes objectified and only capable of certain
actions which are made possible by the mightier addressee. This impression is intensified by
virtue of the seeming meaninglessness of the actions of the lyrical I. It mentions its financial
richness and its incommensurability with the richness created by the beloved addressee who
is crucial for her happiness (“people think I am rich and I am but not how they think” l. 19).

Undeniably, love is an important motif in this poem. The intense desire for the
addressed instance is reasoned in love, clarified by one of the two important passages where
the plural of the first person is used: “the last time we made love” (l. 7). The construal and the
merging of sexual intercourse with loving lays the foundation for the interpretation of a
romantic relationship and therefore the foundation for dependence. Dependence is defined
as “the state of needing the help and support of somebody/something in order to survive or
be successful“6. In happy (p. 68), the lyrical I describes the requirement of the inamorato to

4
Massey, Alana. 2017. All the Lives I Want: Essays About My Best Friends Who Happen to Be Famous
Strangers. New York: Grand Central Publishing. p. 57.
5
Ibd.
6
n.d. Oxford Learner's Dictionaries. Accessed September 13, 2021.
https://www.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com/definition/english/dependence.
 5

be happy. Besides the need, the power imbalance by objectification is pivotal for considering
the poem not only about love, but also about dependence.

In the poem ringtone (p. 74), this dependence is illustrated more visually. The lyrical I
owns a phone whose number is only available for the addressee. It depicts the positive
feelings when it rings but also the negative ones when it doesn’t (“but it makes me so nervous
when you don’t call” l. 9). The constant and voluntary reachability and the desire for the
feeling to be needed limns the construct of dependence which shapes the poem. In the
following lines, the lyrical I asks the inamorato “to be soft” (l. 12), giving the power to decide
about the relationship to the addressee freely. Another crucial point and difference to love
when it comes to dependence, is reliance even when it is not wanted. In In the flats of Melrose
(p. 76) exactly this issue is put into words as well as the resultant suffering of the lyrical I, who
craves to be free of this dependence to realize a real relationship to the addressee: “What will
it take for me not to need you / so I can just have you for fun / and for who you really are” (l.
4-7).

This kind of subordinate dependence has been relevant in Lana Del Rey’s song lyrics as
well. In a discussion on the song Shades of Cool7, Adhitya and Lasari describe the following:

The female speaker is subordinated by her man, in terms of being objectified. As

an object, her feeling and opinion are disregarded for the sake of his ego. […]
Contrary wise, […] these […] characteristics are what appeal and attract the female
speaker to the man. She fully realizes that she is merely one of his many
possessions, thus she does not demand to be his priority.8

Although the power imbalance in the poems is rarely explicitly female/male, but definitely
implicitly, and not as plainly as in the song, the pattern of dependence is very similar, called
subordination by Adhitya and Lasari. In the discussed poem ringtone (p. 74), the
matchableness with this statement is noticeable, the lyrical I being dependent on the
addressee and his actions, like a possession. However, to perceive only this subordinate
dependence in the book is insufficient, considering the impact made by some other poems.
The poem What happened when I left you (p. 14) seems to portray the outbreak of this
dependency and its favourable consequences. The lyrical I celebrates the absence of the

7
Song in her second album, released 2014.
8
Adhitya, Galant Nanta, and Nadia Lasari. 2019. “Desiring Domination: A Postfeminist Study On The
Lyrics Of Lana Del Rey's Ultraviolence Album.” Journal of Transnational American Studies, February:
34-47. p. 40.
 6

addressee: “My life is sweet like lemonade now there’s no bitter fruit 🍉” (l. 8), the emoji of
the watermelon appealing contrary as it is a very sweet fruit. Even though it seems like this
poem would break with the concept of dependence the line “no thought of you” (l. 10) leaves
room for a different interpretation. The mentioning of the addressee proves the opposite,
that the lyrical I still has the addressee in mind, even when it argues again “now I’m over u”
(l. 13). Although the number of second person pronouns is recognizable fewer, they still
appear in combination with growing first person pronouns. Thus, with growing independence
the addressee still exists and the poem is still directed towards him. In this poem the lyrical I
finds the independence in dependence; because even its independence is defined by an
existence without the addressee; the addressee is crucial for this state. This issue is decisive
for the differentiation between Adhitya’s and Lasari’s concept of subordination and the
concept of dependence which shapes Lana Del Rey’s book.

Lastly, the only longer poem without a second person pronoun is the first one, Violet
Bent Backwards Over the Grass (p. 10), which is also the eponym of the book, therefore it
takes a prominent stance. In the poem the lyrical I describes how it learns to let go by watching
a small girl collecting dandelions. Although another person is introduced, this poem is the only
one which seems to be self-centred. The addressee is not present, thus the message gains
more significance in comparison to the other poems. The synthesis in the couplet at the end
(l. 19-20: “and in that moment / i decided to do nothing about everything”), followed by
“forever” (l. 21) after many empty lines, not only leads into a self-chosen paralysis, but also in
a devotion to the dependency which seemed to be a subordination. This statement with its
exposed placing at the beginning of the book helps to conceive the construct of dependence
as natural. The lyrical I agrees knowingly to this dependence, but not necessarily voluntarily.
The first poem seems to be the last which is free of dependence and without the presence of
an authority which constrains and steers the actions of the lyrical I.
 7

3 Paralysis and the Poet’s Identity

3.1 Paralysis

According to Mooney, Del Rey’s music “refuses the normative expectations of the
‘empowered’ can-do girl”9. Mooney argues that Del Rey can be classified as a “Sad Girl”, who
opposes to the idea that feminism glorifies the life of women and uses their sadness to protest
and show the struggles of women unadorned10. The refuse of the empowered can-do girl
results in a voice which is not able to act – a can’t do girl. To name this inability to act and the
portrayed feeling of paralysis is a re-occurring image in several poems.

In the previous chapter, the poem Violet Bent Backwards Over the Grass (p. 10) and its
exposed placing in the book was discussed in more detail. It introduces not only the
dependence which is relevant throughout the book but also the concept of paralysis. The
lyrical I decides purposely “to do nothing about everything / forever” (l. 20-21). It chooses to
give in to a self-chosen paralysis, contrastive to the first stanza in which the lyrical I struggles
with decisions (“each option weighed quietly / a plan for each thought” l. 7-8). The option of
paralysis seems more attractive than the option of deciding everything, creating a feeling of
overcoming of the lyrical I. In the prose-like poem SportCruiser (p. 50), the lyrical I, who has a
big resemblance with the author, pointing out Lana Del Rey’s real name Elizabeth Grant,
describes the journey how it tries to disembarrass itself of the paralysis, created by the
absence of the addressee (“[…] I thought something has to change / it can’t always be about
waiting for you” l. 19-20). After trying flying and sailing, the lyrical I realises that it isn’t able
to trust itself (l. 80), which is supported by a thought that trusting oneself isn’t the thing that
writers do (l. 84-85). Realising that, the lyrical I sees its fulfilment in being a writer and begins
to grow trust in itself (l. 102-115). In the poem, the lyrical I finds itself blocked, and tries to
end this blocking by trying activities outside its comfort zone, but after this journey it realises
that it functions best in its comfort zone. It tries to end the paralysis by activating itself but
experiences the most pleasure in staying in this paralysis and living it through being the framer
(“I write / I write.” l. 114-115) of the paralysis. Revisiting Mooney’s argumentation, the

9
Mooney, Heather. 2018. „Sad Girls and Carefree Black Girls.“ Women's Studies Quaterly, 175-194. p.
178.
10
Ibd.
 8

argumentation strategy is very similar in these two poems as it is in Lana Del Rey’s songs.
Klemm and Söffner argue, that Lana del Rey’s „Selbstinszenierung […] ein vollkommen
dezentriertes, im Modus des Zitats – und nicht der Selbstpräsenz – lebendes Subjekt; und eine
Welt, die sich eigenmächtig verschlossen hat [zeigt]“11. This thesis can be retrieved in the two
poems analysed in this chapter so far, seeing the lyrical I as the subject who is confronted with
the reticence of the world it experiences. But including it to the concept of paralysis, adds an
important layer to its definition, making the lyrical I not exclusively responsible for the
paralysis but viewing it as an actor between itself and the reticence of the world.

In Thanks to the Locals, the lyrical I tells the story of how it fled from its lover and
endured the heartbreak, even though “it would’ve been easier to stay” (l. 86). The lyrical I
struggles repetitively with its decision, not knowing if it is able to resist the easier way. The
paralysis does not materialise in the inability to act but in the inability to decide how to act,
which is similar to the situation in SportCruiser (p. 50) – in Thanks to the Locals (p. 78) the
lyrical I overcomes this state and decides how to act, in SportCruiser (p. 50) it overcomes this
situation by finding its identity in forming the paralysis as framer. The identity as framer or
rather writer is a reoccurring pattern. In My bedroom is a sacred place now – There are
children at the foot of my bed (p. 60) the emancipation of the state of paralysis is also realised
in being a poet: “the / more / i step into being a poet / the less i will fall into / bed / with /
you.” (l. 50-56).

3.2 Being a Poet

The paralysis created in Violet Bent Backwards Over the Grass (p. 10) is therefore
handled by using it to be what the lyrical I desires to be: a poet. Being a poet and its
requirements are poetologically discussed in several poems. In Salamander (p. 89) the lyrical
I describes the importance of this identity, the same lines are repeated two pages further:

I love u

But you don’t understand me

11
Klemm, Tanja, and Jan Söffner. 2015. “Lana Del Rey und die Melancholietradition.” In Sind alle
Denker traurig? Fallstudien zum melancholischen Grund des Schöpferischen Asien und Europa, by
Günter Blamberger, Sidonie Kellerer, Tanja Klemm and Jan Söffner, 9-24. Paderborn: Wilhelm Fink. p.
16.
 9

You see I’m a real poet

My life is my poetry

my lovemaking is my legacy (l. 13-17)

The lyrical I feels misunderstood (“i wish you could get that” l. 21) and the need to clarify that
it is a real poet. This justification indicates the importance of this issue, which is repeated in
more poems. Furthermore, Del Rey herself points out that an important message of this poem
is that she wants her “poems to be something that [she] forget[s] about and then
remember[s] again casually or papers that [her] husband finds under the table”12. Poetry and
being a poet are therefore weighty motifs in Lana Del Rey’s poetry. In addition, the one-liner
poem I’m writing my future (p. 83) symbolizes the significance of regaining control over life
using the power of writing. Thus, being a poet means both regaining control over paralysis
and giving creative identity the possibility to evolve. In the poem [You can have a life beyond
your wildest dreams] (p. 92) the lyrical I suggests to “change everything” (l. 2-5). The pivotal
line in this poem is repeated four times, first, in the common font, then three times by hand
in different colours. Even though the process of writing is not mentioned explicitly, the actual
use of handwriting can be seen as manifestation of the strong connection between writing
and influencing one’s own life. Lana del Rey applies this concept to herself, creating a strong
bond between her and the lyrical I as she calls her poetry a “diary”13.

This thesis is also supported by the last line in the Del Rey’s book which says “notes for
a poet” (p. 117), introducing some blank pages. It’s debatable if it can be seen as a poem and
part of the book but nevertheless it reveals more about the concept of poet Del Rey
introduces. By leaving the reader space and marking this space for a poet, the readers
themselves is designated a poet, unattached what or if the reader writes in the book. The
concept of being a poet is therefore not exclusive. The inclusivity is shaped by the fallibility of
the idea of being a poet: As the lyrical I tells us in Thanks to the Locals (p. 78), it doesn’t “have
a pretty couplet to give resolution to this poem” (l. 83). The openness about imperfection of

12
Del Rey, Lana. 2020. Lana Del Rey Gave Us a Preview Of Her New Poetry Book. 25 September.
Accessed September 15, 2021. https://www.vogue.com/article/lana-del-rey-poetry-violet-bent-over-the-
grass.
13
Del Rey, Lana. 2020. Who is Lana Del Rey? 8 September. Accessed September 16, 2021.
https://www.interviewmagazine.com/music/who-is-lana-del-rey-jack-antonoff-september-poetry-cover.
 10

being a poet is strongly connected with not only the inclusivity but also with the proximity to
manage one’s own life as the author. Paralysis and being a poet are two motifs which are
closely linked, forming challenge and answer. Throughout the book it becomes clear, that
poetry constitutes the salvation for the lyrical I and the poetical identity forms a crucial part
of being.

4 Melancholy

The term melancholy is frequently used when describing Lana Del Rey’s music. Migowski
describes it as “so camp, so agitating at times, so relatable and so painful in its unhealthy
obsession with money, men and melancholy“14 and Tariq says “Del Rey’s music embodies
melancholy, daddy issues, heartbreak”15. Melancholy is not only connected with Del Rey’s
music but also with her persona thus different melancholic features have found their way into
her poetry. To define melancholy, Ferber refers to Freud and his differentiation:

Both Freud’s mourner and melancholic begin with a basic denial of their loss and
an unwillingness to recognize it. But soon enough, the mourner, who is reacting in
a non-pathological manner, recognizes and responds to the call of reality, to let go
of the lost-loved object and liberate libidinal desire. This is the point of divergence
with the melancholic who remains sunken in his loss, unable to acknowledge and
accept the need to cleave and in a self-destructive loyalty to the lost object,
internalizes it into his ego, thus furthermore circumscribing the conflict related to
the loss. The lost object continues to exist, but as part of the dejected subject, who
can no longer clearly define the borders between his own subjectivity and the
existence of the lost object within it.16

In the poem LA Who am I to Love You? (p. 16) the lyrical I invocates the city Los Angeles,
called LA, and begs to come back home after leaving LA and moving to San Francisco for
unrequited love (“I picked San Francisco because the man who doesn’t love me / lives there”
l. 25-26). Various places in Los Angeles are listed, among others the restaurant Delilah, the
workplace of the lyrical I’s ex-husband (l. 33-34), and the Hancock Park. Even though Los
Angeles is portrayed as a place of longing for the lyrical I, it is not glorified. Contrarywise, the
lyrical I justifies the longing with the common features of itself and the city (“I’m pathetic /

14
Migowski, Max. 2019. How the World Took Lana Del Rey's Sadness out of Context. 5 September.
Accessed September 16, 2021. https://indie-mag.com/2019/09/lana-del-rey/.
15
Tariq, Muhammad. n. d. Lana Del Rey is the epitome of a ‘sad girl’. Accessed September 16, 2021.
https://theaggie.org/2020/11/30/lana-del-rey-is-the-epitome-of-a-sad-girl/.
16
Ferber, Ilit. 2006. „Melancholy Philosophy: Freud and Benjamin.“ E-rea. Revue Électronique D'études
sur le Monde Anglophone, 15. June: 10.
 11

but so are you” l. 28-29). The city is personified and is superior to the lyrical I which is already
recognisable in the title LA Who am I to love you?. Subsequently, the lyrical I begins to beg the
city to let it back home, because LA is the city where the lyrical I feels welcomed with its
emotional instability and its paralysis:

There’s only one place for me

The city not quite awake
The city not quite asleep

The city that’s something else- something in between

The city that’s still deciding
How good it should be (l. 68-73)

Furthermore, the lyrical I repeatedly emphasizes its love and that it is undeserving but still
does not want to be rejected by the city. It subjects the city, offering to be whatever it wants:
“I promise you’ll barely even notice me / […] / unless you prefer a rambunctious child / in
which case I can turn it on too!” (l. 120-123). The poem ends with “sincerely your daughter /
regardless / you’re mine.” (l. 131-133), the lyrical I designating itself as “daughter” of the city.
The desperate longing for an answer from the city which the lyrical I has lost as a result of
wrong decisions, matches the concept of melancholy. Los Angeles is a symbolic variable for
the lost object the lyrical I is in need of, considering the personification of the city. The lyrical
I wants to be the city’s “Girlfriend, lover, mother, friend” (l. 114), which can lead to the
interpretation of Los Angeles being a romantic relationship the lyrical I exited for another man.
Moreover, the lyrical I is constantly regretting its choices and mortifies itself repeatedly to
show that it is regretful and staying, characteristic for the melancholic, in its phase of self-
destruction.

This melancholic feature can be found in several more poems. In [i measure time by
the days i’ve spent away from you] (p. 22) the lyrical I uses the dependence on the addressee
to align its time to the absence of the addressee, not accepting the situation. In Never to
Heaven (p. 35) the lyrical I is “sometimes afraid [its] sadness is too big” (l. 32), although the
poem itself depicts how the lyrical I managed to let go of worries and is looking forward to
building a new life (l. 47). It shows the omnipresence of sadness, even though the reason stays
hidden. Similar things happen in Bare feet on linoleum (p. 12): “Leave me in peace I cry / late
at night on a slow boat bound for Catalina for no reason” (l. 9-10). It is not clear if the boat is
 12

travelling to Catalina or the lyrical I cries for no reason, nevertheless the cause for its crying is
hidden again. The lyrical I repeatedly and in numerous poems finds itself in a place of sadness,
without mentioning the causing. Taking Ferber’s description of melancholy, one could argue
that the lyrical I is in a in deep mourning without taking the initiative to free itself and is
therefore melancholic. In the first chapter, the poem happy (p. 68) was discussed in more
detail. Viewing it in a different angle, addressing melancholy, the use of the past in the last
couplet (“we were just / happy” l. 46-47) remarks that the happiness is bygone which indicates
the loss of an important thing in its life, which it hasn’t overcome.

Why does Del Rey use melancholy so often in not only her songs, but also in her
poetry? Melancholy is, as already shown, different from mourning. Brady and Haapala speak
of an “Aesthetic Emotion”:

With melancholy, the displeasurable or negative aspects lie in feelings of loneliness,

emptiness, sadness from loss, and the fear or dread that sometimes accompanies
longing. The pleasurable aspect comes primarily through reflection, when we dwell
on happy memories or fashion elaborate fantasies. Here melancholy is intentionally
sought out by finding solitude in order to deepen the reflection and in turn prolong
the pleasure. While the sublime seems to begin in displeasure and end in pleasure,
melancholy's negative and positive aspects alternate unpredictably. The enjoyment
of a pleasurable narrative may give way to the sudden pain of desperate loneliness
or unbearable longing. We might then seek to keep the pain at bay by returning to
the sweetness of particular memories.17

It would be too short-sighted to say that the poems in Violet Bent Backwards over the Grass
are sad or mournful poems. The arousing of melancholy adds a layer of positive nostalgia in
which the lyrical I finds its joy. As discussed, the lyrical I monologues in LA Who am I to love
you? (p. 16) about how it felt loved and at home when it was part of the city. Similar patterns
occur in happy, as it is talked about a time of romantic fulfilment.

In In the hills of Benedict Canyon (p. 65), the lyrical I is losing itself in its thoughts at
twilight. It finds itself in a moment of peace for the first time after some months (l. 15) and
has “no reason for tears” (l. 13). Continuing its inner monologue, the lyrical I reflects what it
has left behind (l. 19-24). According to Brady an Haapala, melancholy “seems to grow out of
reflection or contemplation, so that melancholy is typically caused by particular memories or

17
Brady, Emily, and Arto Haapala. n.d. Melancholy as an Aesthetic Emotion. Contemporary Aesthetics.
Accessed September 16, 2021.
https://contempaesthetics.org/newvolume/pages/article.php?articleID=214.
 13

thoughts”18. In this poem, the positive aspects of melancholy, the revisiting of memories, is
intensified, climaxing in the last two lines: “and reaching for the phone / to call an old friend”
(l. 31-32). The lyrical I tries to relive and remember its past on the one hand while enjoying
the state of looking back on these memories by connecting with a companion on the other
hand.

Melancholy and the strong connected feeling of nostalgia shape the identity of Lana
Del Rey. Liedke writes, she and her music helps „ein anhaltendes Begehren nach einer
vergangenen Zeit auszudrücken, ein Verlangen, das kurzzeitig gestillt für Glücksgefühle sorgen
kann, und dann schnell durch ein neues Begehren ersetzt wird“19, which is relevant for her
poetry as well, according to the motif of melancholy. By weaving the „mixture of pleasure and
pain in melancholy”20 in her oeuvre, Del Rey manages to give rise to melancholy in its entirety
as an aesthetic emotion.

5 Conclusion

Dependence, paralysis, being a poet and melancholy are motifs which are to be found in
nearly every poem in Del Rey’s book Violet Bent backwards over the Grass. A reason for this
continuity is the commensurableness and semblance of the lyrical I. Reading the different
poems Del Rey plays with her identity and persona she created as a pop musician,
incorporating it in the instances which speak in her poems. Due to the existence of a lyrical I
with similar emotions and struggles in the poems, a feeling of coherency in identity is evoked
and lets the book shine as a complete artwork.

The concepts outlined in this paper are strongly interweaved and therefore overlap in
their argumentation. Nevertheless, every term could be substantiated sufficiently and
remarked in several poems. The continuous presence of an addressee and inamorato which
is supported by a certain subordination to a lyrical You which makes the lyrical I dependent
shapes the poems and seems to be not only an intense topic but also strong motivator for the
poems. The paralysis which is introduced in the first poem describes the ongoing struggle of

18
Ibd.
19
Liedke, Heidi. 2016. „Lana del Rey:Der fahrige Narco Swing einer faulen Frau.“ Muße. Ein Magazin.,
2. Jhg.: 41-44. p. 42.
20
(Brady and Haapala n.d.)
 14

the lyrical I which tries to get out of its inability to act while feeling comfortable in the
melancholic state. It is debatable whether the term paralysis conceptualizes the motif in its
entirety, further research and a perspective beyond the poems would be necessary to
complete this analysis. The poetological identity and its meaning are pictured as release for
the lyrical I, finally giving it the chance to be the authority in its own life. In this matter, further
investigation in respect to author-oriented approaches can be helpful to connect Del Rey’s
vision of being a poet with its meaning for the lyrical I in the poems. Finally, melancholy as an
aesthetic emotion is extremely relevant throughout the book. Besides its discussed relevance
in the poems, the connected feeling of nostalgia is supported by different old-fashioned
photographs between the poems. Melancholy and (iconoclastic) nostalgia are frequent in
Lana Del Rey’s work21, including her poetry.

As mentioned in the introduction, the discussed patterns are not cohesive or covering.
Further examination is important, taking a feminist approach to supposedly female and male
power balances in the poems, debating the concept of dependence in a gender perspective.
Also, relations to her music and an inclusion of the audiobook can be helpful in further
analysis, even though the author consciously worked without them, letting the book speak for
itself.

A thing perfect and ready to become a part of the texture of

the fabric of Something more ethereal
like Mount Olympus
where Zeus and Athena and the rest of the immortals play22

21
Fetveit, Arild. 2015. “Death, beauty, and iconoclastic nostalgia: Precarious aesthetics and Lana Del
Rey.” NECSUS. European Journal of Media Studies, 187-207.
22
Del Rey, Violet Bent Backwards Over the Grass 2020, p. 90.
 15

6 Bibliography
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On The Lyrics Of Lana Del Rey's Ultraviolence Album.” Journal of Transnational
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Blackburn, Anton. 2020. „Voices That Matter: Authenticity, Identity, and Voice in the Musical
Career of Lana Del Rey.“ Nota Bene: Canadian Undergraduate Journal of Musicology
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Brady, Emily, and Arto Haapala. n.d. Melancholy as an Aesthetic Emotion. Contemporary
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Del Rey, Lana. 2020. Lana Del Rey Gave Us a Preview Of Her New Poetry Book. 25
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—. 2020. Violet Bent Backwards Over the Grass. London: Simon & Schuster.

—. 2020. Who is Lana Del Rey? 8 September. Accessed September 16, 2021.
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Ferber, Ilit. 2006. „Melancholy Philosophy: Freud and Benjamin.“ E-rea. Revue Électronique
D'études sur le Monde Anglophone, 15. June: 10.

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Lana Del Rey.” NECSUS. European Journal of Media Studies, 187-207.

Klemm, Tanja, and Jan Söffner. 2015. “Lana Del Rey und die Melancholietradition.” In Sind
alle Denker traurig? Fallstudien zum melancholischen Grund des Schöpferischen
Asien und Europa, by Günter Blamberger, Sidonie Kellerer, Tanja Klemm and Jan
Söffner, 9-24. Paderborn: Wilhelm Fink.

Liedke, Heidi. 2016. „Lana del Rey:Der fahrige Narco Swing einer faulen Frau.“ Muße. Ein
Magazin., 2. Jhg.: 41-44.
 16

Massey, Alana. 2017. All the Lives I Want: Essays About My Best Friends Who Happen to Be
Famous Strangers. New York: Grand Central Publishing.

Migowski, Max. 2019. How the World Took Lana Del Rey's Sadness out of Context. 5
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Mooney, Heather. 2018. „Sad Girls and Carefree Black Girls.“ Women's Studies Quaterly, 175-
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von Ammon, Frieder, und Dirk von Petersdorff. 2019. „Einleitung.“ In Songtexte als
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