Poetry is usually associated with long lines of complicated verse, arranged into difficult-to-read stanzas. It is an intricate craft that requires the poet to write, re-write and re-re-write in order to produce an elusive meaning.

However, things are changing. Amanda Lovelace’s new poetry book, break your glass slippers, turns these associations upside down, showing how sometimes, simplicity is key. break your glass slippers takes experiences almost every woman goes through and shows them through the prism of a fairytale.

Lovelace is a bestselling and award-winning poet, best-known for the princess saves herself in this one. break your glass slippers is the first installment in her new series you are your own fairytale, which focuses on female empowerment and self-love. Opening the book, one finds this note: “in this fairy tale, the princess doesn’t recklessly leave behind a glass slipper for the not-so-charming prince. in this fairy tale, the princess takes a hammer to them, shattering both to pieces.”

Everyone is familiar with the story of Cinderella: an ordinary girl turns into a beautiful princess with the spin of a magic wand, making the prince fall in love with her. Lovelace’s poetry takes a different stance. It is not important for the girl to be beautiful to make the prince fall in love with her. It is not important for the girl to make the prince fall in love with her. It is not important for the girl to do anything at all. break your glass slippers is a collection of poetry that is about the reclamation of oneself — physical and emotional.

In Lovelace’s poetry, less is more. Although Instapoetry has been harshly criticized for the way its simplicity and straightforward meaning is “destroying the art of poetry,” Lovelace’s poems need this simplicity to be effective. Sometimes, there is no other way to spread the truth and empower. Be it the affirmations of the fairy godmother or the heroine’s own thoughts, each poem reveals little truths to the reader. “You, my dear, rule yourself,” says the fairy godmother. Her words act as a positive echo to every situation that occurs to the heroine.

The poems are small and quick-to-read. Certainly, one should not expect to find complicated lines of verse in break your glass slippers. However, this does not make the experience of reading the collection less immersive. Perhaps, the ease with which one can consume each poem is what makes Lovelace’s poetry so striking. One does not need to look deep to find the meaning — and the fact that each poem takes seconds to read and re-read allows one to precisely capture what each poem is about.

The collection is not exactly about showcasing the mastery of traditional poetry. Its messages and little truths are what make it a fantastic work — although, its meanings may get too repetitive at times. Nevertheless, this does make it a work that one can read, consider and come back to it after a while. Like all poetry, break your glass slippers requires time, but this is what makes it so pleasant to immerse oneself into.