Against Breaking: On the Power of Poetry

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Against Breaking: On the Power of Poetry

Against Breaking

The 24th Poet Laureate of the United States, Ada Limón, reveals the extraordinary power of poetry—not simply as an art form, but as a source of healing, connection, courage, and collective transformation. In Against Breaking, Limón invites readers to rediscover poetry as a living force that helps us understand ourselves, each other, and the world we share.

A celebrated poet and 2023 MacArthur Fellow, Limón offers a deeply moving exploration of how poems can become places of comfort during difficult times and catalysts for change when we need them most. With her signature warmth and clarity, she shows that poetry is not reserved for experts or academics—it belongs to everyone. It is a language of emotion, memory, hope, and human connection.

In this concise yet powerful work, Limón shares her vision for making poetry more accessible and meaningful in everyday life. Honored as a 2024 TIME Woman of the Year for her efforts to bring poetry to wider audiences, she demonstrates how verse can help us embrace every part of our humanity: our vulnerability, resilience, uncertainty, compassion, and our enduring capacity to love.

Drawing from her experiences as the nation’s Poet Laureate, Limón explores the ways poetry creates bridges between people and deepens our relationship with the natural world. She reflects on her public poetry initiatives, including You Are Here, a project celebrating the beauty of the environment and humanity’s place within it. Through her words, nature becomes not just a backdrop but a reminder of our shared responsibility and connection.

Like her poems, Limón’s prose feels intimate and welcoming—a hand extended to readers from every background. She encourages us to slow down, pay attention, and recognize the extraordinary meaning hidden in ordinary moments.

For readers who admire the work of Robin Wall Kimmerer, Matthew Zapruder, and Jesmyn Ward, Against Breaking offers a profound meditation on resilience, belonging, and the power of language to bring us back to what matters most.

A moving reminder that poetry is not just something we read, but something we experience, carry, and use to navigate life, Against Breaking celebrates the qualities that make us human: our tenderness, our bravery, our imperfections, and our limitless capacity for love.