Hannah's blog

For me, 'Lyrically Justified' encapsulates a new and exciting movement in poetry. This collection of poems, lyrics and urban rhyme grants literary space to marginalised perspectives and voices, exploring raw themes that traditional poetry sometimes cannot do justice. With lines such as 'Great Britain, What's great about a country that is broke' (page 140), the stark reality of these poems force the reader to actually face the problems addressed within the UK and beyond. In that sense, beyond everything 'Lyrically Justified' is extremely eye-opening. Many topics are covered, from addiction to migration, from consumerism to war. However, despite the disparity of subjects, the collection feels distinctly inclusive. Each piece is written in a completely different style to the next, yet when reading them as a whole a collective sense of anger and frustration is conveyed, in which this new wave of poetry is perfect in capturing. Although the collection is free from swearing, the colloquial use of urban slang, repetition and references to modern entities provides the collection with a certain rawness. Paired with poetical prowess, these young artists, poets, singers and writers prove that they are 'lyrically justified when (they) stand up and say what's right'.