In a world where emotional vulnerability is often concealed behind digital facades, Ashton Harper’s debut poetry collection Always Something Heartfelt emerges as a refreshing testament to raw human experience. This collection invites readers into the intimate chambers of the poet’s heart, where love, loss, growth, and self-discovery intertwine in verses that are both accessible and profound.
Harper doesn’t merely write about emotions—he inhabits them fully, allowing readers to experience the turbulence of unrequited love, the serenity of self-acceptance, and everything in between. Through five carefully structured parts, the collection traces a personal evolution that feels universal in its resonance.
Structure and Thematic Progression
Always Something Heartfelt is thoughtfully divided into five parts, each representing a distinct emotional landscape in the poet’s journey:
- Part IÂ introduces us to Harper’s worldview and philosophical musings about life, relationships, and social dynamics. Poems like “He Say, She Say, They Say” and “Blessed Perspective” establish Harper’s voice as one that questions conventional wisdom while seeking deeper truths.
- Part II delves into the complexities of connection and intimacy, with poems such as “Plutonic” and “Tamed” exploring the dissonance between desire and restraint. This section presents relationships in their embryonic form—full of potential but fraught with uncertainty.
- Part IIIÂ transitions into more introspective territory, with poems like “Dead Memories” and “I Got Lost” confronting personal loss and the struggle to maintain identity amidst life’s challenges.
- Part IVÂ represents a turning point, with poems such as “It Didn’t Work” and “Finally Done” acknowledging relationship endings while paving the way for new beginnings.
- Part VÂ completes the emotional arc with poems like “The Story Begins” and “The Rise,” celebrating newfound love and hope that feels earned after the preceding journey through heartbreak.
This deliberate progression transforms the collection from a simple assortment of poems into a cohesive narrative of emotional maturation.
Linguistic Style and Poetic Technique
Harper’s linguistic approach is distinctive in its blend of vernacular authenticity and poetic craftsmanship. He writes primarily in free verse, allowing his thoughts to flow organically without the constraints of rigid formal structures, yet there’s a musicality to his lines that reveals careful attention to rhythm and sound.
The poet employs several recurring techniques:
- Conversation as poetic device – Many poems adopt a dialogic structure, presenting multiple voices in conversation. In “He Say, She Say, They Say,” Harper writes:
“They say it’s hard to be in love.
I say love is what you make it.
They say you only get one,
maybe two true loves in your lifetime.
I say I have truly loved many,
and many have truly loved me.”
This technique creates a dynamic tension between societal expectations and personal truth. - Metaphorical landscapes – Harper frequently uses physical spaces to represent emotional states. In “This Body of Water,” the vastness of an ocean becomes a metaphor for inner peace:
“I have found stillness in the composure of this
massive body of water.” - Sensual imagery – The collection embraces the physical dimensions of love without apology. Poems like “Terrain” and “Intimate Daydreams” celebrate desire as an integral aspect of human connection, described with both tenderness and intensity.
- Rhythmic repetition – Harper effectively uses anaphora (repetition of a word or phrase at the beginning of successive clauses) to create emotional emphasis, as in “I Got Lost” where the repeated phrase “I got lost” underscores the speaker’s disorientation.
Emotional Authenticity and Vulnerability
What distinguishes Harper’s work is its emotional honesty. The poems refuse to simplify complex feelings or present idealized versions of relationships. Instead, they embrace the contradictions inherent in human connection.
In “Maybe I Never Loved Her,” the speaker oscillates between denial and affirmation of love, concluding:
“Of course, I loved her and I always knew she also
loved me.”
This ambivalence feels authentic to the actual experience of love, which is rarely as straightforward as cultural narratives suggest.
Similarly, in “Selfish,” Harper confronts the personal cost of prioritizing others’ dreams:
“I have spent my realities trapped in the dreams of others
Trying to make them come true.”
This acknowledgment of self-neglect represents a crucial step in the poet’s journey toward authentic self-expression.
Cultural Context and Universal Themes
While deeply personal, Harper’s poetry resonates with broader cultural currents. His exploration of modern relationships acknowledges how digital communication and changing social norms have complicated human connection. In “TV Failed Me,” he confronts the gap between media representations of relationships and lived reality:
“TV has truly failed me
I know those were scenes over an hour or 30 minutes
Multiple takes
Edited scripts.“
The collection also addresses themes of Black masculinity and identity, challenging stereotypical expectations while affirming emotional depth. In “You Are Out of Position Get Up,” Harper calls for community engagement and personal responsibility:
“This revolution you’re looking for, starts with you.
Get ya ass up!“
Comparative Literary Context
Harper’s work exists in conversation with contemporary poets who merge spoken word traditions with page poetry. His blend of vernacular expression and philosophical inquiry evokes the work of Terrance Hayes, while his candid exploration of intimacy recalls the vulnerability found in Danez Smith’s collections.
The musical quality of Harper’s verse also suggests the influence of hip-hop lyricism, with its emphasis on rhythm, wordplay, and cultural commentary. Like the best hip-hop artists, Harper understands that personal narrative becomes universal when expressed with honesty and craft.
Reader Experience and Impact
Reading Always Something Heartfelt feels like an intimate conversation with someone who has loved deeply, lost profoundly, and emerged with wisdom rather than bitterness. The collection offers multiple entry points for readers, whether they’re seeking validation for their own emotional experiences or perspective on relationships they haven’t yet encountered.
Harper’s most powerful gift is his ability to articulate feelings that many experience but struggle to name. In “Under Appreciation,” he captures the frustration of trying to meet contradictory expectations:
“I exercise patience and restraint
then I don’t care or I’m too nice.
>I get upset.
>I have a temper problem.
>I plead my case.
I’m combative and intolerable.“
These moments of recognition create a powerful connection between poet and reader, transforming individual experiences into shared understanding.
Final Assessment
Always Something Heartfelt delivers precisely what its title promises—a collection that approaches love with sincere emotion rather than cynical detachment. Harper’s debut demonstrates significant poetic talent while remaining refreshingly accessible.
The collection’s strengths lie in its emotional honesty, thematic coherence, and distinctive voice. While some poems might benefit from further refinement, the rawness of the expression often serves the content, reflecting the messy reality of emotional life.
For readers navigating their own complex relationships, Harper’s poetry offers both companionship and perspective. It reminds us that heartbreak and joy are not opposing experiences but interconnected aspects of a fully lived emotional life.
In our era of curated social media presentations and superficial connections, Always Something Heartfelt stands as an invitation to embrace the full spectrum of human feeling—to acknowledge both the pain and beauty inherent in opening ourselves to others. As Harper writes in “The Rise,” the collection’s final poem: “the world is a different place when you have found love.“ This sentiment encapsulates the transformative journey that the collection both describes and enacts.
Recommended For
- Poetry lovers who appreciate emotional authenticity over technical complexity
- Readers navigating relationship transitions who seek reflection and perspective
- Fans of contemporary spoken word poetry and its page adaptations
- Anyone seeking affirmation that the complexities of love are universal human experiences
Always Something Heartfelt establishes Ashton Harper as a poetic voice of genuine promise—one that speaks to contemporary emotional experiences with clarity, compassion, and hard-earned wisdom.
