Sarah B. Royal’s poetry pulses with several interwoven themes that unsettle yet entertain in a reimagined landscape of identity and performance.

Surrealism and absurdity are key themes in her work. Her poetic style revels in surreal, dreamlike narratives where everyday elements, like macaroni or a coffee shop, are transformed into symbols loaded with unexpected meaning. This blend of the mundane with the fantastical creates an atmosphere of absurdity that both entertains and disorients while looking beyond the surface of conventional reality.

She often explores subversion of social conventions. There’s a transgressive streak in Royal’s work. She dismantles established social norms by recontextualizing familiar cultural references, mixing elements of historical narratives with modern, occasionally subversive, commentary. Her work critiques and destabilizes conventional power structures and cultural ethics, using satire to expose the contradictions inherent in these systems.

Historical recontextualization and intertextuality are also key themes for Royal draws deeply on historical and cultural references, reworking them in ways that reveal hidden or alternative narratives. By invoking figures like Newton alongside playful, ironic juxtapositions, she suggests that history is not a static record but a fluid, contested space open to reinterpretation. This encourages readers to question whose stories are told—and whose are suppressed.

Her work reflects performance and theatricality. There’s a distinct sense of theater in her verse. The language, cadence, and imagery evoke a stage where characters enact both tragedy and comedy. Royal’s poetry is crafted with the inherent vitality of a live performance, turning the act of reading into an experience that mirrors the dynamism and vulnerability of an actual stage show.

With social critique and alienation underneath the playful surface, her work frequently explores themes of isolation and loneliness. The tension between public performance and private solitude reflects modern society’s struggle with authenticity amid pervasive social expectations and judgments. This critique extends to a broader questioning of societal values and the mechanisms that define what is considered ‘normal.’

Each of these themes stands on its own and also interweaves with the others, creating a rich, layered tapestry that challenges conventional literary categories. Royal’s work operates at the intersection of art and activism, using a postmodern lens to decode and critique our cultural moment.

These themes might be particularly resonant if you’re exploring the evolution of identity politics or the impact of historical narrative on contemporary art—topics that are richly textured in the post‑2020 cultural landscape.