Analyzing Li Lee

Li- Young Lee’s Poetry


1. The poem I chose for this writing assignment is Li- Young Lee’s, Eating Together. Li- Young Lee was born in China but raised in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania after his family was exiled from China when he was about seven years old. Up until they were officially exiled, he and his family had to repeatedly flee persecution. In fact, in an interview Lee said, “I recall scenes of my childhood and youth in a kaleidoscope of dreams and nightmares.” In reading his poem, Eating Together, it seems as though his is in his own little dream world or is remembering a time in his past where there was peace in his world. It seems like this poem id the dream part of his “dreams and nightmares.” This is because during his childhood he was on the run, and in this poem, his family is peacefully enjoying each other’s company and enjoying good food. So I suppose his motivation for writing remembering times in his past and reflecting upon them.
2. It seems that the tone of this poem can be described as very serene. Everyone is relaxing and enjoying each other. Lee goes into detail about what they are doing and what food they’re eating. He describes each food and goes into detail about the foods. He also uses a simile when he says, “Then he lay down to sleep like a snow-covered road winding through pines older than him.” The theme for this poem would have to be enjoying peaceful times with your family and just to kick back and relax.
3. Another one of his poems I read was called, Nocturne. It seemed as though it was one big overall metaphor for something. Perhaps something that was bothering him. This is because he constantly talks about something screeching in the night, and he goes into detail about what it might be and what it sounds like. Maybe this goes back to his childhood and how he constantly had to flee persecution. I think this because in this poem he says, “Sometimes faint, far, then suddenly, close, just beyond the screened door, as if someone there squats in the dark honing his wares against my threshold.” This may be a metaphor for the thought of someone looking for him or just the thought that he has people looking for him.
4. I think what makes these two poems “American” is the fact that they don’t talk about any specific traditions that poetry and writings from other countries might have. Because as you know, America is like a melting pot of all cultures, so I would assume that American writing has a little bit of everything from every culture and part of the world. These two poems that I’ve read both contain no sign of a specific type of culture. When I read these poems I can see anyone from any race doing and think in the same things. Therefore, these writings are “American.”