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A little learning poem analysis
First poem for you analysis
First poem for you analysis
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The Poetry of Li-Young Lee
Many have enjoyed the poetry of Li-Young Lee and his books of poetry have won many awards. So what makes his poetry so different? What makes his poetry so unique? Lees' definition of poetry would be that poetry is the inner voice written on paper. It is all ones experiences, memories and inner thoughts that make us individuals and interesting to one another and by writing them down for others to experience, is poetry. Lees' poetry takes on its own unique style as most poetry does for each individual poet. This overall style is the due to the combination of subject, tone and texture in Lees' poetry.
The subject in lees' poetry is based on his relationships with the people in his life, mainly his father.
Sometimes people need to hang on to difficult memories because without them they would feel lost. In short, it is better to feel pain than nothing at all. Memories are made up of the highest and lowest points in your life and all the little ones in between. The poet, Li Young Lee writes, “even when it’s painful, memory is sweet.” Even with the good and bad memories, the feeling of belonging overcomes the sense of being lost.
Li-Young Lee is a brilliant contemporary poet who used his figurative language skills to write about a complex relationship between father and son. In the poem, A Story, Lee utilizes his abilities of emotional appeal and literary devices to depict a loving father who reads stories to his five year old son; fearing that one day, his son will tire of him and leave. Lee was able to use strategic literary devices such as point of view, structure, and imagery to convey the complexity of the father and son relationship.
A parent may want to understand their child and connect to them, but they may not know how to do it. In Li-Young Lee’s poem “A Story”, the literary devices point of view, metaphors, and the structure of the poem are used to portray the complex relationship of the father and child and their inability to be able to connect with one another despite their wishes to do so.
There are different types of parent and child relationships. There are relationships based on structure, rules, and family hierarchy. While others are based on understanding, communication, trust, and support. Both may be full of love and good intentions but, it is unmistakable to see the impact each distinct relationship plays in the transformation of a person. In Chang’s story, “The Unforgetting”, and Lagerkvist’s story, “Father and I”, two different father and son relationships are portrayed. “The Unforgetting” interprets Ming and Charles Hwangs’ exchange as very apathetic, detached, and a disinterested. In contrast, the relationship illustrated in the “Father and I” is one of trust, guidance, and security. In comparing and contrasting the two stories, there are distinct differences as well as similarities of their portrayal of a father and son relationship in addition to a tie that influences a child’s rebellion or path in life.
In the poem "A Song of Changgan", It establishes with the speaker not wanting to be with her husband "And I lowered my head toward a dark corner; And would not turn to your thousand calls;" However, as she turns fifteen she considers that she has no other choice and grasps the fact that she loves him. "But at fifteen, I straightened my brows and laughed, Learning that no dust could ever seal our love, That even unto death I would await you by my post; And would never lose heart in the tower of silent watching." When the speaker turns sixteen, her husband sets off on a lengthy journey which made her worried as he hasn't come home for a while. "Your footprints by our door, where I had watched you go, Were hidden, every one of them, under green moss, Hidden under moss too deep to sweep away. "
The poem of A Story by Li-Young Lee analyzes the coming of age of a son through the eyes and emotions of a father. On the surface, it seems like a simple situation of a father telling the son a story to entertain him. But it is upon closer inspection and deep analysis that reveals the true meaning of the poem that the poet is trying to convey to the reader.
As Carter opens the poem, he tells how at this point in his life, he still has this essential want for things his own father presented him growing up. In the beginning, he expresses he has this “…pain [he] mostly hide[s], / but [that] ties of blood, or seed, endure” (lines 1-2). These lines voice how he longs for his father and just how painful it is without him at his side. In addition, he still feels “the hunger for his outstretched hand” (4) and a man’s embrace to take [him] in” (5). Furthermore, Carter explains how this “pain” he “feel[s] inside” (3) are also due to his “need for just a word of pr...
His ungratefulness as a child has now emerged on him, leaving the speaker ashamed of taking his father’s hard work for granted. In this poem he writes, “…fearing the chronic angers of that house//Speaking indifferently to him/who had driven out the cold…” (Hayden, 17). When he quotes “fearing chronic angers”, the speaker refers to his view of life as a child, and how he interpreted his father’s agony and self-sacrifice as anger towards him. With an apathetic and cold attitude that accompanied his youth, he did not recognize the love that his father had for him. Hayden also writes, “What did I know, What did I know…” (Hayden 17). Repeating this rhetorical question twice it is obvious that the speaker, now as an adult, feels deep remorse over the way he had treated his father. With a matured mind, Hayden came to the realization that love comes in all shapes and forms, and his father’s love was shown through his selfless
... overall themes, and the use of flashbacks. Both of the boys in these two poems reminisce on a past experience that they remember with their fathers. With both poems possessing strong sentimental tones, readers are shown how much of an impact a father can have on a child’s life. Clearly the two main characters experience very different past relationships with their fathers, but in the end they both come to realize the importance of having a father figure in their lives and how their experiences have impacted their futures.
“Annabel Lee” is based on a couple in a kingdom by the sea and the girl, who’s name is Annabel Lee, dies ("Shmoop.com"). So Annabel’s partner is reminiscing about the memories he once shared Annabel. However, the partners’ tone of voice slowly changes throughout the poem from a caring and happy voice to a sad longing voice as if to say Annabel’s name would somehow bring her back ("Shmoop.com"). Throughout the poem, it is evident that the theme of the poem is that the speaker was in love with Annabel Lee. Furthermore, in line 9 it says, “But we loved with a love that was more than love” (Poe) which is basically stating the couple loved each other so much that they felt something that was more than love. The speaker uses symbols to help the reader visualize his point. Symbols such as a chilling wind, a highborn kinsman, and winged seraphs that apparently “took” Annabel Lee from him ("Shmoop.com"). The poem of “Annabel Lee” may be a tragic love story, but in the end it is a very interesting piece of literature written by Edgar Allan
In Li-Young Lee’s poems “Persimmons” and “The Gift” he expresses the love for his family through metaphors with vibrant imagery. Many of Lee’s poems are of a nostalgic nature because of his deceased father. Because of the deep connection, Lee has with his family, he easily portrays his sentimental values throughout his poems. The theme of Li-Young Lee’s poems is family oriented.
The speaker chooses that he wants to be a writer rather than what his father does since he had “…no spade to follow men like them.” The speaker uses emotion to put himself down while praising his elders. The speaker does not retain the meanings or the cravings to live as his family did and decides to use his pen to write instead. The speaker creates art based on his emotion about his family which allows a connection for the audience to relate
The author uses imagery, contrasting diction, tones, and symbols in the poem to show two very different sides of the parent-child relationship. The poem’s theme is that even though parents and teenagers may have their disagreements, there is still an underlying love that binds the family together and helps them bridge their gap that is between them.
Poems have really intricate meanings that can be portrayed in many different ways. They can be used to express feelings and emotions towards someone or something. Poems can be about love, hate, nature, or anything in particular. The poem “Annabel Lee,” by Edgar Allan Poe is a romantic poem, written during the Romanticism period. The poem is about the narrator, a young man, who is dealing with the tragic loss of his fair maiden, whom he fell in love with at a young age. The love between the couple is described as very childlike and innocent. Their love for each other is extremely passionate, for that reason, the angels became jealous and killed Annabel Lee. Although his wife passed away, the narrator does not want to give up on their love and
Edgar Allan Poe was a major figure in world of literature based on his poems. In his poems, he demonstrated a gleaming use of language and techniques. He uses form throughout his poems. Poetry was an outlet for Poe, he was able to express his feelings of love, anger, and grief. One of Poe's most famous poems, “Annabel Lee,” which was first published in August of 1849, expresses the emotions of grief, love and loss that he felt when he lost his wife. Although the poem isn't just about expressing the idea of grief but to fully understand the emotion and meaning of “Annabel Lee,” one must analyze the in which Poe uses form throughout the poem. Poe's use of sound patterning, figrative language, and form enhances the importance of the poem, “Annabel Lee” by using imagery, rhythm, rhyme, and repetition to engage the readers.