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gokesterthejokester 's review for:
Rose
by Li-Young Lee
"No easy thing to bear, the weight of sweetness."
Three years ago, I was introduced to the poet, Li-Young Lee. I was interested him because a minority in the sea of white literary luminaries. He was the first Asian poet I came across and unfortunately the only one I have come across since. What drew me to him was his poem "Persimmons," which is a poem in this collection. The poem is about many things but captures a situation that my mirrored my own when I was a youth. It was in part a story about a child of immigrants whose classmates and teacher failed to understand him and who concurrently forced him to assimilate to the dominant american culture. It was an immigrant poem and it spoke to me in ways I've never been spoken to before by people or fiction. When I read more of his poems, I came to realize his poems are centered around his long-deceased father. A figure who he worships and admires, but whom the poet is not afraid to portray as a troubled and imperfect father. His father pervades every poem as if specter who haunts the author as he his hunched over writing. The writing of Lee is sparse, elegant, beautiful, and haunting. He chooses each word with care and every line is more than meets the eye. As someone for whom writing poetry is a hobby, my ultimate goal is to write in a style reminiscent of Li-Young Lee. Although we both write on different themes, I hope his particular style shines through my work. In reading this piece while at the same writing poetry, I hope I have come closer to my goal. I was afraid if I learned more about this author through reading his work I would become demystified, but his writing still stirs the inner workings of my heart and inspires me to write until I reach that simple, sublime truth he seems to achieves with every poem. If you cannot tell by now, I highly recommend this book of poems.
Three years ago, I was introduced to the poet, Li-Young Lee. I was interested him because a minority in the sea of white literary luminaries. He was the first Asian poet I came across and unfortunately the only one I have come across since. What drew me to him was his poem "Persimmons," which is a poem in this collection. The poem is about many things but captures a situation that my mirrored my own when I was a youth. It was in part a story about a child of immigrants whose classmates and teacher failed to understand him and who concurrently forced him to assimilate to the dominant american culture. It was an immigrant poem and it spoke to me in ways I've never been spoken to before by people or fiction. When I read more of his poems, I came to realize his poems are centered around his long-deceased father. A figure who he worships and admires, but whom the poet is not afraid to portray as a troubled and imperfect father. His father pervades every poem as if specter who haunts the author as he his hunched over writing. The writing of Lee is sparse, elegant, beautiful, and haunting. He chooses each word with care and every line is more than meets the eye. As someone for whom writing poetry is a hobby, my ultimate goal is to write in a style reminiscent of Li-Young Lee. Although we both write on different themes, I hope his particular style shines through my work. In reading this piece while at the same writing poetry, I hope I have come closer to my goal. I was afraid if I learned more about this author through reading his work I would become demystified, but his writing still stirs the inner workings of my heart and inspires me to write until I reach that simple, sublime truth he seems to achieves with every poem. If you cannot tell by now, I highly recommend this book of poems.