Li-Young Lee, an award winning contemporary poet, was born to a prominent Chinese family which faced political persecution. Consequently, Lee grew up as a political exile and a refugee. Lees past and his family greatly influence his poetry and allow him to reach more universal topics in his poetry. In “I Ask My Mother to Sing”, Lee describes the disconnect existing between him and his Chinese hertitage through an anecdote. The loss of Lee’s father is addressed in “The Weight of Sweetness” and Lee’s resistance to letting go of the past is examined in “For A New Citizen of These United States”. The past and his family greatly influence Lee’s poetry. Lee draws from elements of his past in his poetry, such as his family allowing him to connect
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In all three poems, Lee utilizes anecdotes about his family in order to connect with his audience. In “I Ask My Mother to Sing” Lee shapes his poem around an anecdote of his mother as “She begins, and my grandmother joins her. / Mother and daughter sing like young girls,” (Lee 1-2). As Lee employs his anecdote he sets up the rest of the poem to discuss his disconnect from his Chinese heritage. A small story about his family allows Lee to tackle a larger focus emphasizing the importance of the influence of his family in his poetry. Fredrich Smock in “So Close to the Bone” mentions “Most of his poems are about family… But you don't find much of that [small details] in these poems. What you do find--what the poet is searching for…” (Smock). Smock recognizes the importance of family to Lee, but also understands how his anecdotes are a tool that aids Lee in reaching a broader more universal topic. The disconnection, detachment, and disparity Lee experiences in contrast to his parents are the focus of the poem, not the anecdote. Lee’s poetry does not narrow due to the influence of his family, but rather broadens as he utilizes his anecdotes as jumping off points for more universal topics. For example, in “The Weight of Sweetness” Lee use displays the paradox of memory and grief through the metaphor on a peach: “Hold the peach, try the weight, sweetness /
In all three poems, Lee utilizes anecdotes about his family in order to connect with his audience. In “I Ask My Mother to Sing” Lee shapes his poem around an anecdote of his mother as “She begins, and my grandmother joins her. / Mother and daughter sing like young girls,” (Lee 1-2). As Lee employs his anecdote he sets up the rest of the poem to discuss his disconnect from his Chinese heritage. A small story about his family allows Lee to tackle a larger focus emphasizing the importance of the influence of his family in his poetry. Fredrich Smock in “So Close to the Bone” mentions “Most of his poems are about family… But you don't find much of that [small details] in these poems. What you do find--what the poet is searching for…” (Smock). Smock recognizes the importance of family to Lee, but also understands how his anecdotes are a tool that aids Lee in reaching a broader more universal topic. The disconnection, detachment, and disparity Lee experiences in contrast to his parents are the focus of the poem, not the anecdote. Lee’s poetry does not narrow due to the influence of his family, but rather broadens as he utilizes his anecdotes as jumping off points for more universal topics. For example, in “The Weight of Sweetness” Lee use displays the paradox of memory and grief through the metaphor on a peach: “Hold the peach, try the weight, sweetness /