Throughout The Gift, Lee chooses to showcase the bond between a parent and their child. The title chosen was a basis for a metaphor that is seen at the end of the poem. It wasn't truly a gift, however, it represented the safety and protection a father always has over his child. "Metal that will bury me" (27) "Death visited here!" (31). These two lines represent the insecurity and fear of a child when an accident occurs. However, Lee wants to show how a parent protects a child both mentally and physically when the speaker says he "did not hold that shard between my fingers and think" (26) and "did not lift up my wound and cry" (30).
Typically, Asian household share a great sense of family and belonging. I believe Lee is showing this aspect of Asian life perfectly by showing how calm and caring the father deals with the situation. Also, in asian families, respect and look up to their elders. You can clearly see this when Young makes the speaker talk about his father in such an admirable way. The speaker shows his father with a "lovely face" (3) and having "two measures of tenderness" (10). With Lee's ethnicity, I believe he wanted to describe how Asian families function.
I liked that you were able to connect with this being Asian yourself. I agree with a lot of what you said about the connection between father and son.
ReplyDeleteYes, though the "gifts" are multiple--the speaker learns a lot from the father--the complexity in his character of discipline and tenderness, and their function; the importance of voice-the quality and music of voice--and language/story telling: those things that see us through life and pain, etc... See Sylvia's blog and my comments
ReplyDeleteI noticed in some of his other poems that Li-Young Lee emphasizes the relationship with his family especially his father. In the poem "Early in the Morning" he even remembers a very sweet romantic moment between his parents. I liked Lee's poems very much and I was touched by the sweet memories about his family; there is an obvious tight bond that you very well noticed and related to.
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