Poem Analysis Of Eating Alone By Li-Young Lee

Words: 1072
Pages: 5

Essay One, Poem Analysis The poem, Eating Alone, written by Li-Young Lee describes a son’s connection with his father who had recently passed away and the loneliness he feels. In his poem Lee is able to show the reader exactly how he feels through the description of where he is and what he doing, accidentally mistaking his father for a shovel and its gleam of light shining off it tells the reader that his father is there in spirit. Lee was born in Indonesia in 1957 to Chinese parents. After a life full of adversity Lee’s family fled the country in order to escape the anti-Chinese sentiment finally settling in America in 1964. Lee wrote, Eating Alone, in 1989 and has won several awards for his work including the Delmore …show more content…
He describes the bare, cold, brown and old ground and as he
Kelley pg.2 stands looking at the bare ground he catches a glimpse of what’s left of the sun in the corner of his eye beaming through the tree leaves. In a slight turn he also sees a cardinal fly away quickly. Lee is able to describe the scene he is looking at so well that the reader can imagine through their eyes exactly where he is and what he is seeing. Because Lee is able to describe his scene with such vivid details the reader can actually experience what he is feeling, you feel sad for him or perhaps for your loved ones who have passed. This kind of poem can mean something to everyone as we have all experienced losing someone close to us. He describes stopping by the hose long enough to wash the dirt from the onions and take a long drink from the metallic tasting hose. Lee talks about a time that he and his father walked among the windfall pears, not being able to remember their conversation he decides that they most likely walked in silence but still able to have a conversation with a look or a nod. One example is Lee describing his father nodding to a rotten pear and how a hornet was eating the juice of the