"Rose" By: LI-YOUNG LEE
Kristen B. Iverson Iverson 1
Professor Nathan Lipps
ENG 151
06/04/14
“Rose”
In this book of poems, Lee is unafraid to show emotion, especially when
writing about his father or his wife. The images Lee finds, such as the rose and the apple,
can refer to the life-span of a human. Life (on the tree branch), falling off tree (life-
span), then how death is portrayed by using the ground as the end of life. Even his father's
blindness and death can become beautiful. From what I gathered from the poems in Rose,
was Lee grew up in a strong tight-knit family environment. He is not afraid to describe
his feelings with colorful adjectives, and has a powerful relationship with his mother and
father throughout his poems. It is clear that Lee grew up in an atmosphere where there is
a certain level of humility, love of speech, from where he also searched for wisdom and
understanding.
Li-Young Lee’s poems are very beautiful and meditative. The way that Lee
captures love & longing, subtle forms of love, nuances of parental relationships, and the
physical world is amazing. Li-Young Lee’s poetry in the book, Rose, has a depth of
sadness and reflection that makes it meaningful and thought provoking to the reader. Lee
draws on his own life experience in such a way that readers will wonder if he is trying to
extract those experiences from his inner self. While these poems are deeply personal,
they are also universal in their appeal. Like a child who possesses a sensual, adult
relationship with the world, Li-Young Lee shines with an open gentleness and delicate
Iverson 2
sensitivity. Nothing escapes his keen eye and, as he so greatly illustrates, the greatest
art is all around us. Lee’s poetry results in a clarification or awakening of feelings that
summon the reader's desire to examine his or her feelings, and by examining them,
express them. Therefore, by reaching into our own
Professor Nathan Lipps
ENG 151
06/04/14
“Rose”
In this book of poems, Lee is unafraid to show emotion, especially when
writing about his father or his wife. The images Lee finds, such as the rose and the apple,
can refer to the life-span of a human. Life (on the tree branch), falling off tree (life-
span), then how death is portrayed by using the ground as the end of life. Even his father's
blindness and death can become beautiful. From what I gathered from the poems in Rose,
was Lee grew up in a strong tight-knit family environment. He is not afraid to describe
his feelings with colorful adjectives, and has a powerful relationship with his mother and
father throughout his poems. It is clear that Lee grew up in an atmosphere where there is
a certain level of humility, love of speech, from where he also searched for wisdom and
understanding.
Li-Young Lee’s poems are very beautiful and meditative. The way that Lee
captures love & longing, subtle forms of love, nuances of parental relationships, and the
physical world is amazing. Li-Young Lee’s poetry in the book, Rose, has a depth of
sadness and reflection that makes it meaningful and thought provoking to the reader. Lee
draws on his own life experience in such a way that readers will wonder if he is trying to
extract those experiences from his inner self. While these poems are deeply personal,
they are also universal in their appeal. Like a child who possesses a sensual, adult
relationship with the world, Li-Young Lee shines with an open gentleness and delicate
Iverson 2
sensitivity. Nothing escapes his keen eye and, as he so greatly illustrates, the greatest
art is all around us. Lee’s poetry results in a clarification or awakening of feelings that
summon the reader's desire to examine his or her feelings, and by examining them,
express them. Therefore, by reaching into our own