Whenever I think of poetry, I imagine a person sitting at a small table in the candlelight, thinking, "Now is the time for me to be all emo and write about my feelings, blah blah blah." Don't get me wrong, I love modern poetry and sarcastic poetry, and I have a dream of becoming a rapper during my years in university, but I am honestly unable to sit down and enjoy reading a compilation of poems. This being said, I wanted to focus on a poet that I knew very little about, so that I would have to preconceptions prior to reading his work. Li-Young Lee has, surprisingly enough, stolen my heart. I never imagined that I could read a poem about eating dinner or making a bed, and enjoy it. Aqua Man must have drowned, because even I didn't expect this.
The first piece that I came across, was "From Blossoms," a little diddy that Lee wrote in response to peach blossoms. Obviously there is more meaning to this poem--something that I will cover during a later entry--but it had a strange, cosmic affect on me. It was simple, philosophic, and reminded me of my Asian homeland--all things that I complete adore. After my reading of "From Blossoms," I sat at my computer and contemplated the meaning of life. Once I realized that my contemplation just left me with more questions, I dove back into Lee's work. I read a few more of his poems, and decided that I must drive to the library and grab a few of his compilations. I ended up borrowing the lot, running back to my house and locking myself in my room. I read his autobiographical work, Winged Seed: A Remembrance, and felt immensely closer with Lee as a person. He bears his soul for the world to see, and that is why I am in love with him. He is the bravest man that I have even encountered.
After getting an understanding of Lee, I began to read his poetry. I believe that I enjoy his poetry, in comparison to other works that discuss feelings and things that I personally do not care about, because I became aware of his life. Every experience had affected him in such a way, that he was capable of recounting it through the written word. He found solace in an art form, which I find to be beautiful.
In summation, I genuinely enjoyed getting to know Li-Young Lee. There were no secrets or uncertainties in his works. They are taken as what they are--beautiful accounts of life.
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