A rose by any other name...

I will be the first to admit that a few years ago, I was really not a fan of poetry. It's still growing on me, but has certainly gained some favor in my eyes since I decided to try and start writing more of my own poetry. I read this collection from Li-Young Lee with my current literature class and was not the only student to share an opinion that bordered indifference and even frustration towards the text on multiple accounts. This collection deals with many different images and symbols that I found it easier for me to simply enjoy the beauty of the language rather than attempt to decipher what every little image was supposed to contribute to the larger narrative of the collection. In short, many of the poems seem to deal with themes concerning family members, grief, life, and the relationship the author has with his father who has since passed away. Many of the poems definitely went over my head, but Lee's beautiful writing style is such that just reading and taking in the content of each piece's images was fulfilling in and of itself. One of the observations a classmate of mine made that hasn't left me since is that the word "rose" can be interpreted as a physical flower or the past tense of the word "rise," which connects to a lot of death and resurrection imagery throughout the whole work. I have learned to love how many different angles poetry can be approached from. :)


One of my favorite excerpted lines from Lee's poem "Always a Rose":

"I know moments measured / by a kiss, or a tear, a pass of the / hand along a loved one’s face."

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