The poem states that the grandmother and the mother start singing in joy, but they end up crying even though none of them stops crying (Lee 50). The scenario shows that the poem has some mixed feelings of both joy and sorrow. This explication attempts to explain the pertinent issues presented in the poem through analyzing its deeper meaning. The explication investigates why the two women start singing in joy and happiness but end up crying.
In the first line of the poem states, "she begins, and my grandmother joins her" (Lee 50). The sentence highlights that the mother and grandmother were together discussing something, and then the author asks his mother to sing. The author misses his father, the old time and his country, China. It shows that the three are not in China. The mother responds to the topic through accepting to sing for the son whereby the grandmother joins her.
In the second line where the writer says that mother and daughter sing like young girls have its meaning (Lee 50). There is a simile in this line where the author compares his mother and grandmother to young girls (Woods 84). Young girls are expected to have a beautiful voice, and they can sing so nicely. Therefore, the writer implies that mother and grandmother sing in charming voices, and there is joy in them.
“If my father was alive he could play the accordion and sway like a boat.” (Lee 50) In this line, there is a sad expression because Li-Young Lee wishes his father was alive. It shows that his father died, and he misses his dad and how he played his accordion. He also uses a simile when he illustrates his father using a boat (Woods 84). This shows that the images of his father are still in his mind.
The writer says, "I've never been Peking, or the Summer Palace" (Lee 50). The statement indicates that the narrator has never been to China. All the knowledge he knows about China has been got from her grandmother and mother's song and stories. This prompts the question that if he has never been to China how does he miss the place? It also shows that her grandmother and mother's stories on China create some eager in him, which makes him admire to go to China a place he has never been. Through the stories, they built an image in his mind concerning China.
"Nor stood on the great boat to watch the rain begin on Kuen Ming Lake" (Lee 50). Since Li-Young Lee has never been to China, he has even never had the chance to view China even from any materials. He only relies on stories and song to get the picture of China which may not bring the actual picture of China in his head because the songs and stories were written at different times and seasons therefore he might get information on an individual season and not get the information on the other season. Therefore, wishes to go to his hometown in China to witness for himself all that he hears about China from the stories and songs. Through going there, he can have a better experience and image about China and compare it to the stories and songs.
“With picnickers running away the grass” (Lee 50). The picnickers are people who share food in the open air for an excursion. Therefore, if the picnickers were running away from the grass, it shows that there is a reason why they were running away hence they came to have fun. Therefore, it shows there were problems which they were evading. Therefore, China was not a peaceful place and probably that's why the writer, his mother, and grandmother are not in China, and it's where they used to stay.
When the writer says “I love to hear it sung” (Lee 50). The statement shows that despite the lack of peace in China he still wants to go to his hometown since east-west home is best. The writer also states, "How the water lilies fill with rain until they overturn" (Lee 50). For one we know that water plants stay in water therefore been filled with rain until they overturn means that they have faced a big amount of water until they have overturned. In this line, Li-young Lee considers himself as the water lilies, and he has faced so many problems in his life.
The poet states, “Spilling water into water” (Lee 50). This means that when water lilies grow, they are always on top of the water. Therefore, spilling water is like turning his problems into his strongholds through pouring them down and using the same water it has poured to grow on. The author further states, “then rock back and fill with more” (Lee 50). Here, the writer shows that the problems keep on coming one after the other even after spilling he is ready for more problems, and they come because he says that he rocks back and fills with more.
Lastly, the poet says, “Both women have begun to cry” (Lee 50). They probably cry because of the problems they have been facing including the death of his father. The two women who are the mother and the grandmother cry because they feel the issues, and they know more problems are on their way. However, he concludes that, “But neither stops her song” (Lee 50). The writer shows that even though they are in a mood of sorrow, they still have confidence that they will fight their problems soon.
Even though the author knows that his hometown is not peaceful, he still wants to go there and witness for himself other than just hearing from stories and songs from his mother and grandmother. The writer has also used many similes in the poem to create different images about his hometown. It is ironic that even though the author knows that his home is not peaceful, he still wants to go there and experience it. Finally, the poem encourages the reader not to give up like his mother and grandmother because when they are faced with sorrow, they cry but do not stop the singing.
Works cited
Lee. Rose: Poems. BOA Editions, Ltd .1986. Print
Woods. AP English Literature & Composition for Dummies. John Wiley & Sons. 2009. Print
