"My Father, in Heaven, Is Reading Out Loud"
Li-Young Lee's poem, "My Male parent, in Heaven, is Reading Out Loud," follows Lee's observations and assumptions of his begetter until the end where he realizes that his father is not actually the man he thought he was and that they are more alike than expected. Throughout most of the poem nosotros see that his father is a difficult-working man who is always doing his chore as a Presbyterian government minister. For example, as his begetter studies and reads the "Psalms or news," he is always prepared to assist the children in Line 4. Similar God, our Father in heaven, who is always watching u.s. and ready to save us when needed, Lee's father, who is too described every bit a father in sky (Line i), descends from his research and studies to aid those who need him. The line, "As it is in heaven, so it was on earth," accentuates this parallel father-imagery since heaven is a place where there is no "grief" and all is well and perfect nether God's reign and then will it exist on globe when He comes downwards to help His children. Additionally, I notice that Biblical language is also used in this line to further highlight his father'south similar role to God since the words are straight from the Lord's prayer: "Your kingdom come up, Your will be done, On world as it is in sky" (New American Standard Bible, Matthew half dozen:x).
In the 2d stanza, we see that Lee's male parent is besides a strong, strict, and serial man who also pushes Lee in life. For instance, in lines nine-12 his begetter is described as a man having a "grave, determined-rhythm" whose "shoulders [ache] from the pulling of oars" and whose "gaze" makes Lee's shoulders anguish too. First off, I remember that his father is portrayed as hard-working man whose gone through much suffering and has put much effort into supporting his family since he'due south escaped imprisonment and started a new life with his family in the United States. Secondly, it seems that since his male parent has gone through these tough, painful experiences to get to where he is now, he feels that his begetter is pressing him to work hard, study difficult, and pull his ain "oars" in hope that he likewise can get successful from the hardships of life. This then leads Lee to living a like life with "a powerful dorsum-and-along rhythm." However, information technology becomes articulate that the pressure level from his male parent fleshes out the "remarkable thwarting" Lee is since he cannot retain every bit much knowledge as requested such every bit "recit[ing] a book [every] month." Furthermore, it seems that Lee is not interested in his father's faith since he does non capitalize God's proper noun and refers to God as "his [begetter's] god." This just contributes to how reverse their characters appear to exist and how Lee views his father every bit someone else that he is not nor tin can become.
Although it appears to Lee that his father is a god-like figure who works hard and controls the outcome of his life, it becomes evident that they are more akin than expected when he sees his father under the "lintel" of a doorway. I remember that since a lintel is placed at a doorway or whatsoever other opening, information technology represents the passage to where one exits to explore and learn about the outside earth or enters to learn from the inside such as from teachers in a school building. Moreover, because a lintel is man-made structure, I recollect it symbolizes how his father has learned under the guidance of flesh. Therefore, both meanings imply how human and normal his father actually is. In improver, lines 37-40 further illustrate how powerless his father is since a mere human cannot only "decide peace or war, habitation or exile, escape past state or escape by ocean" but can only wait "as someone ever waits, far, near, here, and future, to find out" if the issue volition be proficient or bad. With this new perspective of Lee'south male parent, we no longer see a God who is all-powerful and completely in control of his time to come, but rather, we see a simple begetter trying his all-time to take intendance of his family and raise his son after experiencing some of life'south many trials. Because of this newfound clarity, I believe Lee finally identifies with his father that they are both human beings who wonder if it it "praise or complaining hidden in the next moment."
photograph credit: http://world wide web.okcufilmlit.org/2003/12/04/spring-poet-2004-li-young-lee/
Source: https://thewordninjablog.wordpress.com/2016/08/22/my-father-in-heaven-is-reading-out-loud/
0 Response to ""My Father, in Heaven, Is Reading Out Loud""
Post a Comment