Essay Questions

In “Eating Together,” Lee describes his father’s death in the following stanza: “Then he lay down/to sleep like a snow-covered road/winding through pines older than him,/without any travelers, and lonely for no one.” Why does Lee choose to depict his father’s death in this way?

This stanza is a very gentle and poetic way to describe death. The allegory of snow and sleeping suggests that the narrator’s father died perhaps gently and without much suffering. It is clear that Lee views death as a peaceful release from the hardships of life; for him and his family, death is not the end of life, but is rather the start of a new segment. He suggests that death is a path that is empty, but never lonely. From this, it can be assumed that Lee believes in an afterlife and the preservation of one’s soul. Therefore, Lee likely chose to depict his father’s death using this gentle imagery, because they do not view death as an abrupt end to all life, but rather a continuation of it.

Lee often writes about his parents and includes specific experiences that include his parents. Why do you think Lee has chosen to write so extensively about his parents?

It is clear from Lee’s poetry that he valued his parents and held them in very high regard. It is possible that Lee wishes to show his reverence by paying tribute to them through poetry and verse. Additionally, Lee’s poems, such as “The Gift” and “Early Morning” capture several childhood experiences that fundamentally shaped and influenced his ideologies. Lee may wish to chronicle these influential experiences, so as to remember them forever. As his parents are intrinsically tied to these experiences and memories, it is logical for them to be included in his poems. In short, it is very likely that many of Lee’s poems are devoted to his parents, due to the immense influence his mother and father had over his life.

Why does the narrator describe his childhood experience with his father and the splinter a gift?

In the titular poem, “The Gift,” Lee describes a particular moment from his childhood when his fathered helped him remove a splinter from his hand. The narrator makes a point to describe how his father consoled his fears and used stories to distract him. In doing so, the father shared a powerful lesson with his son—the power and importance of gentleness and sympathy. Instead of chastising his son for being so frightened/upset about something as small as a splinter, the father consoled him and treated his fears as legitimate. The narrator views this experience as a gift because it fundamentally influenced and informed his perspective on humanity and the human condition; the narrator now makes a point to carry on his father’s legacy of kindness.