specially when the reader realizes they are coming from the father. In the first three lines, Lee uses the symbol of “the body in a white sheet listening” (3) giving the image of a corpse, or perhaps a patient in a coma. The lines that follow give the allusion of memories or of something going on outside the conscious realm of this body as he interprets the noises and voices heard. What is revealed is that this is a father listening to his wife tell a story to their son, completely dispelling the first image. The use of allusion followed by reality completes the “bridge” to understanding the poem and its meaning. It ends on such a positive note with “and this is not/ my last morning on earth” (42-43) giving the reader evidence that he is slowly being awakened by these sounds. The poem finishes with a sobering allusion to the father’s future years when ”someday, I’ll close my eyes to recall” (51). The cultural background of Lee is felt in his subtle approach and diffused symbols and allusions. The serenity and quietness in the father’s thoughts as he listens, and the mother’s gentle, early morning words to her son provide a peaceful and calming effect on the reader.What all poets have in common is a love of language – its words, its meanings, its rhythms, its sounds, even its shapes (Literary Visions, p. 141). It is this language, in the form of allusions and symbols that gives meaning and interest to poems, and gives the reader an insight into the poet’s unique view. “Poets use an intuitive process. They don’t cognitively think about allusions, nor do they have to know the allusions. The poetry that succeeds best is one that touches the instinctive something we all share. That something celebrates the communion with what we are and what we believe” (Dorn, Video Program #116)....
