Analysis Of The Poem Eating Together By Li-Young Lee

The poem “Eating Together,” by Li-Young Lee shows that life can stay the same after a loved one passes away by emphasizing that death happens for a reason. People relate death to negative emotions, but there is more than just mourning and regret. A person’s death is a chance to reflect on their life and remember the positive parts.

When I was younger I believed death creates unwelcome emotions. Whenever my parents talked about my grandparents, they spoke in a lower tone while deep in thought. They never verbalized it, but I knew they wished their parents were still alive. It was as if they avoided the topic as a way to cope with the death of their parents. My parents acted as if it was wrong to speak of anyone that passed away. Death was synonymous with disruption and evil to me; it stops a person’s life by taking them away forever. My parents emphasized that I need to do everything that I want to before I die. At one point, I was fearful of death. My fear appeared logical at the time because what happened after death was unknown. Although I believed that death was the worst thing that could happen, I now recognize that it can be peaceful and we should accept it as a natural part of life.

“Eating Together” by Li-Young Lee

In the steamer is the trout

Instead, he represents his father through his mother “holding [the meat] between her fingers deftly, the way [his] father did/ weeks ago” (6-7). The simple act of how his mother holds the meat reminds Lee of his father, showing how reminders of someone after they die are everywhere. His mother will continue to hold the meat in the same way, and Lee will remember his father every time she does. The phrase “the way [his] father did/weeks ago” (6-7) appears reflective and nostalgic which reveals how Lee understands his father is gone and is attempting to move on with his life. Lee talks about what his father “did/weeks ago” to convey