Death In 'Eating Together' By Li-Young Lee

The poem “Eating Together,” by Li-Young Lee emphasizes that. The common idea about death is it only brings sad and angry emotions.

I was one of the people that believed death only creates unwelcome emotions. Whenever my parents told me a story about their parents, they would always have a sad look. My parents never verbalized it, but it was clear that they wished their parents were still alive. For the majority of my life, I thought that once someone dies, thoughts of them afterward would lead to sadness. Despite believing death is the worst thing to happen to someone, I finally realized it could be peaceful and should be accepted as a natural part of life.

Death was synonymous with disruption and evil: It stops a person’s life by taking them

Then he lay down to sleep like a snow-covered road winding through pines older than him, without any travelers, and lonely for no

Lee communicates that his father may not be with them physically but is still a part of the family when they eat. Throughout the poem, Lee does not describe his father. Instead, he is represented through his mother “holding [the meat] between her fingers deftly, the way [his] father did/ weeks ago” (6-7). The simple action of how his mother holds the meat reminds Lee of his father showing how once someone is gone, there will be reminders of them everywhere. Yet, despite the memory of his father, Lee has no change in tone to show that the thought of his father saddens him. Instead, he appears appreciative to have the reminder, which reveals how Lee conveys that he understands his father is gone and wants to remember him.

It is important to accept when a loved one is gone. It is impossible to lead a happy life if every thought of someone that passed away ruins your mood. There are people I know who were in a good mood whenever they talk about someone they knew that passed away, whether it was their parents or friend, and I thought they were strange. I believed mentioning someone who passed away in a happy tone was rude as if their death was a good occurrence. However, I realized that being happy after someone passes away is a way to show that their lives are back to