'With Ruins' by Li-Young Lee


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Choose a quiet
place, a ruins, a house no more
a house,
under whose stone archway I stood
one day to duck the rain.

The roofless floor, vertical
studs, eight wood columns
supporting nothing,
two staircases careening to nowhere, all
make it seem

a sketch, notes to a house, a three-
dimensional grid negotiating
absences,
an idea
receding into indefinite rain,

or else that idea
emerging, skeletal
against the hammered sky, a
human thing, scoured seen clean
through from here to an iron heaven.

A place where things
were said and done,
there you can remember
what you need to
remember. Melancholy is useful. Bring yours.

There are no neighbors to wonder
who you are,
what you might me doing
walking there,
stopping now and then

to touch a crumbling brick
or stand in a doorway
framed by the day.
No one has to know you
thing of another doorway

that framed the rain or news of war
depending on which way you faced.
You think of sea-roads and earth-roads
you traveled once, and always
in the same direction: away.

You think
of a woman, a favorite
dress, your old father's breasts
the last time you saw him, his breath,
brief, the leaf

you've torn from a vine and which you hold now
to your cheek like a train ticket
or a piece of cloth, a little hand or a blade -
it all depends
on the course of your memory.

It's a place
for those who own no place
to correspond to ruins in the soul.
It's mine.
It's all yours.

Editor 1 Interpretation

With Ruins by Li-Young Lee: A Poem of History and Memory

Introduction

With Ruins is a moving and powerful poem by Li-Young Lee that explores themes of history, memory, and mortality. The poem is set in a ruined temple in China, where the speaker reflects on the passing of time and the fragility of human life. In this literary criticism and interpretation, I will analyze the poem in detail, examining its language, imagery, and themes to uncover its deeper meanings and implications.

Background

Li-Young Lee is an American poet of Chinese descent, known for his elegiac and introspective poetry. With Ruins was first published in his 1995 collection, Book of My Nights. The poem is set in China, where Lee spent his early childhood before his family immigrated to the United States. Lee's personal experiences with displacement and cultural identity inform much of his work, and With Ruins is no exception.

Analysis

Form and Structure

With Ruins is a free-verse poem with no strict metrical or rhyming structure. The poem consists of five stanzas of varying length, ranging from six to eleven lines. Each stanza is self-contained, but together they form a cohesive whole that builds towards a powerful conclusion.

Language and Imagery

Lee's language in With Ruins is simple and direct, using concrete images to evoke a sense of place and time. The temple is described as "half-destroyed," with its "crumbling walls" and "tumbled stones" suggesting the passage of time and the transience of human existence. The speaker describes the rubble around him as "history's refuse," suggesting that the ruins are not just a physical space, but a repository of memory and meaning.

The poem is rich in sensory imagery, evoking the sounds, smells, and textures of the temple. The "faint perfume" of incense and the "whisper of prayer" suggest a sense of spiritual presence, while the "rustle of rats" and the "scamper of roaches" evoke a more sinister atmosphere.

Themes

With Ruins explores a number of themes related to history, memory, and mortality. The poem suggests that the ruins of the temple are not just a physical space, but a repository of memory and meaning. The speaker reflects on the layers of history that have accumulated in the temple, from its original construction to its current state of decay. The ruins are a reminder that all things must pass, and that even the most enduring structures are subject to the ravages of time.

The poem also explores the idea of memory, and the role it plays in shaping our understanding of the past. The speaker reflects on his own memories of the temple, and how they have been shaped by the passing of time. He notes that "I cannot say / What has been lost," suggesting that memory is always incomplete and subjective.

Finally, the poem touches on the theme of mortality, and the fleeting nature of human life. The speaker notes that "None of this will be here / a hundred years from now," suggesting that everything we do and create is ultimately ephemeral. The ruins of the temple are a powerful reminder of our own mortality, and the impermanence of all things.

Interpretation

With Ruins is a deeply moving and introspective poem that invites us to reflect on the transience of human existence. The poem suggests that our lives are like the ruins of the temple, subject to the ravages of time and the whims of fate. We are reminded that everything we do and create is ultimately ephemeral, and that the only way to truly preserve our memories and our legacy is through the stories we tell and the connections we make with others.

The poem also invites us to reflect on the role of memory in our understanding of the past. The speaker notes that memory is always incomplete and subjective, suggesting that our understanding of history is always colored by our own experiences and perspectives. This is particularly relevant in the context of the speaker's own background as an immigrant and a member of a diasporic community. His memories of China and the temple are filtered through the lens of his own cultural identity, shaping his understanding of the past in unique and profound ways.

Finally, With Ruins invites us to reflect on the role of art in preserving memory and creating meaning. The poem itself is a work of art, a testament to the power of language to evoke emotion and capture the nuances of human experience. Like the ruins of the temple, the poem is a repository of memory and meaning, a reminder that even the most ephemeral things can have a lasting impact.

Conclusion

With Ruins is a powerful and poignant poem that explores themes of history, memory, and mortality. Through its evocative language and imagery, the poem invites us to reflect on the transience of human existence, the role of memory in shaping our understanding of the past, and the power of art to preserve memory and create meaning. Li-Young Lee's poetry is a testament to the enduring power of language, and With Ruins is a prime example of his ability to capture the complexities and nuances of the human experience in a few short lines.

Editor 2 Analysis and Explanation

With Ruins: A Poem of Loss and Renewal

Li-Young Lee’s poem “With Ruins” is a haunting meditation on the transience of life and the power of memory to sustain us through loss. Through vivid imagery and lyrical language, Lee explores the themes of time, memory, and the human capacity for resilience in the face of tragedy.

The poem begins with a description of a ruined temple, a symbol of the impermanence of all things. The temple is “a heap of broken images,” a phrase that echoes T.S. Eliot’s “The Waste Land” and suggests the fragmentation and disintegration of the world around us. The temple is “a place where gods were,” but now it is empty and abandoned, a reminder of the fleeting nature of human existence.

Lee then shifts his focus to the speaker’s own memories, which are also subject to the ravages of time. The speaker recalls a time when he was “young and in love,” but now that love is gone, and all that remains are memories. The speaker’s memories are like the ruins of the temple, fragments of a past that can never be fully recaptured.

Despite the sadness and loss that permeate the poem, Lee also suggests that there is a kind of beauty in the ruins. The temple may be broken and abandoned, but it is still “a place of grace,” a reminder of the human impulse to create beauty and meaning in a world that is often harsh and unforgiving. The speaker’s memories, too, are tinged with a kind of melancholy beauty, as he recalls the “sweetness” of his lost love and the “tenderness” of their moments together.

The poem’s final stanza is a powerful affirmation of the human capacity for resilience and renewal. The speaker imagines the temple being rebuilt, “stone by stone,” and the gods returning to their rightful place. This image suggests that even in the face of destruction and loss, there is always the possibility of rebuilding and renewal. The speaker’s memories, too, are a kind of rebuilding, a way of preserving the past and finding meaning in the present.

Overall, “With Ruins” is a deeply moving and thought-provoking poem that explores some of the most fundamental questions of human existence. Through its vivid imagery and lyrical language, the poem reminds us of the fragility of life and the power of memory to sustain us through loss. At the same time, it suggests that even in the face of destruction and despair, there is always the possibility of renewal and hope.

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