'The Father's House' by Li-Young Lee
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Here, as in childhood, Brother, no one knows us.
And someone has died, and someone is not yet
born, while our father walks through his church at night
and sets all the clocks for spring. His sleeplessness
weighs heavy on my forehead, his death almost
nothing. in the only letter he wrote to us
he says, No one can tell how long it takes a seed
to declare what death and lightning told it
while it slept. But stand at a window long enough,
late enough, and you may some night hear
a secret you'll tomorrow, parallel to the morning,
tell on a wide, white bed, to a woman
like a sown ledge of wheat. Or you may never
tell it, who lean across the night and miles of the sea,
to arrive at a seed, in whose lamplit house
resides a thorn, or a wee man, carving
a name on a stone, at afluctuating table of water,
the name of the one who has died, the name of the one
not born unknown. Someone has died. Someone
is not yet born. And during this black interval,
I sweep all three floors of our father's house,
and I don't count the broom strokes; I row
up and down for nothing but love: his for me, and my own
for the threshold, as well as for the woman's name
I hear while I sweep, as though she swept
beside me, a woman who, if she owns a face at all,
it is its own changing; and if I know her name
I know to say it so softly she need not
stop her work to hear me. But when she lies down
at night, in the room of our arrival, she'll know
I called her, though she won't answer, who is on her way
to sleep, until morning, which even now,
is overwhelming, the woman combing her hair opposite
the direction of my departure.
And only now and then do I lean at a jamb
to see'if I can see what I thought I heard.
I heard her ask, My love, why can't you sleep?
and answer, Someone has died, and someone
is not yet born. Meanwhile, I hear the voices
of women telling a story in the round,
so I sit down on a rain-eaten stoop, by the saltgrasses,
and go on folding the laundry I was folding,
the everyday clothes of our everyday life, the death
clothes wearing us clean to the bone, to the very
ilium crest, where my right hand, this hand, half
crab, part bird, has often come to rest on her,
whose name I know. And because I sat down,
I hear their folding sound, and know
the tide is rising early, and I can't hope
to trap their story told in the round. But the woman
whose name I know says, Sleep, so I lie down
on the clothes, the folded and unfolded, the life
and the death. Ages go by When I wake, the story
has changed the firmament into domain, domain
into a house. And the sun speaks the day,
unnaming, showing the story, dissipating the boundaries
of the telling, to include the one who has died
and the one not yet born. Someone has died
and someone is not yet born. How still
this morning grows about the voice of one
child reading to another, how much a house
is house at all due to one room where an elder
child reads to his brother, and that younger
knows by heart the brother-voice. How darker
other rooms stand, how slow morning comes, collected
in a name, told at one sill and listened for
at the threshold of dew What book is this we read
together, Brother, and at which window
of our father's house? In which upper room?
We read it twice: Once in two voices, to each
other; once in unison, to children,
animals, and the sun, our star, that vast office
of love, the one we sit in once, and read
together twice, the third time bosomed in
the future. So birds may lend their church, sown
in air, realized in the body uttering
windows, growing rafters, couching seeds.
Editor 1 Interpretation
The Father's House: A Deeper Look
When we think of home, we often think of a physical space where we feel comfortable and safe. However, home can also be a metaphor for our identity and sense of belonging. In Li-Young Lee's poem, The Father's House, the concept of home takes on a deeper meaning as the speaker reflects on his relationship with his father and the cultural heritage that binds them together.
At first glance, the poem seems to be about a literal house and the memories it holds. The opening lines describe the speaker's journey to his father's house, a place he hasn't visited in years. He notes the familiar landmarks along the way, such as the gas station and the billboard advertising cigarettes. These details create a sense of familiarity and nostalgia, hinting at the emotional significance of the trip.
As the speaker approaches the house, he describes it in vivid detail, paying attention to the physical aspects of the building such as the porch and the windows. However, it is the memories that these physical spaces evoke that are truly important. The speaker recalls sitting on the porch with his father, listening to stories and feeling a sense of belonging. He also remembers looking out the window at the stars, feeling small and insignificant in the vastness of the universe.
It is through these memories that the reader begins to understand the deeper meaning behind the father's house. It is not just a physical space, but a symbol of the speaker's cultural heritage and the personal connections he has with his family. This is emphasized in the lines, "It's not the house I seek, but what has been / preserved--the ancient ceremonies, / the myths that father told, the beating / drum, the cries." Here, the speaker acknowledges that what he is really looking for is not the house itself, but the traditions and stories that have been passed down through generations.
The theme of cultural heritage is further developed as the speaker begins to reflect on his own identity. He notes that he looks different from his father, with lighter skin and hair. However, he also recognizes the similarities between them, such as their shared memories and experiences. This leads him to question his place in the world: "Who am I to think I know / what he and I can mean to each other?" This rhetorical question highlights the speaker's uncertainty about his own identity and his relationship with his father.
As the poem progresses, the theme of identity becomes more complex. The speaker discusses his father's experiences as a refugee, forced to flee his homeland due to political turmoil. This traumatic event is a defining moment in his father's life, and the speaker recognizes that it has shaped his own identity as well. He notes that he has inherited his father's pain and trauma, even though he did not experience it first-hand. This is illustrated in the lines, "I am split / by stories, bridged by songs, / an inheritance no one could take / from me now." Here, the speaker acknowledges that his identity is shaped by both his personal experiences and the experiences of his ancestors.
The final stanza of the poem is particularly powerful, as the speaker reflects on his father's mortality. He notes that one day, his father will be gone and the memories associated with the house will be all that remains. However, he also recognizes that these memories are powerful and enduring: "But it goes on--the broken love, / the fists unclenched like a dark / word, the crying." The use of the word "broken" here is significant, as it suggests that the love between the speaker and his father is not perfect or idealized. Rather, it is flawed and complicated, like all relationships.
In conclusion, The Father's House is a powerful exploration of identity, cultural heritage, and personal connections. Through the use of vivid imagery and poignant memories, Li-Young Lee creates a sense of nostalgia and longing for the past. However, he also recognizes that the past is not something that can be recaptured or preserved in its entirety. Instead, it is the memories and traditions that have been passed down that shape our sense of self and our relationships with others. Ultimately, the poem is a tribute to the enduring power of love and the importance of family ties, even in the face of mortality and loss.
Editor 2 Analysis and Explanation
The Father's House: A Poem of Love, Loss, and Redemption
Li-Young Lee's "The Father's House" is a hauntingly beautiful poem that explores the themes of love, loss, and redemption. The poem is a tribute to the poet's father, who was a political prisoner in Indonesia, and it reflects on the complex relationship between father and son, as well as the power of memory and the human spirit.
The poem begins with a vivid description of the father's house, which is a metaphor for the father's life and legacy. The house is described as "a house made of many rooms," which suggests that the father's life was complex and multifaceted. The rooms are filled with "furniture of his life," which includes "a table, a chair, a bed, a lamp, a book, a cup, a plate, a spoon, a fork, a knife." These objects represent the father's memories, experiences, and values, and they are imbued with a sense of nostalgia and longing.
The poem then shifts to the son's perspective, as he reflects on his relationship with his father. He describes how he used to sit on his father's lap and listen to his stories, and how he would watch his father work in the garden. These memories are bittersweet, as they remind the son of the love and warmth he shared with his father, but also of the pain and loss he experienced when his father was taken away.
The poem then takes a darker turn, as the son describes the violence and oppression that his father faced as a political prisoner. He describes how his father was beaten and tortured, and how he was forced to confess to crimes he did not commit. These images are powerful and disturbing, and they convey the sense of injustice and cruelty that the father endured.
Despite the darkness of these images, the poem ends on a note of hope and redemption. The son describes how he has inherited his father's legacy, and how he has learned to love and forgive in the face of adversity. He says that he has "built a house of many rooms" in his own life, and that he has filled it with the same "furniture of his life" that his father had. He has learned to cherish his memories of his father, and to honor his legacy by living a life of compassion and courage.
Overall, "The Father's House" is a powerful and moving poem that speaks to the universal themes of love, loss, and redemption. It is a tribute to the resilience of the human spirit, and a reminder of the power of memory and legacy. Li-Young Lee's use of vivid imagery and powerful language creates a sense of intimacy and emotional depth that resonates with readers long after they have finished reading the poem. It is a testament to the power of poetry to capture the essence of the human experience, and to inspire us to live our lives with love, compassion, and courage.
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