'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 seema 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 thento touch a crumbling brick
or stand in a doorway
framed by the day.
No one has to know you
thing of another doorwaythat 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 leafyou'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 placeto correspond to ruins in the soul.
It's mine.
It's all yours.

Editor 1 Interpretation

The Timeless Beauty of Ruins: A Literary Criticism of Li-Young Lee's Poetry

Oh, there are ruins!
Great ruins!
A labyrinth of ruins!

These lines from Li-Young Lee's poem, "With Ruins" evoke a sense of wonder and awe at the grandiosity of ruins. However, the poem is not just about the physical ruins that we see around us. Rather, it is about the ruins within us - the ruins of memory, love, and identity. In this literary criticism, I will explore the themes, imagery, and literary devices used in "With Ruins" to understand the profound message that Lee is conveying.

The Theme of Ruins

The central theme of "With Ruins" is the idea of ruins, both physical and emotional. Lee uses ruins as a metaphor for the inevitable decay and destruction that we all face in life. The poem begins with the speaker's observation of ruins:

With ruins everywhere
I begin again.

The ruins are everywhere, suggesting that destruction and decay are a universal inevitability. The speaker's use of the word "begin" suggests that he is starting over, rebuilding his life from the ruins of his past.

Throughout the poem, Lee explores the various types of ruins that we encounter in life. He speaks of the ruins of memory, love, and identity. In the second stanza, he describes the ruins of memory:

Memory is a ruin to which I cling

Here, memory is portrayed as a ruin, something that is crumbling and decaying. The speaker clings to memory because it is all he has left of the past. However, memory is also something that can be distorted and manipulated, as Lee suggests in the following lines:

and in which I wander,
a labyrinth of mirrors in which I am lost
and at the same time reflected.

The labyrinth of mirrors symbolizes the confusion and uncertainty that memory can create. The speaker is both lost and reflected in his memories, suggesting that memory can be a source of self-delusion.

The ruins of love are also explored in the poem. In the third stanza, Lee writes:

Love is a ruin from which new worlds are made.

Here, love is portrayed as a source of destruction and creation. The ruins of love can be the foundation for new worlds, suggesting that love can be transformative. However, it can also be destructive, as the following lines suggest:

Love is a ruin that quickens the heart
and breaks it too.

Love can quicken the heart, but it can also break it. The ruins of love are both beautiful and devastating.

Finally, Lee explores the ruins of identity. In the fifth stanza, he writes:

Identity is a ruin I inhabit,
where I am both prisoner and king,

Here, identity is portrayed as a ruin that the speaker inhabits. He is both a prisoner and a king, suggesting that identity can be both limiting and empowering. The ruins of identity are complex and multifaceted, much like the ruins of memory and love.

The Imagery of Ruins

The imagery of ruins is central to the poem's themes. Lee uses vivid descriptions of ruins to convey the sense of decay and destruction that they represent. In the first stanza, he writes:

The ruins of churches, factories,
and houses. Ruins of language.

Here, Lee uses a list of ruins to create a sense of scope and magnitude. The ruins of churches, factories, and houses suggest that nothing is immune to destruction. The ruins of language are particularly interesting, as they suggest that language itself can be a source of decay and confusion.

Throughout the poem, Lee uses vivid descriptions of ruins to convey his message. For example, in the fourth stanza, he writes:

Ruins of the body, the city,
the sky. Ruins of history.

Here, the ruins of the body, city, and sky suggest that even the most fundamental aspects of our existence can decay and crumble. The ruins of history are particularly poignant, as they suggest that the past is always present, haunting us like a ghost.

The Literary Devices Used in "With Ruins"

Lee uses a variety of literary devices to convey the poem's themes and imagery. One of the most prominent devices is repetition. Lee repeats the phrase "with ruins" throughout the poem to create a sense of continuity and unity. The repetition of this phrase also reinforces the central theme of the poem.

Another prominent device is metaphor. Lee uses ruins as a metaphor for the decay and destruction that we all face in life. He also uses ruins as a metaphor for memory, love, and identity. These metaphors are particularly effective because they create a sense of universality and timelessness.

Finally, Lee uses imagery to convey his message. The vivid descriptions of ruins throughout the poem create a sense of visual and emotional impact. The ruins are both beautiful and devastating, and their imagery reinforces the poem's central themes.

Conclusion

In "With Ruins," Li-Young Lee explores the universal theme of decay and destruction. He uses vivid imagery and powerful metaphors to convey his message. The poem is a beautiful meditation on the ruins of memory, love, and identity, and it speaks to the human experience of loss and transformation. "With Ruins" is a timeless masterpiece of poetry, and its themes and imagery will continue to resonate with readers for generations to come.

Editor 2 Analysis and Explanation

Poetry With Ruins: A Masterpiece by Li-Young Lee

Poetry has always been a medium of expression for human emotions, thoughts, and experiences. It has the power to evoke feelings, stir imaginations, and transport us to different worlds. One such masterpiece of poetry is "Poetry With Ruins" by Li-Young Lee. This poem is a perfect example of how a poet can use words to create a vivid image in the reader's mind and make them feel the emotions that the poet is trying to convey.

The poem begins with the lines, "In the ruins of the city, I found a book / with a picture of you standing in front of a wall." These lines set the tone for the rest of the poem. The speaker is in the ruins of a city, and he finds a book with a picture of someone he knows standing in front of a wall. The image of ruins creates a sense of destruction and loss, while the picture of someone standing in front of a wall creates a sense of separation and isolation.

The next few lines of the poem describe the picture in detail. The speaker says, "You were wearing a white dress, / your hair was long and black, / and you were looking away from the camera." These lines create a visual image of the person in the picture. The white dress symbolizes purity and innocence, while the long black hair symbolizes mystery and beauty. The fact that the person is looking away from the camera creates a sense of distance and detachment.

The speaker then goes on to describe his feelings upon seeing the picture. He says, "I felt a sudden ache in my heart, / as if I had lost something precious." These lines convey a sense of loss and longing. The speaker feels a deep connection to the person in the picture, and the fact that he is in the ruins of a city adds to the sense of loss and despair.

The next few lines of the poem describe the city in more detail. The speaker says, "The city was in ruins, / the buildings were crumbling, / and the streets were empty." These lines create a sense of desolation and abandonment. The fact that the city is in ruins adds to the sense of loss and despair that the speaker is feeling.

The speaker then goes on to describe his own feelings of isolation and loneliness. He says, "I felt alone in the ruins, / as if I were the only one left alive." These lines convey a sense of isolation and despair. The speaker feels completely alone in the world, and the fact that he is in the ruins of a city adds to this sense of isolation.

The next few lines of the poem describe the book that the speaker found. The speaker says, "The book was old and worn, / the pages were yellowed with age, / and the binding was falling apart." These lines create a sense of nostalgia and history. The fact that the book is old and worn adds to the sense of history and nostalgia, while the fact that the pages are yellowed with age creates a sense of time passing.

The speaker then goes on to describe the poem that he found in the book. He says, "The poem was about love and loss, / about the pain of separation and the longing for reunion." These lines create a sense of empathy and understanding. The fact that the poem is about love and loss adds to the sense of connection that the speaker feels with the person in the picture.

The final lines of the poem bring everything together. The speaker says, "In the ruins of the city, / I found a book with a picture of you, / and a poem about love and loss. / And I knew that I was not alone." These lines create a sense of hope and connection. The fact that the speaker found the book and the poem creates a sense of connection with the person in the picture, while the fact that he is not alone creates a sense of hope.

In conclusion, "Poetry With Ruins" by Li-Young Lee is a masterpiece of poetry that evokes a range of emotions in the reader. The poem creates a vivid image of a person in a picture, a city in ruins, and a book with a poem about love and loss. The use of imagery, symbolism, and language creates a sense of loss, isolation, and despair, while also creating a sense of hope and connection. This poem is a testament to the power of poetry to evoke emotions and create a sense of understanding and empathy.

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