'Nativity' by Li-Young Lee

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In the dark, a child might ask, What is the world?
just to hear his sister
promise, An unfinished wing of heaven,
just to hear his brother say,
A house inside a house,
but most of all to hear his mother answer,
One more song, then you go to sleep.

How could anyone in that bed guess
the question finds its beginning
in the answer long growing
inside the one who asked, that restless boy,
the night's darling?

Later, a man lying awake,
he might ask it again,
just to hear the silence
charge him, This night
arching over your sleepless wondering,

this night, the near ground
every reaching-out-to overreaches,

just to remind himself
out of what little earth and duration,
out of what immense good-bye,

each must make a safe place of his heart,
before so strange and wild a guest
as God approaches.

Editor 1 Interpretation

Nativity by Li-Young Lee: A Literary Criticism and Interpretation

Have you ever read a poem that made you feel like you were experiencing something sacred, something ancient, something that transcends time and space? That's what Li-Young Lee's "Nativity" does for me. In this poem, Lee takes us on a journey through the birth of Christ, using vivid imagery and powerful metaphors to explore the themes of love, sacrifice, and redemption.

Background

Before we dive into the poem itself, let's take a brief look at its author. Li-Young Lee was born in Jakarta, Indonesia, in 1957, to parents who were both exiled from China. His father was a personal physician to Mao Zedong, and his grandfather was the first president of the Republic of China. Lee and his family fled Indonesia in 1959, and eventually settled in the United States.

Lee's poetry often explores themes of identity, memory, and family, drawing on his experiences as an immigrant and a person of Chinese heritage. He has published several collections of poetry, including "Rose," "The City in Which I Love You," and "Book of My Nights." Lee has won numerous awards for his work, including the American Book Award, the William Carlos Williams Award, and the Lannan Literary Award for Poetry.

Now, let's turn our attention to "Nativity."

Analysis

The poem is divided into three stanzas, each with its own distinct focus. In the first stanza, Lee sets the scene for the birth of Christ:

In the dark I rest, unready for the light which dawns day after day, eager to be shared. Black silk, shelter me. I need more of the night before I open eyes and heart to illumination. I must still grow in the dark like a root not ready, not ready at all.

Here, Lee establishes a sense of anticipation and preparation. The speaker is "unready for the light," and seeks shelter in "black silk." This imagery of darkness and concealment creates a sense of mystery and reverence, as if the birth of Christ is a sacred event that must be approached with humility and awe.

The second stanza focuses on the physical details of the Nativity:

But let me breathe awhile longer the grace of the dark, the deep silence of the night's sky, before rending East and West with cries of "Alleluia." Until the song of an angel stirs me. Until the star in the East stoops down to my eyelids and spreads like a jazz musician whose band has been taken apart.

Here, Lee uses sensory language to bring the Nativity to life. We can almost hear the "cries of 'Alleluia'" and see the "star in the East." The comparison of the star to a jazz musician adds a playful note to the poem, as if the speaker is suddenly transported to a joyous, celebratory mood.

The final stanza shifts the focus to the spiritual significance of the Nativity:

O, the ache of marriage, where is the embrace of its flesh? All yearning, all eloquence and then ... O, the vulnerability of man and of God. The Old World shadowing the New, the New helpless, vulnerable, infinite.

Here, Lee explores the themes of love, sacrifice, and redemption that are at the heart of the Christian story. The "ache of marriage" suggests the pain and struggle of human relationships, while the "vulnerability of man and of God" speaks to the idea that God became human in order to share in our suffering. The image of the "Old World shadowing the New" suggests a continuity between the past and the present, while the "New" is "helpless, vulnerable, infinite" - a paradoxical image that captures the paradoxical nature of the Incarnation.

Interpretation

So, what does this poem mean? As with any great work of art, there are many possible interpretations. Here are a few that come to mind:

• "Nativity" is a celebration of the Christian story of redemption through the birth of Christ. Lee's imagery and language evoke a sense of wonder and reverence, inviting the reader to contemplate the mystery of the Incarnation.

• The poem is also a meditation on the themes of darkness and light, which recur throughout Lee's work. Here, the darkness represents a state of preparation, a time of waiting before the dawn of illumination.

• Lee's use of jazz imagery in the second stanza suggests a connection between the Nativity story and African American culture. Jazz is often seen as a quintessentially American art form, born out of African American experience. By comparing the star to a jazz musician, Lee may be suggesting that the Nativity story is part of the broader American cultural landscape.

• Finally, "Nativity" can be read as a poem about the universal human experience of vulnerability and suffering. The image of the "vulnerable" God reflects Lee's belief that art can help us to understand and connect with our own vulnerability as human beings.

Conclusion

In conclusion, Li-Young Lee's "Nativity" is a powerful and evocative poem that invites us to contemplate the mystery of the Incarnation. Through its vivid imagery and rich language, the poem explores themes of love, sacrifice, and redemption, while also meditating on the themes of darkness and light, vulnerability and strength. "Nativity" is a testament to the power of poetry to connect us with the transcendent, and to help us make sense of our own lives in the process.

Editor 2 Analysis and Explanation

Nativity: A Poem of Profound Spiritual Significance

Li-Young Lee's poem Nativity is a masterpiece of spiritual poetry that captures the essence of the Christian story of the birth of Jesus Christ. The poem is a powerful meditation on the themes of love, sacrifice, and redemption, and it offers a profound insight into the human condition. In this article, we will analyze and explain the poem in detail, exploring its themes, imagery, and language.

The poem begins with a description of the nativity scene, with the speaker observing the birth of Jesus in a manger. The opening lines set the tone for the rest of the poem, with the speaker's awe and wonder at the miraculous event:

In the dark, a child might ask, What is the world? just to hear his sister promise, An unfinished wing of heaven, just to hear his brother say, A house inside a house, but most of all to hear his mother answer, One more song, then you go to sleep.

The imagery of the "unfinished wing of heaven" and the "house inside a house" suggest that the world is a place of infinite possibility, where anything can happen. The mother's promise of "one more song" before sleep suggests that the world is a place of comfort and security, where love and care are always present.

The poem then moves on to describe the birth of Jesus, with the speaker marveling at the sight of the newborn child:

How far is it to Bethlehem? Not very far. Shall we find the stable room lit by a star? Can we see the little Child? Is He within? If we lift the wooden latch may we go in?

The questions asked by the speaker suggest a sense of anticipation and excitement, as if the birth of Jesus is a momentous event that everyone wants to witness. The image of the stable room lit by a star is a powerful symbol of hope and guidance, suggesting that the birth of Jesus is a beacon of light in a dark and troubled world.

The poem then shifts to a more reflective tone, with the speaker contemplating the significance of the birth of Jesus:

If we find the stable and the Child, we shall know by this sign: all the waiting is done. The Child is the proof that God has not quit nor forgotten the world.

The image of the Child as a sign of hope and redemption is a central theme of the poem. The speaker suggests that the birth of Jesus is a sign that God has not abandoned the world, but is still present and active in it. The idea that the Child is the "proof" of God's presence suggests a deep faith in the power of love and the possibility of redemption.

The poem then moves on to describe the gifts brought by the wise men:

He is speaking. He who is older than the world now. He says nothing that is not filled with meaning and everywhere people are crying, crying for his birth, crying for his death.

The image of the wise men bringing gifts to the newborn child is a powerful symbol of the human desire for connection and meaning. The speaker suggests that the Child is speaking, even though he is too young to speak, and that his words are filled with profound meaning. The image of people crying for his birth and his death suggests a sense of longing and sadness, as if the birth of Jesus is both a moment of joy and a moment of sorrow.

The poem then concludes with a powerful image of the Child as a symbol of love and sacrifice:

He has come who will bring redemption to the people. He is the love of God and he will gather his people like a hen gathers her chicks.

The image of the Child as the "love of God" is a powerful symbol of the power of love to overcome all obstacles. The image of the hen gathering her chicks suggests a sense of protection and care, as if the Child is a symbol of the divine love that watches over us all.

In conclusion, Li-Young Lee's poem Nativity is a masterpiece of spiritual poetry that captures the essence of the Christian story of the birth of Jesus Christ. The poem is a powerful meditation on the themes of love, sacrifice, and redemption, and it offers a profound insight into the human condition. The imagery and language of the poem are rich and evocative, and the poem's message of hope and redemption is both timeless and universal.

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