Reread lines 9-12 in “I Ask My Mother to Sing.” What idea is suggested by the image of the water lilies filling with water, spilling it into the lake, and filling it up again? Consider the event described in the final stanza.
What are some ideas? I know it has something to do with life.
To understand the idea suggested by the image of the water lilies filling with water, spilling it into the lake, and filling it up again in lines 9-12 of "I Ask My Mother to Sing," we need to analyze the text and consider the event described in the final stanza.
Let's reread lines 9-12 in "I Ask My Mother to Sing":
"Let these simple words
be elevated into song:
sing aloud, sing in a carol
over the fields of water."
The image of the water lilies filling with water, spilling it into the lake, and filling it up again suggests the cyclical nature of life and the continuity of existence. Water lilies are known for their ability to float on the surface of water, and the continuous cycle of filling, spilling, and filling again represents the ongoing flow of life.
This image can be seen as a metaphor for the cycle of life and death. It implies that life is a continuous process, where individuals come into existence, live their lives, and eventually pass away, only to be replaced by new life. Just as the water lilies fill and refill the lake, life fills and refills the world with each passing generation.
Considering the event described in the final stanza, where the speaker asks their mother to sing their family's song and pass it on, it reinforces the idea of continuity and the passing down of traditions and memories from one generation to another. This event adds depth to the image of the water lilies, highlighting the importance of preserving and carrying forward the legacy of one's heritage.
In summary, the image of the water lilies filling with water, spilling it into the lake, and filling it up again suggests the cyclical nature of life and the continuity of existence. It symbolizes the ongoing flow of life and the passing down of traditions and memories from one generation to another.
In lines 9-12 of "I Ask My Mother to Sing," the image of water lilies filling with water, spilling it into the lake, and filling it up again suggests the concept of continuity or cyclical nature of life.
The water lilies filling with water and spilling it into the lake represents the constant flow of life, the circle of birth, growth, and death. This image is a metaphor for the cyclical nature of existence, where one generation gives rise to the next, and life continues to renew itself.
The final stanza describes the speaker asking their mother to sing again, emphasizing the desire for this cyclical pattern to repeat itself. This desire for the mother's song to be heard again symbolizes the longing for the continuation of life, the passing down of traditions and memories, and the perpetuation of love and connection across generations.
I ASK MY MOTHER TO SING
Li-Young Lee
She begins, and my grandmother joins her.
Mother and daughter sing like young girls.
If my father were alive, he would play
His accordion and swing like a boat.
I've never been in Peking, or the Summer Palace,
nor stood on the great Stone Boat to watch
the rain begin on Kuen Ming Lake, the picnickers
running away in the grass.
But I love to hear it sung:
how the waterlilies fill with rain until
they overturn, spilling water into water,
then rock back, and fill with more.
Both women have begun to cry,
But neither stops her song.
* * *
"I Ask My Mother to Sing" from Rose by Li-Young Lee. Copyright © 1986. Reprinted with the permission of BOA Editions, Ltd.
Just as the water is being reused, so does the family tradition of this song go on.