The Gift...Li-Young Lee

When reading the poem "The Gift" by Li-Young Lee you immediately are able to see the message the author is conveying with each line.  Without wasting time Lee begins by telling the reader a story about his father pulling a splinter out of his palm.  I believe that this is a great example as i feel it symbolizes not only a moment where children are very vulnerable, but anytime a child is in pain, their parent, in this specific case his father, being there for him in his time of need.  It is a topic that most people can relate to because many of us have gotten splinters before and at a time where we are too young to take care of it ourselves, we rely on the knowledge and help of our parents to aid us.  The message from this poem i feel is much deeper than just easing the pain Lee faced in that he goes on multiple times to tell the reader just how wonderful his father is.  Saying that he "watched his lovely face" referring to his father, to then go on to say how he learned from him and was able to use that to help his wife the same way his father helped him.  Although i felt picking out the splinter symbolizes much more than what it blatantly says, it is common that a specific memory such as the one the author speaks of will remain in our memory even when we become adults.  By not panicking, Lee was able to get past the pain, get the splinter removed, and then finish off the poem ever so sweetly with a really meaningful message that shows he thanked his father for his help by kissing him.  The bond between a father a son is everlasting and stronger than anything and i really enjoyed the way Li-Young Lee explored his feelings about his own father.