Early in the Morning

“The Body“ by Charles Simic (1971)

Like Li-Young Lee, Charles Simic’s poetry also concerns memory. For both Simic and Lee, memories are accessed through their relationships to objects. The observations recorded around these objects become the subjects of a poem. In “The Body,” the imaginative journey of the speaker’s hand allows for the subject of the poem to become known: a lover’s body. The subdued eroticism present within the poem is similar to the erotic restraint of “Early in the Morning.”

“The Green Water“ by Li Bai (756 BC)

As a child, Lee’s parents would often recite him ancient Chinese poetry. Li Bai, a poet of the Tang Dynasty, remains a major influence on Lee’s work. Bai is known for writing poetry in a conversational tone and employing clear images. Like Lee, Bai uses the image to describe an emotional experience. In “The Green Water,” the speaker describes the moonlight, the girls rowing upon the water, and their pursuit of the flowers. The tone, accessible through the images, is both sensuous and lonely. Through this similarity, Bai’s influence on Lee is apparent.

“Water“ by Ralph Waldo Emerson (1836)

Another central influence of Lee’s is Ralph Waldo Emerson.