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Reading Group Guide

City in Which I Love You Poems by Li-Young Lee

Born in Jakarta, Indonesia, Li-Young Lee shows us his struggle for identity in The City in Which I Love You. These poems, written with a love for plain speech, search for wisdom through family relationships, memories, and culture.

Visit the City in Which I Love You web page [here]

Discussion Topics

In the fourth poem of "Furious Versions," how is the rose a symbol of the poet's father? Is there any other symbolism found in the poem?
The sixth poem of "Furious Versions" containsa a lengthy description of the sound of the sea. How significant is the difference between the sea's rhythm and the rhythm of mankind? Do you think it's possible for humans to achieve the steadiness of the sea?
How does the poet seem to differ from the father that appears throughout many of the works?
The poet devotes much of his writing to the idea of forgetting his past. How difficult is this to do? What about those who say that you can't escape your past?
Do you think that there is one central theme that the poems of this collection are built around? If so, what is it? Does one poem convey the theme more clearly than the others?