It is difficult to even scratch the surface of one poem in a class period, let alone attempt to delve into the depths of four different poems. I wanted to discuss the poems Payton and Alanna presented on a little more, though this post is in no way a comprehensive analysis of any of them. I found Li-Young Lee's poem, "This Gift," quite intriguing. There is a lot of love present - the love between a father and a son, and that between husband and wife. The narrator says that his father instilled "measures of tenderness" and "flames of discipline" in him, which he will carry with him "to keep" as he moves on in life. Because of his father's guidance, the narrator can now bestow the same tenderness upon his wife, whose splinter he now removes. At the end, however, the poem changes its tone. On one level, there appears to be some kind of resentment between husband and wife. There are a lot of "I did not"s, words often heard in arguments. Perhaps the narrator is hurt that after he removes his wife's splinter "so carefully she feels no pain," his wife does not kiss him as he kissed his father upon removing his splinter. Instead, she grumbles to him, "lift[s] up [her] wound and cries." The narrator seems to be complaining, or chastising his wife for not giving him the kiss he expected for thanks. I may be completely off the mark with this interpretation, so I'd like to hear what others think!

Today in class Alanna talked about Ikeda's poem, "Night Light." I found it contrary to the ways of nuns and monks (or at least those in Korea, as Prof. Suh said) that the narrator and her Buddhist monk husband procreated. At first this was surprising, but after reading more closely, it makes sense, because the narrator does not wholeheartedly embrace Buddhism. Her wishes are incongruent with the ascetic beliefs of the monks and nuns - as Alanna noted, she wishes for material things such as eternal life, her child's father, and money. While for a person outside of the monastery/nunnery these are all reasonable and desirable, for a nun to harbor such thoughts shows that she values things other than religious austerity. I am not passing judgment on her; she has a right to want these things for son and her wishes demonstrate her great love for him.

The title of the poem is "Night Light." On the surface level, this brings parenthood to mind, as children often sleep with night lights. It also has resonance with Buddhism and enlightenment. To the narrator, Buddhist temples are "dark," and she is not likely to be close to achieving enlightenment. For her, her son, whose "round face is full and luminous," is the light of her life. In the darkness of pre-enlightenment, her child gives her such great joy. However, because for whatever reason she has not, cannot, and probably will not be renouncing Buddhism, she calls this bliss "foolish." Her son may bring her utmost happiness, but there are so many things she feels she cannot provide for him.

Perhaps she worries that in the modern world, those who stringently practice Buddhism will be left behind. In a previous stanza she mentions that the Buddhist rituals they perform could have been a scene from 100, even 1,000 years ago, "and perhaps it is" - in other words, their community has not changed with the times. The Buddhists do, however, use a Black & Decker night light, showing that all cultures, no matter how spartan, must eventually turn to modernization. The fact that the poem is called "Night Light" tells of the importance of this technology. Ikeda addresses the need to incorporate outside ideas into one's culture in her poem when she alludes to Indra's net. According to http://www.cs.kent.ac.uk/people/staff/saf/networks/networking-networkers/indras-net.html:

"The [Buddhist] myth of Indra's Net provide an allegory of this interdependent
organization. This net exists in Indra's palace in heaven and extends infinitely
in all directions. At each node of the net where threads cross there is a
perfectly clear gem that reflects all the other gems in the net. As each gem
reflects every other one; so are you affected by every other system in the
universe."

The narrator of the poem knows that no one civilization can or should exist in a vacuum void of the influences of and interactions with another. She wants her son to grow up in a modern world, so that he has many options and experiences. As Indra's Net is a Buddhist metaphor, the Buddhists should, in theory, agree with this. However, the narrator's ritualistic, ascetic Buddhist sect remains in the dark ages save for their one Black & Decker night light. They also have the narrator's son: as a child he represents a new generation, and an opportunity to herald in the new. Thus he is a guiding light, a hope for his mother and for the rest of his people.