Imagery

Concrete imagery refers to images born of the senses. They include seeing, hearing, taste, touch, and sound. Lee describes his memory of his mother combing her hair by using a detailed set of images to present a clear description to readers. Following is a list of images and the sense to which each corresponds: "the music of comb / against hair": sound; "salted Winter Vegetable": taste; "black as calligrapher's ink": sight; "my mother glides an ivory comb / through her hair": touch. Images, such as the latter, can also be dynamic; that is, they can describe actions.

Point of View

Point of view refers to the eyes and sensibility through which the poem is presented. Lee's poem is told from the first person point of view, meaning that he uses the "I" to structure his description. Short, first-person poems characterized by the expression of the speaker's private thoughts are known...