Li Po "Letter to His Two Small Children"

Metaphorical Inferences

• “Silkworms having three sleeps” mean that he was gone for 3 years

• “South Wind blowing back my heart” means he wants his family to feel his presence and love.

• “Peach tree now, level with the eaves” means things are growing and changing, and whether or not Li Po is there to see it happen, life will still go on without him

• “Breaking Blossom” means his daughter is tuning into a lady and may have a broken heart from the absence of her father.

• “Tears flow like a running stream” means his daughter is developing and need a father figure and his guidance but he is gone.

• “There beside my tree” means he is always with his son and daughter even though Li Po is so far away.

• “So tore some silk” means that he took a piece of himself or passionately removed something to write his heartfelt letter to his children.

Irony

• Line 14: “And sailing cannot yet turn home” Li Po wants to go home but he chooses not to. 

• Line 16: “Breaking blossom, there beside my tree” Li Po says that his daughter is beside him but in reality he is far away. 

• Line 23: “I dreamt like this till my wits went wild” Li Po drives himself crazy by wanting to go home to see his children but he cannot or does not go. Instead he persists on his journey. 

Themes

• Life still goes on although there is pain and loss. 

• Sacrificing yourself to help your family demonstrates true love. 

• Love can exist although the parties are distant. 

• The yearning for loved ones worsens over time.