Irony and Symbolism

The collision of two worlds and cultures coming together creates turmoil and confusion for many. With an autobiographical nature, that is the feeling a reader gets when encountering the poems "Persimmons" by Li-Young Lee and "I Go Back to May 1937" by Sharon Olds. "Persimmons" is a story of two cultures coming together in the life of one person. Lee came from a Chinese heritage and grew up in Indonesia and later the United States (Li-Young Lee—Academy of American Poets). Initially, Li-Young Lee was unfamiliar with the English language. The English language is said to be the hardest language to learn, and yet he conquered it and has taught in many universities and colleges since he came to the United States (Li-Young Lee—Academy of American Poets). …