Question

From blossoms comes

this brown paper bag of peaches

we bought from the boy

at the bend in the road where we turned toward

signs painted Peaches.

From laden boughs, from hands,

from sweet fellowship in the bins,

comes nectar at the roadside, succulent

peaches we devour, dusty skin and all,

comes the familiar dust of summer, dust we eat.

O, to take what we love inside,

to carry within us an orchard, to eat

not only the skin, but the shade,

not only the sugar, but the days, to hold

the fruit in our hands, adore it, then bite into

the round jubilance of peach.

There are days we live

as if death were nowhere

in the background; from joy

to joy to joy, from wing to wing,

from blossom to blossom to

impossible blossom, to sweet impossible blossom.

Li-Young Lee, "From Blossoms," from Rose. Copyright © 1986 by Li-Young Lee. Used with the permission of The Permissions Company, Inc., on behalf of BOA Editions, Ltd., www.boaeditions.org.


Unless otherwise noted, this content is licensed under theCC BY-NC-SA 4.0 license

Notes
AllDefinitionsFootnotes
loaded with something heavy, carrying a lot of weight

a main branch of a tree
Fellowship (noun) : the company of equals or friends
Succulent (adjective) : juicy flavor, full of juice
great joy, triumph, or satisfaction
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Assessment Questions
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PART A: What do peaches represent for the speaker?

A. a way to remember those who are gone
B. gratitude for all life
C. time together with family
D. the unavoidability of death

Answers

GPT-4o mini
In the poem "From Blossoms" by Li-Young Lee, peaches represent a mixture of joy, life, and appreciation for the simple pleasures that come from nature and shared experiences. The speaker emphasizes the act of enjoying peaches not just as a fruit but as an embodiment of love and moments that make life sweet. Considering the options provided, the best choice reflecting what peaches represent for the speaker is:

**B. gratitude for all life.**

This choice captures the essence of savoring both the peaches and the moments of joy and connection they symbolize throughout life.