Cultural convergences in Cathy song's poetry

Abstract

Coming from deeply rooted oral and literary traditions in American, Asian American and Pacific Rim communities, the first collection of poet Cathy Song attracted immediate attention. Winner of the 1982 Yale Series of Younger Poets Prize, Picture Bride and Song's two subsequent volumes have garnered attention ever since. Her work reflects the experience of women in traditional and contemporary cultures; it examines an East—West heritage. Her poetry configures the state of American literature today, a state invigorated by cultural infusion. Song is a highly visual poet; her use of metaphor and music reveals her as a consummate craftswoman.