Question

Explain how the metaphor in line 13-16 contributes to the theme of the poem?

Answer 1

It shows how the father figure in the poem feels and how he looks and how he is deteriorating slowly and dripping away like the sand in the hourglass

Answer 2

The poem "My Father's Sadness" by Shirley Geok-lin Lim discusses how a father's responsibilities can be overwhelming, and how the responsibility of constantly caring for his children can take a toll on him. This is the theme of the story.

In lines 13-16, the author imagines that her father is made of clay. She says that with each child, a little bit of him is lost. "The clay of his body crumbling" refers to the father giving away a little bit of patience, energy, happiness, etc. to his children, and slowly decaying. These little pieces of clay are like the drizzle we can see in the hourglass.