From the Sullen Shapes of Poems by Lucy Ng
"From "The Sullen Shapes of Poems," written by the Chinese-Canadian poet, Lucy Ng, offers its readers a small glimpse into the impact growing up in a country and culture other than her ancestral homeland has had on her, the authors, life. The sympathetic and affectionate first stanza of the poem resembles an entry in a personal diary and begins with the narrative voice of Lucy Ng revisiting her childhood. ... The poems final two line stanza reflects on the narrators source of inspiration for her poems. Considering the meaning of the word sullen, "to silently indicate resentment" (Merriam- Webster), the narrator is indicating through her final phrase, "The sullen shapes of poems," that her poems are inspired by and are a silent expression of the resentful feelings she has within her that she has thus far kept silent about.