How is the poem structured?
The poem “Aerogrammes” is based on Russell Leong’s trip to Sun Wei County in southern China. He returned to China to find his ancestor’s grave, to visit, to pay respects, to discover who his relatives are and therefore his past. The poem is structured around five airmail letters that Russell receives from his relatives in China upon his return to America. In Aerogramme 1, the relatives ask him for money so that they can invest in a dry goods store. In Aerogramme 2, the relatives ask Russell for money so that they can invest in a government condominium. In Aerogramme 3, his aunt suggests that he be reintroduced to a young village lass and that he might be interested in marrying her. Aerogramme 5 is actually from the young girl herself, offering herself in marriage to Russell. Information about key references Tai Chi Derived from Chinese characters meaning “supreme force,” Tai Chi is a martial art that combines meditation with graceful postures. The practice is said to increase the flow
