It's Only A Story

The central tension in the poem, “A Story” by Li –Young Li is that the father is scared of the fact that his son will leave him once he is no longer able to entertain his son; this central tension is developed through using a somber tone and foreshadowing. Li-Young Li uses a somber tone throughout the poem. “Sad is the man who is asked for a story and can’t come up with one.” The poem starts off in a dreadful tone, and progresses as the man thinks about his son leaving. The author also uses foreshadowing when the man states,  "Already the man lives far ahead, he sees the day this boy will go. Don't go!" The father is picturing his son leaving him in the future. That is how Li-Young Li uses a somber tone and foreshadowing to develop the central tension.

Gordon Zhong