"A Story" by Li-Young Li uses Forshadowing and a metaphor to show tension with the father and him self also showing us an insight on the imporantce kids are in some parents life. The main idea in this poem is that the father can't think of a story to tell his son but the father can't think of a story and is afraid his son will be disapointed in him. The metaphor in the begaining "Sad is a man who is asked for a story and can't come up with one." (stanza one) This is a lead into the tension between the father and him self. The tension is basily given then goes on in depth using foreshadowing. Foreshadowing is used to show what the father is afraid of if he can't tell his son a story. "Already the man lives far ahead, he sees the day this boy will go. Don't go! heaer the Aligator story!...but the boy is packing up his shirts."