A Father's Worry

The literary devices of metaphors in the poem “A Story” by Li-Young Li contribute immensely to the central tension or main idea that the son has to move on from his father and not be tied down. An example of a metaphor in the poem is on line 18 where it states, “Am I a god that I should never disappoint?” This relates to the central tension or the main idea because since the father is worried about the son leaving, he asks him if he has to be a god because he should never disappoint his son. Another example of a metaphor is on lines six and seven where it states, “In a room full of book in a world of stories…” These lines are talking about how it is sad as to how a father can’t come up with one new story to tell his son when the world is so big. It also shows why the son needs to move on because his father cannot come up with a good enough story for his son to hear. Literary devices can play hugely on the main idea or the central tension in any piece of writing.

Lost for Words

In the poem, A Story, by Li-Young Lee, there is a central tension between a dad and his son. The speaker uses metaphor and symbolism to create the central tension.The son requests a new story from his dad and when the dad is unable to muster a story, the tension arises that if the dad is unable to come up with the story, he will lose the admiration and love from his son. This scares the dad in a way that he is afraid of being deserted in the future by his son. As the dad sits with his boy on his lap, “In a room full of books in a world of stories, he can recall not one, and soon, he thinks, the boy will give up on his father.” This metaphorical expression emphasizes the panic of the father, afraid that his son will grow tired of him, as there are numerous stories he could tell, but he can’t recite one. As the father looks into the future, he sees, “... the boy is packing his shirts... Are you a god, the man screams, that I sit mute before you? Am I a god that I should never disappoint?” The father in his vision of what's to come, he sees his son, packing his bags to leave. He does not understand, he uses the symbolism and representation of a god to express his reaction; after all, only a god would cause one to sit dumbfounded before him. Only a god, would have no other obligation but to not disappoint. To the father, telling his son a new story is everything, and the lack of one creates the central tension of the poem.

The Father's Empty Story

The Central Tension in the story "A Story" is that the boy really wants his dad to read him another story because the father has told him very good stories when he was little and the boy wants another one but the father cannot think of one so it makes the child very sad. The author of this poem uses a metaphor to describe how the boy is very sad by saying in the story how the five-year-old is waiting patiently on the father's lap and yet the father cannot think of any new story. This is a metaphor because the father can't think of a story and is trying to think of one. There are two seperate lines that these parts are in and so they are compared with each other. The author also uses irony in this poem by saying a line how the kid loves the alligator story and the child wants to hear the angel story again. This is an example of irony because alligators and angels are very different and the author us comparing two opposite ideas.

Beyond Words

3(B).
          "A Story" by Li-Young Li uses Foreshadowing and a metaphor to show tension with the father and himself also showing us an insight on the importance 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 disappointed in him. The metaphor in the beginning "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 himself. The tension is basically 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 he will lose the relationship with his son. "Already the man lives far ahead, he sees the day this boy will go. Don't go! hear the Alligator story!...but the boy is packing up his shirts." The Foreshadowing shows tension with the the father and himself. This makes me wonder if other parents strive for a successful relationship with their children, to maintain hopefulness in the child's eyes.

Resenting Time

Two literary devices that help Li-Young Lee, the author of "A Story", develope the central tension between the father and time are Imagery and Foreshadowing.

Imagery, or the visually descriptive figurative language, is not only used consistantly throughout this poem, but it's presence is used by the author to help devlope the tension between the father and time by helping the reader literally see and imagine the relationship between the two. "His five year old son waits in his lap./ Not the same story, Baba. A new one./ The man rubs his chin, scratches his ear./ In a room full of books in a world/ of stories, he can recall/ not one, and soon, he thinks, the boy/ will give up on his father." The author also uses forshadowing to describe how the father feels the son growing up and leaving. The father resents time because it is eventually going to take away his son from him. "Already the man lives far ahead, he sees/ the day this boy will go. Don't go!" The two literary devices that help the author develope the central tension between father and time are Imagery and Foreshadowing.

 

 

 

Looking Ahead

In the poem, "A Story," by Li-Young Lee, the author uses foreshadowing and irony to develop the central tension of the rough relationship between a father and his son. In the story, the father "lives far ahead, he sees the day this boy will go. Don't go! Hear the alligator story...the spider story...Let me tell it!" The father is looking into the future with regret of the times that he did not read to his son, and is now begging for his son to come back. Lee uses irony by saying, "In a room full of books, in a world full of stories, he can recall not one..." This is ironic because the father can never think of a single story to tell his son, but there is a room full of stories that the father could just read to his son. Overall, through the use of foreshadowing and irony the author is able to depict the bad relationship between the father and the son, which is the central tension of the poem.

Under the Surface

In the poem “Four Skinny Trees” the author uses an extended metaphor to develop the theme in the story by using the trees as a symbol for Esperanza.  The theme that is expressed by the extended metaphor is the ugliest, poor, and raggedy things have beauty and magnitude underneath the surface. An extended metaphor is a symbol of something that is throughout the entire piece of literature. The extended metaphor in “Four Skinny Trees” is the trees represent her. She uses the metaphor by describing the trees as useless and unappealing but underneath the ground they are strong and ferocious. No one sees their strength except Esperanza, she is like those trees. She alike a weak, poor girl on the outside and that’s how everyone views her, but on the inside she has passion and true potential. The extended metaphor suggests that things may not always seem as they appear and few truly know what is under the surface. -Tiana