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Diction And Juxtaposition In 'A Story' By Li-Young Lee

589 Words3 Pages

A Story In the poem, A Story, Li-Young Lee uses specific diction and juxtaposition to reveal the affection the father and son have for each other as well as the fears behind a changing relationship. This complex relationship between the father and the son is depicted throughout the boy’s adjourn for a new story. The poem is written through the juxtaposition of the father: the father in the present and the father’s prediction of the future. In the present the father and his son have a strong emotional bond between each other. When the boy asks for a story, the father “...rubs his chin, scratches in ear…” in an effort to conjure up a story his son would enjoy. The action in itself reflects the strong love and endearment he has for his child; a lot of thoughts are devoted to make a story. However, he can recall not one story and the father’s thoughts diverge from thinking of a captivating story, to the future he is dreadful for: “...soon, he thinks, the boy will give up on his father”. …show more content…

His five-year-old son refers to the father as “Baba”, a word filled with the boy’s entreaty towards his father as he asks for a story. However, he is later portrayed as a “...boy [who] is packing his shirts, [and] looking for his keys”. He is no longer portrayed as the five year old son, but as a grown man. However, the boy still adores his father, and the word “Baba” remains a huge role in the son’s life; it is used to express his love for his father and to ask for stories, he highly looks forward to. Despite the fear that his son will leave him one day, the relationship between the father and his son is an “...emotional rather than logical equation, an earthly rather than heavenly one…”. It is composed of “...a boy’s supplication and a father’s love add[ing] up to silence”; a silence that is filled with love for each

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