Without tension in any literary work there is no complexity, no possibility of resolution, and therefore, no interest. Tension between opposites, desires and outcomes, differing perceptions, and the metaphorical change from one psychological stage to the next, all create strife. In his poem, "Kearney Park," Gary Soto draws the interest of the reader and forces him or her to question and interpret through various levels of tension, using juxtaposition of contrasting words and images. This tension and resolutions makes for a very engaging, complex, and, at times, an ambiguous meaning.
Tension is implied by the very first words of the poem, "True Mexican"(1), because it leads the reader to the corresponding question, "what makes a true Mexican?" Soto's words imply that there is a difference between true Mexicans and those who are not, but they also cast that difference aside, telling the reader, "True Mexicans or not, let's open our shirts / And dance"(1-2). These words are command the reader. Words such as"[c]hipping"(3), "turning"(4), "wheezing"(6), "rising and falling"(7), "falling"(12), "clapping"(20), "shouting"(21), "[l]aughing"(22), make one almost want to jump up and join them. There is always tension in a poem that has a call to action because it is forcing the reader to make a choice between rising to the call and declining it; there is tension between these opposites. The poetry of Alexander Pope might declare, "submit!" while Gara Soto's poem commands, " Let's dance"(8)! If one obeys this commandment, what is gained? One becomes a part of the many, one blends, one laughs, and it doesn't matter if one's steps are "awkward"(10).
There is also tension between the speaker and the dancers. The dancers seem to blend together, "shiny as the sea"(4), a description which implies that if he were to become part of who they are, he would be one of many, one person in a sea of similar people.