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Analysis Of My Papa's Waltz By Theodore Roethke

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It is clear from the beginning of “My Papa’s Waltz” by Theodore Roethke that the author intended for the poem to give a negative connotation to the reader. The poem not only involved a seemingly alcoholic father, but also a small boy whose experience was shaped by his father’s actions. The scene depicted is negative because of the way he is swung, hit on the head, and scraped by a belt buckle. The father, unaware of how rough he handles his son, swings his child around like he is on a merry-go-round. This is shown in the quote “But I hung on like death,” (line 3). The word “death” implies that the boy is not enjoying his time dancing, which contributes to the notion that this experience with his father is negative. This quote shows the difficulty the boy has when hanging on to his …show more content…

In the quote “You beat time on my head / With a palm caked hard by dirt,” (13-14), it is shown that the boy must endure getting hit on the head in order to continue the dance with his father. The imagery provided within these lines can also support the idea that the father is an alcoholic or abusive. Immediately after being hit on the head, the boy and his father dance off to bed as if nothing has happened; which leads to the suggestion that this “dance” is fairly common. Overall, the moments captured in “My Papa’s Waltz” have a negative effect on the boy because of the way he is struck on the head, swung around the room, and grazed by a belt buckle. Despite the negative aspects of the dance, one can conclude that the boy and the father seem to have a difficult, yet somewhat loving relationship. At the end of the poem, the boy persistently clings onto the father’s shirt. The boy must love his father, because of the efforts he contributes in order to continue the waltz. However, the relationship between the boy and the father is toxic because of the mistreatment of the

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