My Papa's Waltz Imagery
Theodore Roethke’s “My Papa’s Waltz”, written in 1942 toward the end of World War II, focuses on a scene between father and child. There are two clear sources of imagery in this poem, one is of dancing while the other is violence. True these two are complete opposite and many people don’t see them relating. Lucky for the reader Roethke’s connects the two fluently to paint a picture for us. The first example of dancing is the whole poem keeps a steady three beat per line rhythm just like a waltz does. Just as the poem keeps this beat Roethke mentions “Such waltzing was not easy” (4) this allows the reader to fully think of the father and son dancing around trying to master the dance. Another example of keeping the three step rhythm is “You beat time on my head” (13). The …show more content…
The wording here is interesting due to the fact that it is only used during extreme circumstances. Roethke does the same sense of imagery with the word “beat” (13). Within the poem Roethke uses dancing to represent an abusive fight between father and his child. The reader can get this from the struggle of the boy to dance with his father and to keep up “But I hung on like death/such waltzing was not easy” (3-4). Also fully in the next stanza we get the scene of rough housing and the mother not approving but also not doing anything, “We romped/My mother’s countenance/Could not unfrown itself” (5-8). Next the reader gets a sense of abuse from the fact that when something went wrong the father would abuse the child, “At every step you missed/My right ear scraped a buckle” (11-12). Yet in the head despite the abuse the son receives from his father often he still loves him wanting his father’s love in return “Then waltzed me off to bed/still clinging to your shirt” (15-16). The relationship between father and son is very complex due to the fact that the son does not like the abuse but he still puts up with it because he loves his
Why Does Theodore Roethke Use Ambiguous Language
119 Words | 1 PagesIn “My Papa’s Waltz,” poet Theodore Roethke uses sensory details and ambiguous language to persuade both the boy and the reader that the boy still loves his father, despite him being an alcoholic. On the third sentence of the first stanza, Roethke uses ambiguous language by stating: “But I hung on like death. Such waltzing was not easy.” Although this plainly means that the boy was holding onto his father without ease, it can be interpreted in another way; the boy still loves his father, even though it is hard to love him with his alcoholism at times, and the boy still loves his father very much. The boy is reflecting on this idea while waltzing with his
My Papa's Waltz Analysis
1559 Words | 7 PagesChiu Ching 3U (8) My Papa’s Waltz Questions 1. Comment on the simile in the first stanza. (3 marks) The simile used in the first stanza is “I hung on like death”(3). The next line, “Such waltzing was not easy”(4) suggests that the father and son’s boisterous, wild “romping”(5) around was difficult for the child, and he had to hang on tightly because the father was romping around drunkenly and did not hold onto him well.
My Papas Waltz Analysis
657 Words | 3 PagesThe imagery of “My Papas Waltz” can clearly be understood as a father waltzing with his son in the kitchen, tapping the beat too his son’s head, and his ear scraping his buckle against his child’s ear. The poem is playful when the poem says, “At every step you missed/ My right ear scraped a buckle” (Roethke lines 11-12).
My Papa's Waltz Syntax
560 Words | 3 PagesHe does so by constructing the lines to misplace the blame for the speaker’s injuries upon mere accidents instead of the father. “My right ear scraped a buckle” (12) for example sounds like the son’s ear caused a scratch on the buckle when it is the other way around. By positioning the words out of cause-effect order, the resentment and displeasure potentially caused by the actions are avoided. In doing so, the son conveys that he doesn’t hold negative feelings or disdains his father for the abuse. Rather, he emphasizes the kind and caring side of his father who “With a palm caked hard by dirt, / Then waltzed me off to bed” (14-15).
My Papa's Waltz Analysis Essay
1237 Words | 5 PagesAlthough one may misinterpret the first paragraph, “the whiskey on your breath, could make a small boy dizzy; but I hung on like death: such waltzing was not easy” (Line 1- 4), it means that, despite the fact that the father was slightly drunk, he was capable of waltzing with his son, albeit clumsily. He was excitedly frolicking with his son and certainly not pummeling him as some readers may think. Lines in the second stanza, “we romped until the pans, slid from the kitchen shelf; my mother’s countenance, could not unfrown itself” (Line 5-8), suggests that the child was clearly enthusiastic about the waltz only to the penitence of his concerned mother. To further suggest that the poem is written as a warm nostalgic memory, the author employs a waltzing tune and
My Papa's Waltz And Those Winter Sundays Analysis
871 Words | 4 PagesThe father/son relationship are shown in both poems. Both are adults reflecting on their past. “My Papa’s Waltz” is about how the father would dance daily with the son. Although it was painful when he sometimes missed a step and his “right ear scraped a buckle”, this was a memorable memory for the son (Line 8). The poem has a happy tone of the sons childhood days.
Connotation In My Papa's Waltz
902 Words | 4 PagesAnother example of this, in the last stanza, lines 15-16, is made as Roethke notes “[t]hen waltzed me off to bed/[s]till clinging to your shirt.” The last lines of the poem show the true relationship at the end of all the confusion lost in the midst of the middle of the poem. The father loves his son and waltzes him to bed and the boy, loving his father, slings to his shirt to stay with him. The poem expresses the confusion and complexity created in a relationship such as this one between father and son, but at the end, the confusion is unnecessary and what prevails is not the negatives, but instead the positive aspect of
My Papa's Waltz And Those Winter Sundays
683 Words | 3 PagesMany individuals believe that hands tell a lot about a person, such as their job or even their class. For instance, rough hands might indicate that the person works in construction and soft hand might indicate a person of high-class who is able to take care of his or her skin. The most common reason for cracked and aching hands is cold weather, which implies that the father in “Those Winter Sundays” is a blue-collar worker who performs his job outside. This contrasts with the battered hands seen in “My Papa’s Waltz,” which indicates some form of violence. The harsh words in both “My Papa’s
Harrison Bergeron Analysis
1002 Words | 5 PagesThis dance is supposed to be beautiful to show everyone how wonderful differences could be. The style in which the story is written changes in this passage by showing a lovely, beautiful scene than the usually harsh tones. Question Four :
Joan Didion Why I Write Analysis
695 Words | 3 Pages“Artworks have ‘aboutness’ and demand interpretation” (Barrett 71). This statement creates a foundation for writing, specifically about dance, as each dance piece is always about something, no matter how simple it appears to be. As I began to write about dance I knew not only to provide a description of the piece, but utilize the description as evidence as I develop a possible meaning. Additionally he explains, “There can be different, competing, and contradictory interpretations of the same artwork” (Barrett 73). When I would begin to develop an explanation from the description I provided, I had to remind myself that my interpretation was only one view of the dance and I should not try to provide one comprehensive interpretation for the
Compare And Contrast Sylvia Plath And My Papa's Waltz
846 Words | 4 PagesIn Roethke’s “My Papa’s Waltz”, the speaker seems to be an adult reminiscing his childhood through a metaphor of a dance. The poem suggests that the boy was abused and the mother stood by without doing much about it. Three topics that
My Papa's Waltz Devices Analysis
563 Words | 3 PagesA father and son romping around in the kitchen as the mother is looking. While others may view this poem as a family torn by a father's misfortunes. In line 1, the word “Whiskey” gives some characteristics of the fathers crooked ways. Continuing on, the signs of foul play and roughness with his hands, "battered on one knuckle", and "a palm caked hard by dirt".(11-14) More so, some of “Papa” few escapes most likely consist of a drink when he gets home from a rough day. Concluding, “Papa”makes his own family feel very uncomfortable around him.
Analysis Of My Papas Waltz By Theodore Roethke
764 Words | 4 PagesIn the final analysis, most readers of this poem tend to deduce a dark theme of physical violence due to its tone, word choice and imagery. Nonetherless, Roethke balances positive and negative tones of the poem to give it a rich and ambiguous quality. The exceeding tendency to paint the picture of child abuse deprives it, of this quality. “My Papa’s Waltz,” illustrates a special and powerful moment, shared between a father and a son through a waltz.
What Is The Theme Of Violence In 'My Papa's Waltz'
664 Words | 3 PagesThis portrays emotional abuse that explores the possibilities of a toxic father-son dynamic. The line “But I hung on like death” then continues to imply that the father’s careless attitude is hurting the little boy internally. These images give insightful pictures to an unhealthy relationship caused by psychological violence. The speaker then adds a more positive image of dancing with, “Such waltzing was not easy” and “We romped until the pans slid from the kitchen shelf,”. Although most associate Waltzing as an enjoyable dance, it is in reality a metaphor that represents the relationship he has with his father.
Imagery In My Papa's Waltz
898 Words | 4 PagesTheodore Roethke’s, “My Papa’s Waltz,” uses a great deal of imagery by using the metaphor of the word “Waltz.” A Waltz is a dance that has a step to every beat of the music, while in close proximities to the other dancer, there is not much change and it is in fact quite repetitive. Already we begin to form an image Roethke is trying to provide us by saying “My Papa’s Waltz.” His usage of the word “Papa” is quite informal compared to the word, “father.” It is only upon reading and analyzing the rest of the poem that we realize the struggle tied to the word.
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