My Papa's Waltz Literary Analysis
My Papa’s Waltz: by Theodore Roethke The poetic piece of “My Papa’s Waltz” written by Theodore Roethke is a traumatic tale that approaches a psychoanalytic approach to a young boy’s relationship towards his Father. Although the poem itself is only sixteen lines, it is one of Roethke’s most moving and most frequently anthologized or recognized poems [1]. The story has been read as a very warm memory, but easily shifts itself into a perplexed darker narrative that deals with assumptions like abuse. In this analytical essay, I will discuss the past experiences of Theodore Roethke that influenced “My Papa’s Waltz”, emphasizing the psychoanalytical approaches that are defined in this emotional poem. The story is told …show more content…
Roethke places a historical experience to address a social and cultural issue found in drunkenness, which abstracts the harmful nature he once experienced through a vivid psychological approach. For example, lines 5-8 “We romped until the pans. Slid from the kitchen shelf; my mother’s countenance, Could not unfrown itself,” one recognizes the boy enduring a dance by his father that seems to have already been endured by his mother for a long time [5]. The mother’s tone is perceived with anger and depression, but despite her husband’s drunkenness she ignores all that occurs as she continues her regular household work. The rhythm of the poem is cheerfully written only to mask and disguise the resentment truly felt by the author of the poem. All such attributes that characterize “My Papa’s Waltz” reminds the reader why it is such an enriching piece of literature, as its imagery can transparently express all that Roethke experienced emotionally. “My Papa’s Waltz” is a powerful poem that integrates an honest conversation towards the obnoxious nature of drunkenness. Theodore Roethke used this poetic piece to vividly display the perplex issues children in society deal with when confronting a family member who drinks. The poem’s nature is half affectionate and half satirical as it mocks the events his father placed on him that he never
My Papas Waltz: Abusive Relationship Between Father And Son
274 Words | 2 PagesMy papas waltz To me “My papas waltz” is about an abusive relationship between father and son. Some may say that it’s just a dance in a kitchen, or it’s just a boy who was dancing with his dad but got hurt so he was put to bed. Through this essay I will explain to you how it is not just a dance, or how it’s just a little boy getting hurt. Through this poem on line 5 you can see clearly that they are not in fact dancing but romping, meaning the child is playing roughly or energetically.
Comparing Poems My Papa's Waltz And Those Winter Sundays
691 Words | 3 PagesEveryone has a father, whether their relationship with him is good or bad. Webster’s Dictionary defines the word father as follows: a man in relation to his natural child or children. “My Papa’s Waltz” by Theodore Roethke and “Those Winter Sundays” by Robert Hayden are two poems with themes set around a father. These poems deal with accounts of the poets’ fathers as they reminisce about certain scenes from their childhood. “My Papa’s Waltz” and “Those Winter Sundays” show similarities and differences in structure, literary elements, and central idea.
Diction In My Papa's Waltz
188 Words | 1 PagesTheodore Roethke’s poem, “My Papa’s Waltz,” discusses a child and father’s interactions within their kitchen as the mother watches while frowning. Roethke delivers his work through the child’s perspective, an unreliable speaker, which enables an ambiguous tone. This allows the reader to interpret the child and father’s relationship in many ways. Words involved in Roethke’s diction, such as “waltzed,” “romped,” and “dizzy,” indicate enjoyment within the relationship. On the other hand, “beat,” “death,” and “battered” create a sinister picture of abuse.
My Papa's Waltz By Theodore Roetheke
122 Words | 1 PagesTheodore Roetheke’s poem, My Papa's Waltz, is one of Roetheke’s best poems he has ever written according to sources. While reading this poem, I had a sense of shock. This poem could be taken in so many different ways, which all depends on your perspective and you, of course, as an individual. At first, I had a sense of the father beating his child, which is told in a way of a beautiful dance, which is The Waltz. The waltz is a ballroom and folk dance, normally in triple time which is usually performed primarily in a closed position.
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 PagesThe relationship between father and son is one that is both sacred, yet complex as each side of the relationship faces hardships. This relationship between a son and his role model, a father and his child, is one, has its ups, but one must also know it has downs. In Theodore Roethke’s “My Papa’s Waltz,” Roethke’s use of ambiguity through diction allows room for the audience to interpret the text in a positive or a negative way, representing the relationship between a father and a son, which on the outside can be interpreted in an either positive or a negative way. Roethke’s use of diction creates an element of confusion for the audience of his poem.
My Papa's Waltz And Those Winter Sundays
683 Words | 3 PagesEvery story consists of different elements, such as characters, plotlines, and settings. Nonetheless, many stories portray the same messages or ideas. “My Papa’s Waltz,” by Theodore Roethke, depicts a reckless father who is loved by his child, while “Those Winter Sundays,” by Robert Hayden, depicts a hardworking father whose child is indifferent to him. Though the poems depict exceptionally different childhoods, both contribute to the idea that perceptions of parents alter as one grows into adulthood. Both poems use harsh words and critical tones in order to convey this notion, however in “My Papa’s Waltz,” they signify the recklessness of the father and how the narrator perceives his father as an adult, while in “Those Winter Sundays,” they
Theodore Roethke My Papas Waltz Summary
88 Words | 1 PagesTheodore Roethke wrote the poem “My Papa’s Waltz” to display his love towards his father through their playful actions and his need to spend time with his father. Roethke’s father spends most of his time at work and for that reason Roethke wants to spend time with his father despite of him being drunk. The end of the poem ends as they are about to fall asleep. Roethke “Still clinging to [his father’s] shirt.”
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.
Figurative Language In My Papa's Waltz
588 Words | 3 PagesIn the poem, My Papa’s Waltz, the speaker, Theodore Roethke, writes about a father and son waltzing. Further investigation suggests there is more going on than a waltz. The poet utilizes figure of speech and a negative toned vocabulary throughout the poem. Thus, alleviating the reader of the harsh truth of an abusive relationship whilst never dehumanizing the father.
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 PagesIn the poem, “My Papa’s Waltz”, Theodore Roethke illustrates the complex relationship between a little boy and his father by juxtaposing images of love and violence through word choices that portray feelings of fear yet affection for his father. Roethke’s shifting tone encompasses distress and a sense admiration that suggests the complexities of violence both physically and emotionally for the undercurrents of his father and son relationship. The poem begins with a series of negative images, each of which are considered violent and undesirable in a family. For example, “The whiskey on your breath” suggests alcoholism, and “Could make a small boy dizzy” emphasizes that a boy is suffering from the effects of the alcoholic parent.
What Is The Tone Of My Papa's Waltz
531 Words | 3 PagesIn this poem all the son sees is battered knuckles on his father with “palms caked hard by dirt.” This paints a description of an abusive father that does not love his son because if he did love his son he would not hurt him. The father is first introduced with “whiskey on his breath” (line 1) which can be inferred that he is an alcoholic and this creates a negative image that the reader can see and even smell. The son though seems to notice all this, but still seems to love his father and admire him. The waltz represents a repetitive step and in the poem the waltz is his father’s constant abuse and interrupts the sweet idealistic dance.
My Papa's Waltz Poem Theme
474 Words | 2 PagesRoethke also uses an awkward form of rhyme. In other words, in every rhyming pair he contradicts himself. For instance, line one “[t]he whiskey on your breathe” and line three “[b]ut I hung on like death are total opposite in meaning, making diction or word choice extremely important in the poem. Roethke has a different style in poetry and he follows all the rules for diction.
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