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Analysis Of My Papa's Waltz Poem By Theodore Roethke

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Precious Memory While the subject of the poem “My Papa’s Waltz” by Theodore Roethke has spurred passionate academic debate from professors, scholars, and students alike, the imagery, syntax, and diction of the poem clearly support the interpretation that Roethke writes “My Papa’s Waltz” to reminisce a precious memory with his father. However, the author makes it a fraction difficult to understand his intended meaning. Roethke uses a variety of words and phrases that lead the reader to interpret the poem a different way than it was intended to.
Although the author provides many controversial context, the text is made clear once it is examined thoroughly. Roethke uses many words such as “Romped” and “Battered” which leads a sentence to have multiple meanings. To start off, in stanza one the author states that his “Papa” had “Whiskey” On “[his] breath” followed by the author hanging on “Like death.” when first reading the poem, most will probably think these statements mean that the father came home drunk. In addition, in stanza 2 it …show more content…

The fact, that most people infer this poem to be about abuse is reasonable. however, according to Roethke’s biography, his father passed away due to cancer in 1923, when he was just 14, basically forcing him to become head of the family. In results to this, Roethke suffered from depression and other mental illnesses, and not to mention, his mental breakdown in 1935. Influenced by this tragic event, he then later wrote “My Papa’s Waltz” in 1942. Nevertheless, with his use of diction and sensory imagery, he successfully provided readers with an unexpected controversy. As he writes about a precious memory, he provides the readers with certain terms that illustrate a perturbing image, while at the same time making them appear sweet with others, leaving the reader on their own to interpret in their own

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In “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

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The subject of “My Papa’s Waltz” poem by Theodore Roethke has spurred passionate academic debate from professors, scholars, and students alike, the imagery, syntax, and diction of the poem clearly support the interpretation that Roethke writes “My Papa’s Waltz ” to describe the fond relationship with his father as a child. It has been argued that If he was being abused that he would have run away when he had the chance, rather, he didn’t want to let go of his father because they both were having fun. The son’s mother was growing due to motherly instinct out of her son’s safety of how crazy they were walzting, but made no attempts at the son and father’s intervention because it wasn’t necessary to interrupt them. Ultimately to describe

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“My Papas Waltz” Child abuse and playing are complete opposites. “My Papas Waltz” is written two display both. “My Papas Waltz” is a famous poem by Theodore Roethke about a child and his father in the kitchen. It can be interpreted as abusive or playful. Reading the poem, the first time through it appears to be abusive.

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A 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.

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764 Words | 4 Pages

Roethke’s My Papas Waltz Many literary scholars, researchers and readers in general, driven by intrigue, have tried to dissect, analyze, and interpret the ambiguous meaning of Theodore Roethke’s poem, “My Papa’s Waltz.” Their explications however, result in ambivalent, and sometimes controversial views. Some critics argue that “My Papas Waltz,” portrays the physical violence inflicted by a father to his child.

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Roethke's poem is structured around the metaphor of the waltz, which is used to represent the relationship between the father and son. The dance is described as "clinging" (Roethke, line 16) and "waltzing,"(Roethke, line 4) suggesting a close physical bond between the two. However, the dance is also described as rough and scraping which can also be seen as a metaphor for the difficult and sometimes painful interactions between fathers and sons. Similarly, Hayden's poem uses the metaphor of fire to represent the father's love and sacrifice for his family. The father's early morning efforts to warm the house are described as cracking and firing, which can be seen as a metaphor for his own inner strength and determination to provide for his family.

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The 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.

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In 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

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“Someone will Remember Us,” holds the hope that even in death, someone will remember and thus those people will be a part of history. However, in Renée Vivien’s translation of the poem, concepts such as, “erotic suffering, obsession, and anxiety” are present. Nonetheless, those negative emotions resulted in “eternal devotion” within the poem (36). Through the translation of Sappho’s poem, Vivien takes on the role of Sappho’s lover, and thus she proves that someone did remember her. Love believes that Sappho and Vivien both represent loneliness and isolation within the poem.

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871 Words | 4 Pages

The 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.

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898 Words | 4 Pages

Theodore 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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439 Words | 2 Pages

While the overall tone appears negative, the events within the story that directly affect Roethke have a positive and joyful overtone. Works Cited Roethke, Theodore. “My Papa’s Waltz.” Literature: An Introduction to Reading and Writing. Edgar V. Roberts and Henry E. Jacobs.

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Alternatively, the poem is more about the spirit of courage and strength and the essence of memory that provides support and consolation to an individual’s mind all through and following the period of acute crisis. Conversely, “the poem love

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664 Words | 3 Pages

In 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.

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The speaker as a child would see his father as a harsh man but as an adult, when he looked back he saw that his father had a love for his family. His father's love could be considered as a hidden love. However in the poem “Piano” the speaker's life seemed great until he looked back at his past to see his mother playing the piano and

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