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My papa's waltz theodore roethke analysis
Roethke's "My Papa's Waltz" meaning
Theodore roethke my papa's waltz analysis
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Chiu 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.
Every 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
“Fences” the play by August wilson and “My Papa’s Waltz” by Theodore Roethke, Both share a common theme and are based around the love of family. Love that can also cause pain intentionally but can accidentally hurt the people around them. ” Fences” and “My Papa’s Waltz” embodies character, symbolism and, figurative language throughout both poem and and play. In “Fences” the play tells the life of an average African American garbage collector Troy Maxson.
In 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.
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.
Compare and Contrast: My Papa’s Waltz and Grape Sherbet “My papa’s waltz” by Theodore Roethke is a poem about the relationship between father and son, where the son try to teach the father waltzing. “Grape Sherbet” is a poem by Rita Dove, describes his/her childhood memories of father. Both author used literary terms such as simile and alliteration from the line/quote that I pointed out. Theodore Roethke used simile to explain what was waltzing is like and Rita Dove used alliteration, the name of the recipe.
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.
Everything in life has similarities and differences as long as you're looking for them, but some have more than others. Comparing similarities and difference between two things in life is making a compare and contrast (book) . When comparing and contrasting two pieces of literature you have to observe not only the themes of them but also the plot. Fences by August Wilson and My Papa's Waltz by Theodore Roethke have many similarities and differences throughout the literature due to themes and the plot.
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.
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.
He shows a twist of emotions , and lacks to show identity. In the poem he says"... True i said "my grandmother" Because if i would have said my mother ypu wouldn't believe a word of it, since a mother should be leading,.." This means that through evry harsh emotion he makes lit of the situation by hiding the pain and hurtness and replacing it with joy, yet he makes you wonder of who the identity he truly is talking about.
This appears at the end of the poem: “My walk, my mother says, reminds her of my father. When I move long-legged and fast away from her she remembers him.” Her use of imagery in this poem extends the difference between her and her family, and allows the reader to empathize with Woodson.
Then the poem goes sad, in lines 11-13 it states how ability is sad and sick, “Sleeps in his little room all night and day, who used to laugh like the letter k, is sick”. The mood is happy like a pig in mud, but it gets very rough at the end like losing something that means a lot to you, describing how abuelito is healthy but getting ill. This poem shows the importance of how Sandra loves her abuelito. But also that we should appreciate the time we have now to be with our grandparents because one day they might get sick and not be there the next day. Like how in the poem, abuelito is very sick and possibly near
The tone of poem is important in this poem. In beginning speaker shows a passionate hatred and anger towards her father, later the tone changes with sympathy for her father. Similarly, “Because of you” present the pain of deteriorating relationship with singer and her father. In this song, Clarkson reflect on the discomfort that she felt when her parents were getting divorce. The poem display how it can affect a child to grow up with a neglectful relation throughout their childhood.
The speaker looks back in great regret at this memory. The poem is symbolic of the author’s emotional struggles of his childhood. The author successfully portrays a simple event
