ipl-logo

Summary Of My Papa's Waltz By Roethke

964 Words4 Pages

In Roethke’s poem “My Papa’s Waltz” a boisterous waltz between the boy and his father which was perhaps the result of a few too many drinks, resulted in a lifelong memory for the speaker of the poem. The poem revolves around a recollection of a child dancing with his apparently intoxicated Father. The waltz brought joy and excitement to a young child who may not always get to experience such bonding moments with his father. Although many readers often interpret the tone of the poem as negative, there is enough textual evidence to dispel this interpretation. Ultimately, the speaker’s tone throughout the poem “My Papa’s Waltz” displays the playful nature of his Papa’s Waltz. Although the speaker of the poem appears to detect his father’s …show more content…

The waltz between the father and his son ended with the boy getting sent to bed, so it was clear that the speaker enjoyed the prospect of delaying his bedtime. For instance, the speaker concludes his recollection by stating, “Then waltzed me off to bed/ Still clinging to your shirt” (Roethke 15-16). This signifies that the waltz may have just been an attempt to coerce the young boy into getting to bed. In addition, this poem highlights the playful nature of the relationship that bonds fathers and their …show more content…

However, the speaker chooses to hang on as tight as he can throughout the wild dance. In this example, the speaker utilizes a similie to depict how tightly he held on to his father during the waltz. As the speaker describes, “But I hung on like death: / Such waltzing was not easy” (Roethke 3-4). If the young boy did not want to partake in the waltz he would not be hanging on like “death;” rather he would attempt to avoid the situation entirely. Ultimately, interpreting this poem correctly requires a careful examination of the context of the

Show More
Related

Why Does Theodore Roethke Use Ambiguous Language

119 Words | 1 Pages

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

Read More

Poem Analysis Of Anthem, By Jim Daniels

1047 Words | 5 Pages

However, the speaker hears the father’s singing as “a children’s song,” which are often characterized as simple-minded (9). Since the line “my shoulder against his” demonstrates the speaker to be the same height as the father and therefore also an adult, the speaker could initially consider his father’s straight-forward attempt at a connection to be either too simple for what attention he should be given now that he is grown-up (11). The speaker believes the father should have tried for this connection when he was still a child rather than “now” (8). These negative attitudes at the beginning of the stanza, allows the speaker to create a shift for the audience with the next phrase, “I lean into him” (9). The audience sees the speaker ignoring his gut, giving into his want to form a relation with his father.

Read More

My Papas Waltz Analysis

657 Words | 3 Pages

The 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).

Read More

My Papa's Waltz And Those Winter Sundays

683 Words | 3 Pages

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

Read More

Analysis Of My Papas Waltz By Theodore Roethke

764 Words | 4 Pages

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.

Read More

Connotation In My Papa's Waltz

902 Words | 4 Pages

The use of positive connotation in the text is utilised to illuminate the positives of the relationship, as they “romp” and “waltz” their way through a fun life. However, Roethke intentionally included those words with negative connotation to show the constant complexity and imperfect nature of their relationship. In lines 3-4, Roethke states “[b]ut I held on like death:/[s]uch waltzing was not easy,” which is the first metaphor for their relationship. In this quote from the text, as Roethke preaches the difficulty of the waltz, he is really writing about the relationship between his father and son as being “not easy.” And although their relationship is not easy as it goes through life, the boy still “hung on like death,” showing his love for his father and another positive for the relationship.

Read More

My Papa's Waltz Literary Devices

482 Words | 2 Pages

Childhood memories linger long after one’s parents have gone and, though the memories may become clouded, the children often vividly remember the emotions that rested in their hearts. Sometimes, these emotions are negative, causing people to develop methods for dealing with them, such as attempting to see them from a positive perspective. In “My Papa’s Waltz,” the speaker recalls a childhood memory that appears positive on the surface, but literary devices such as diction and imagery reveal the negative nature of the memory. Primarily, the context of “My Papa’s Waltz” appears chipper and playful, however, through Roethke’s use of strong diction, a reader can detect the true dismal roots of the poem.

Read More

Compare And Contrast Sylvia Plath And My Papa's Waltz

846 Words | 4 Pages

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

Read More

Compare And Contrast My Papa's Waltz

596 Words | 3 Pages

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.

Read More

My Papa's Waltz And Those Winter Sundays Analysis

871 Words | 4 Pages

Throughout “My Papa’s Waltz” and “Those Winter Sundays”, the author’s reflect on how their fathers were hard workers, although each memory is emotionally different. In “My Papa’s Waltz”, Roethke remembers his father coming home from work and his hands “Was battered on one knuckle” (Line 10). Even though the father had a long day at work, the boy recounts him coming home and dancing with him. Whereas “Those Winter Sundays”, Hayden recalls his fathers hard work by describing his “Cracked hands that ached/

Read More

Imagery In My Papa's Waltz

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.

Read More

My Papa's Waltz Analysis Essay

1237 Words | 5 Pages

Although 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

Read More

Figurative Language In My Papa's Waltz

588 Words | 3 Pages

As the reader nears the end of the first quatrain there is a turn of events. For example, in the first quatrain the poet uses negative toned vocabulary: “But I hung on like death: / Such waltzing was not easy” (Roethke, 3-4). Specifically, the word ‘death’ sticks out because dancing is supposed to be fun not scary. Additionally, the poet has, once again,

Read More

What Is The Theme Of Violence In 'My Papa's Waltz'

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.

Read More

What Is The Tone Of My Papa's Waltz

531 Words | 3 Pages

In the poem, My Papa’s Waltz by Theodore Roethke, is known to be a controversial story about a father and son relationship. The speaker in this poem has contradicting emotions about his father and the tone told throughout the story can be ribald yet many readers find it all just a happy memory. The main subject of My Papa’s Waltz is a young son who loved his son but still feared him. In this poem the speaker will illustrate the family views using a certain word choice and the tone he uses. The specific diction will highlight the real truth between the father and son relationship and what it means.

Read More

More about Summary Of My Papa's Waltz By Roethke

Related Topics

Open Document