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Summary Of My Papa's Waltz By Theodore Roethke

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While the subject of “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 on a fond recollection of dancing and spending time with his father as a young boy. Roethke’s use of phrasing and diction allows for the reader to interpret contrasting meanings and storylines. On one hand people view the poem as a playful memory of Roethke and his father dancing through their home and having fun with each other. But, others depict the story as a dark one. In this case it is interpreted as Roethke’s relationship with his abusive and alcoholic father and the hardships he must face due to the situation. These plot lines are almost complete opposites of each other, yet are the interpretation of the same poem. Roethke’s wording allows for contradicting meanings to be seen depending on how the reader chooses to analyze and understand the poem, because of this contradictory “My Papa’s Waltz” is still discussed to this day. …show more content…

Specifically this poem tells of the time when the author’s father would pick him up and happily waltz around the house with him while creating a somewhat chaotic scene. From the first reading of “My Papa’s Waltz”, the piece could be simply seen as a playful and lively waltz between a father and

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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

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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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