Connotative Language In My Papa's Waltz

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In the poem “My Papa’s Waltz” by Theodore Roethke, connotative language is used to convey the poet’s attitude toward the “Waltz”. The emotions and associations attached to a word provide it with a connotative meaning; rather than the literal meaning, which is the denotation of a word. The waltz is known to be a graceful dance; but, the diction the poet uses to describe this event shows otherwise. First, the poet says how he “hung on” to his father; suggesting that he was fighting to continue their dance, rather than being able to do so effortlessly. In addition, it is also said that they “romped until the pans slid from the kitchen shelf”. The connotation behind the word romp implies a noisy and boisterous ruckus; the opposite of what

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