The theme of “My Papa’s Waltz” can be seen from the beginning to the end through the elements of poetry and the conflicting tone that the author, Theodore Roethke, employs within the poem. When analyzing each individual element of poetry within My Papas Waltz, the theme begins to form a much deeper meaning that is being conveyed to the readers of the poem. The form of the poem written by Theodore Roethke shows a great deal into the heart of “My Papa’s Waltz.” The poem consists of four quatrains and
The Poem “My Papa Waltz” by Theodore Roethke is about a young boy waltzing with his father who has had a little too much whiskey and ends up getting violent. The theme of the poem is respect and admiration because even though the boy’s dad treats him rough, he still shows love and respect towards him. Symbolism, irony, simile, and diction play a huge part in the poem because they all help develop the theme and help the readers have a better understanding on what is occurring. Symbolism is a great
I have recently read two pieces of poetry and I am writing to recommend them to you because of how impacting they were to me. The first poem, called “My Papa’s Waltz”, is written by Theodore Roethke. This poem tells the story of a father who comes home one evening to spend time with his son by waltzing with him. The second poem, by Robert Hayden, is called “Those Winter Sundays”, and it is about a father who rises every morning to make a fire for his family and polish their shoes, but never receives
Relationship” The beauty of Theodore Roethke’s poem, “My papa’s waltz” is its ability to manipulate the reader about the reality of a broken relationship. The deception within the story is about a father, his son, and an absent mother. Roethke allows the complexity of the poem to be perceived depending on the reader’s emotions and psyche. The central and most important metaphor in the poem is the description of the beating as a dance; the waltz. The severity of the violence is lessened. The association
3 Owlcation»Humanities»Literature Reaction to the Poem "My Papa's Waltz" by Theodore Roethke Poetry is open to interpretation Since poetry is an openly passionate form of expression and every individual is unique in his or her own personal way, one could potentially interpret one poem in more than one way. In Theodore Roethke’s “My Papa’s Waltz,” I interpreted the author’s overall meaning and general expression of his diction as two or three different ideas. The more times I read the poem, the more
back up that main point. Other than that, poems with multiple stanzas include events that progress from one stanza to the next, while some often suggest hidden messages leaving their audience to contemplate the true meaning of the poem. My Papa’s Waltz by Theodore Roethke is an example of this.
Analysis of "My Papa's Waltz" This poem has a kept form. Even at a glance, it has a set form. It consists of four quatrains, each line being an iambic tritameter. The poem is about a young boy waltzing with his father. One can assume that the speaker is a young boy, or perhaps the poet reminiscing his youth. The father dances around in a haphazard manner, knocking over pans in the kitchen. Upon first glance, the tone is humorous. The picture one immediately forms is rather comical with the
Love will always be there Robert Hayden 's "Those Winter Sundays" and Theodore Roethke 's "My Papa 's Waltz" distinctly captures the bond and the dynamic between the fathers and their sons interrelationships. For many people love is a very difficult feeling to express. Some express love through actions, while others through genuine feelings. Throughout the generations, the father figure performed many important roles in the family. He was the main breadwinner, protector, and a figure that
"Misinterpretations of a Waltz" in My Papa’s Waltz "We romped until the pans / Slid from the kitchen shelf" (5-6). In numerous poems different readers vista a variety of ways to interpret what poems actually mean. This is very much true in Theodore Roethke's poem "My Papa's Waltz." The quote mentioned has caused many misconceptions about what the poem; "My Papa's Waltz" actually refers to. The two superior interpretations of critics are that Roethke's poem describes abuse or a dance. The abuse
Comparing "My Papa's Waltz" by Theodore Roethke and "Those Winter Sundays" by Robert Hayden My Papa's Waltz, by Theodore Roethke, and Those Winter Sundays, by Robert Hayden, are two somewhat similar poems about respected fathers. To most people a father is not just the man who fertilizes their mother's egg, but a man that spends time with and takes care of them. While doing this, he gains their love and respect. In these two poems Roethke and Hayden take an admiring look back at the actions
A Defining Moment in My Papa’s Waltz An older boy remembered his father, a hardworking blue collar man. He remembered how his father would walk into the home each evening with scraped hands and perspiration stained shirts. His father was a tough man. He was the kind of man that refused to go to the doctor and rarely hugged his children. Yet, he was a good man. The boy remembered how his father provided for the family and often times his smallest actions proved his paternal love for them. One
A waltz is "a dance performed to music in triple time by couples who, almost embracing each other, swing round and round in the same direction with smooth and even steps, moving on as they gyrate." (OED). The fact that this poem is written in iambic trimeter just serves as evidence that Roethke wanted it to sound like a waltz when read aloud and the structure to mirror one as well. Coincidentally, triple time is also written as ¾, and each stanza of this poem has four lines. Nothing happens with
My Papa’s Waltz My Papa’s Waltz has been compared to a generational litmus test. Depending on what generation the reader was born, could determine how the reader would interpret this poem. Each generation has its own views that have been developed in them for the language used to describe Papa in this poem. The whiskey on his breath and Papa’s hand beating on his head, both sound like a negative connotation. Depending on the experience of the reader, they can either be disturbed by these words or
dance that one finds joy in. In Theodore Roethke’s “My Papa’s Waltz” the reader will find an unpleasant experience of a father being abusive towards his son, which is told in a way of a beautiful and romantic dance called the waltz. In retrospect the poem is a possible childhood experience of the narrator (who is the small boy) involving his father. The small boy struggles with a conflict of confusion whether to love or fear his Papa. The theme is the attempt to understand his relationship with his
In My Papa’s Waltz, Roethke uses an extended metopher, but uses different language to describe it as the poem is read. My Papas waltz uses the metaphor of dancing throughout the poem. Everything from the description of the fluidity of the dance to the speakers feeling towards the dance helps create a stronger meaning behind the metaphor. Roethke uses dancing as a metopher for the relationship between the son and the father, according to the son. In lines 3 and 4, the speaker describes the dancing
qualities of Theodore Roethke’s “My Papa’s Waltz” are the tone and language of the poem which convey the nostalgia adult author feels thinking about the time spent with his father. In the title narrator’s father is affectionately referred to as “Papa” making the impression that the main character and his father are close. The use of possessive pronoun “my” contributes to the overall impression that the father holds special place in the narrator’s heart. As word “waltz” in the title implies the poem gives
Comparring My Papa’s Waltz and Listening to grownups quarrel Poems are often designed to express deep feelings and thoughts about a particular theme. In Theodore Roethke’s poem, My Papa’s Waltz, and Ruth Whitman’s poem, Listening to grownups quarreling, the theme of childhood is conveyed through their details, although we can neither see a face nor hear a voice. These poems are very much alike in their ideas of how their memories pertain to the attitudes of their childhood; however, the wording
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 illustrate a childhood memory of nostalgia of his father. On one hand, some readers argue that the poem is about a physically abusive childhood memory and although it can be, it is clear that the poem is intended to illustrate a fond memory
My Papa’s abuse “My Papa’s Waltz” by Theodore Roethke is a very popular poem, written in 1948. The poem is an example of iambic trimeter and it is made up of four quatrains. The subjects of the poem include the small boy,who is the speaker, the father, and the mother for a brief line. According to Gioia and Kennedy, many people believe that Roethke uses the poem to showcase his attitude towards his father. The theme that is apparent in the poem would be centered around family dynamics and how
parenthood. The American poet Theodore Roethke (1908-1963) describes the relationship between him and his father through his poem “My Papa’s Waltz.” Theodore reveals his painful memories of his difficult childhood in a critical age when many children wouldn’t ask for anything more than the love of their parents. Professor Grant T. Smith “Theodore Roethke's ‘My Papa's Waltz’: A Reader's Response”, explains how his students value the father-son relationship in Theodore’ poem, he believes that “Their primary