Complex Relationship with Parents
In Theodore Roethke’s My Papa’s Waltz, and Lucille Clifton’s forgiving my father we can observe a complex relationship between a father and their child. Although the soon in My Papa’s Waltz appears to be recalling a memory with fondness, the overall story is a symbol of their difficult relationship. However, Roethke appears to very much love his father and accept him for who he was. On the other hand, in forgiving my father Clifton feels hatred towards her father, and is not able to forgive him for who he was. By comparing these two stories we see that it’s vital for one to accept his parents for who they are, even if they are not perfect.
In My Papa’s Waltz a young boy is telling us about an instance in which his father was very drunk, they are playfully waltzing around, they are knocking down pans all over the kitchen, and the mother seems to be upset, the dad is hurting the speaker with the dance, however the dad doesn’t appear to notice this. Eventfully, the dad puts his son to bed, however it appears that the son doesn’t want to let go of his father at that moment. Although the speaker appears to be recalling a memory with fondness that is not the case. The poem is a symbol of the difficult relationship between the speaker and his father. We know that Roethke’s
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father was a stern man, and this sort of behavior appears to be very much out of character, this is probably one of the reason why Roethke remembers this incident. Nonetheless when we start paying a close attention to the way the author presents this story and some of the worlds he chooses to use, it is not hard to see how this childhood story might be symbolic of the relationship between the author and his father. The very first think that catches our attention happens in line 3. When the author uses the world “death”. He writes, “The whiskey on your breath, Could make a small boy dizzy; But I hung on like death:” (line 1-3). The use the of world “death” makes the situation sound very serious. The speaker intentionally makes it sound like he is on the edge of cliff and if he let’s go, he will drop to his death. The author is surely not referring to being afraid that if he lets go of his father he will get physically hurt. In the worst cases if the speaker let’s go he will probably drop to the floor and take an accident kick from his father. Could this really by frightening the author that much? Considering the fact that he is already getting hurt, his ears are getting scraped by his dad’s belt, but he doesn’t appear to be complaining and annoyed by this. There surely must be a deeper meaning behind the reason the author chose to use this world. If the author was simply trying to tell a childhood memory that he remembers with fondness he would’ve surly used a different word. Perhaps he uses this particular word in the context of his relationship with his dad. He is doing everything he can to hang on to his relationship with his dad, and keep a positive relationship. Now this seems a lot more plausible, and it seems to fit the seriousness of the world “death” better. Because breaking up the relationship with one of your parents is not something that can heal in a week. Furthermore, throughout the poem we see that there are numerous reference to violence. Whether Roethke is talking about his dad’s battered knuckle or about his dad spanking him on the head. This is a little unusual and perhaps there is a further meaning to this. In stanza three Roethke says something very significant, he writes “At every step you missed, My right ear scraped a buckle.” (line 11-12). The speaker here is telling us that he was the height of his father’s belt and he was getting hurt by the buckle of his father’s belt. Obviously in the context of the poem this seems to be unintentional. However, the many references to violence in this poem might tell us that there could be a hidden meaning. The fact that the author includes this image of a boy getting hurt by a belt and his father not being aware of this is perhaps telling us something. Especially, when we take into consideration that belts are probably the most common prop that parents use to beat their children. Perhaps, the author is implying that his dad used to beat him with a belt. But he wasn’t aware that this wasn’t helping him in the long run. Nevertheless, the story appears to end on a high note, Roethke writes “Then waltzed me off to bed, still clinging to your shirt” (line 15-16). After spending so much time referring to violence, the author ends the poem by painting this adorable picture. There is surely a reason for this. It’s interesting that the author chooses to use the pronoun “you”. In most of the story it appears that the speaker is telling the story to the reader, but he ends the poem by talking directly to his father. It’s almost as if he is saying directly to his dad, despite everything I still love you dad. And it seems like Roethke has very much accepted his dad for who he was, and forgiven his mistakes. In forgiving my father the mood off the poem is completely different. A young daughter whose parents have passed away seems to be very upset at her father, she feels like her father owes her something, she doesn’t necessarily want this for herself but she wants this for her mother. It seems like this issues have bothered her for a while and it doesn’t appear to be the first time she is thinking about it. Although, she ends the poem by implying that she is ready to move on, it doesn’t appear that she really means it. It’s clear by the language used by the author, that she very much hates her father.
This is made clear by the fallowing quote “there is no more time for you. there will never be time enough daddy daddy old lecher” (line 8-9). Although she claims that she doesn’t have time for him she can’t stop thinking about him. And It appears to be affecting her personal life. She mentions the fact that it’s Friday a couple of times and yet she at home feeling sorry for herself. In her hearth she knows she has to forgive him in order to move on, and it appears that she wants to forgive him, but she just can’t and it appears like she’ll continue to get tormented by this
issue. We can clearly draw a contrast between Roethke’s attitude towards his dad and Clifton attitude towards her dad. Roethke has accepted her parent’s for who they were and still loves them. On the other hand, Clifton hates her dad for who he was and it almost looks like she wants to get a revenge on him. While it might be true that Clifton’s problems with her dad are more severe thank Roethke’s, we can see how this attitude is affecting them. On one hand, Roethke is able to talk about her father with a peaceful set of mind. On the other hand, Clifton is fuming over everything her dad did and is unable to find that peaceful state of mind. To Conclude, although the son in My Papa’s Waltz appears to be recalling a memory with fondness, the overall story is a symbol of their complex relationship. But after taking a close look at the end of the poem Roethke appears to appreciate his dad for who he was. On the contrary, Clifton will never be happy until she is able to forgive her father. By comparing these two stories we see that it’s vital for one to accept his parents for who they are, even if they are not perfect.
The most notable 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 account of the festive occasion in which the narrator’s father takes part.
While most of us think back to memories of our childhood and our relationships with our parents, we all have what he would call defining moments in our views of motherhood or fatherhood. It is clearly evident that both Theodore Roethke and Robert Hayden have much to say about the roles of fathers in their two poems as well. While the relationships with their fathers differ somewhat, both men are thinking back to a defining moment in their childhood and remembering it with a poem. "My Papa's Waltz" and "Those Winter Sundays" both give the reader a snapshot view of one defining moment in their childhood, and these moments speak about the way these children view their fathers. Told now years later, they understand even more about these moments.
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 be drawn in closer to the poem. Theodore Roethke loved his father. Not only did he love him, but he idolized him and unfortunately lost him at an early age. This poem is a reflective memorial waltz written in iambic trimeter to honor his father and mother.
In the poem “My Papa’s Waltz” by Theodore Roethke, the speaker is reflecting on a childhood experience involving his father. Some people assume that this poem is about a happy relationship between a father and son while other people assume that this poem emphasizes hidden messages of parental abuse. In my
“My Papa’s Waltz” by Theodore Roethke can be interpreted in a few different ways. The most obvious one being that he was dancing around with his father, having so much fun that he did not want to stop. His father is very drunk though, which leads us to believe that it is no just a fun story of him and his father dancing one night. What Roethke is really trying to show us, is the abusive relationship he had with his father.
"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 seems much more apparent in "My Papa's Waltz" because of the language that Roethke uses. The dance is interpreted because the boy is innocent and knows nothing else therefore the abuse seems normal. The drunkenness of his Papa, the mother's ignorance, and the way the child describes his abuse are very clear interpretations of mistreatment in Theodore Roethke's poem "My Papa's Waltz."
Ultimately, the subject of “ My Papa’s Waltz” has spurred a passionate academic debate from professors, scholars, and students alike, the imagery, syntax, diction of the poem clearly support the interpretation that Theodore Roethke wrote “ My Papa’s Waltz” to illustrate on a past memory of his drunk and abusive father. The controversy of the poem itself is whether it is a good or bad memory. The use of negative imagery, syntax, and diction support this. Overall, with the explanation of the poem and the use of syntax, diction and imagery “ My Papa’s Waltz” was about Theodore Roethke’s drunk and abusive
“My Papa’s Waltz” by Theodore Roethke is a representation of the journey toward reconciliation of the love and the fear that the speaker, a young boy, has for his father, and is an extended metaphor for the way that we balance the good and bad in our lives. Whilst reading this poem it is impossible to determine definitively whether it is truly about a dance or if the speaker is actually being abused. However, I don’t believe that it really matters either way. Actually, I believe it is this ambiguity and push and pull between the two extremes that creates the overall sense of struggle that comes with the reconciliation of the facets of the father and son’s relationship. This dance between love and fear is accentuated by Roethke’s use of ambiguous diction, end rhyme, and iambic trimeter.
When one becomes a father, he undertakes many responsibilities: setting a positive example, enforcing discipline for misbehavior, overviewing the safety of his children, providing a loving atmosphere, and numerous other tasks. In Theodore Roethke’s poem, “My Papa’s Waltz,” the narrator reminisces on the memories of his “papa” through the metaphor of an aggressive “waltz.” Using descriptions of the father’s actions and the reactions of the mother, Roethke illustrates the situation with carefully selected vocabulary. These actions of the narrator’s “papa” can be interpreted as either positive and loving or as inappropriate and unnecessary. After a brief analysis of the poem, readers might assume that the narrator’s memories of his father reflect
Poetry is a special gift, which unfortunately is not given to all of us. Mr. Theodore Roethke (1908-1963) was an American poet with this magnificent gift. Mr. Roethke is regarded as one of the most accomplished and influential poets of his generation (Wiki). His poems present figurative language, which means that it says something, but is not actually what it means, or it can be interpreted in a totally different way. Theodore Roethke’s poem, “My Papa’s Waltz” has imaginary and mixed feelings between the speaker, which is a child, and his father. After having researched a lot more about the Poet’s life I find this poem highly eloquent and fallacious. Even though, it’s a brief poem I can say that this talks about Mr. Roethke’s childhood. This
Although the dance between him and his father was rough and aggressive, the very fact that Roethke chose to write about the waltz indicates that it is a special moment he remembers sharing with his father. The poet has a remarkable ability to describe the moment and not his feelings. This is what makes "My Papa's Waltz" so interesting and leaves so much to interpretation.
The events of our childhood and interactions with our parents is an outline of our views as parents ourselves. Although Robert Hayden’s relationship with his father differentiates from the relationship of Theodore Roethke and his father, they are both pondering back to their childhood and expressing the events in a poem. “My Papa’s Waltz” and “Those winter Sundays” provide the reader with an image of a childhood event which states how fathers are being viewed by their children. These poems reflect upon the relationship of the father and child when the child was a youth. Both Roethke and Hayden both indicate that their fathers weren’t perfect although they look back admiringly at their fathers’ actions. To most individuals, a father is a man that spends time with and takes care of them which gains him love and respect. An episode of Roethke’s childhood is illustrated in “My Papa’s Waltz”. In “My Papa’s Waltz”, the father comes home showing signs of alcohol and then begins waltzing with his son. Roethke states that the father’s hands are “battered on one knuckle”. The mother was so upset about the dancing that she did nothing other than frown. At the end of the day, the father waltzed the son to bed. “Those Winter Sundays” is based on a regular Sunday morning. The father rises early to wake his family and warm the house. To warm the house, he goes out in the cold and splits wood to start a fire. This is a poem about an older boy looking back to his childhood and regretting that “No one ever thanked him.” In Those Winter Sundays'; by Robert Hayden, the poet also relinquishes on a regular occurrence in his childhood. On Sunday mornings, just as any other morning, his father rises early and puts on his clothes in the cold darkness. He ...
In the late nineteen forties, Theodore Roethke emerged with a poem that has been the source of much debate. "My Papa's Waltz," is an account of a relationship between son and father. Alas, many readers who are exposed to this piece fail to note the love present in the connection of the characters. In an attempt to illuminate the author's true intention several factors must be examined. After several examinations of Roethke's poem as well as learning of his childhood it is evident that this poem does not suggest an abusive environment, but is an appreciative account of the love and playfulness between the characters. Therefore, a successful interpretation of this poem will look beyond the four stanzas and study not only the history of the writing, but the life of the poet.
Theodore Roethke was a nineteenth-century poet who wrote satiric poetry, poetry that conveys a message but remains comical. Roethke talked freely about his struggle with depression and his difficult childhood especially after the loss of his father, which may have inspirited him to write the 1948 poem, “My Papa’s Waltz.” Within this poem Roethke was able to capture his audience with his words through the eyes of the speaker. The speaker, a young boy; expresses his thoughts while dancing the waltz with his father, whom appears drunk and clumsy. Roethke’s attention to details in the poem helps his readers form clear images of a boy who loves and fears his father by using words such as death, dizzy, or scraped. Throughout the poem there is contrast
From a traditional surface reading, one would believe that Theodore Roethke’s 1948 poem My Papa’s Waltz could be seen as simply a father and child playing and dancing together. However, if one were to read more closely, the poem takes a much darker turn. One would then realize that the poem isn’t as much about playing as it is about drunken abuse. Reading it this way, one could see how the words, descriptions, and rhythm can come together to paint such a picture.