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 has a very simple rhyme scheme of ABAB. Roethke also makes use of the iambic trimeter, which is best described as a verse consisting of three beat pattern of rhythm, having an unstressed syllable following a stressed syllable. The rhyme scheme and …show more content…
the iambic trimeter can be seen in this quatrain: “The whiskey on your breath/ Could make a small boy dizzy;/ But I hung on like death:/ Such waltzing was not easy.” (Roethke 791). The iambic trimeter is important when you consider the title of the poem “My Papa’s Waltz, since there are three beats within the Waltz dance.
The title of the poem indicates that the speaker, the little boy, is waltzing with his papa. Mckenna stated within his critical analysis of Roethke’s poem that “in closing a title, Roethke struggled with two choices: ‘Waltz/Dance’ and ‘Papa/Father’” (Mckenna 37). As Mckenna stated, the Theodore Roethke probably could not picture his father doing the Waltz, but rather something less pretentious such as the polka (Mckenna 37). But he chose to keep the title as “My Papa’s Waltz” to show that “the choice of the ‘Waltz’ is his attempt to elevate this experience for the boy the mere rough-house lurchings of an inebriated working class father,” stated John Mckenna (Mckenna 37). The title is a looking glass into what the poem’s overall theme is about, which is the speaker’s relationship and conflicting emotions for his father; love and …show more content…
fear. The writer, John Mckenna is very critical of the poem “My Papa’s Waltz,” providing vast amounts of evidence from Roethke’s writings and revisions of the poem, essentially pointing out the elements that show the theme of the poem.
Mckenna states that “the holograph manuscripts of ‘My Papa’s Waltz’ confirm that Roethke himself tried to balance the negative and positive tones of the poem, resulting in its rich ambiguity” (Mckenna 35). John Mckenna goes on to say that “Roethke crossed out ‘unscrew’ and substituted ‘unfrown.’ Perhaps the word ‘unscrew’ has sexual connotations that Roethke wanted to avoid as he tried to recapture his father’s rough attempts at love.” (Mckenna 35). It is plausible that Roethke was very critical of his word choices to better convey how the speaker of the poem felt towards his father based off of Mckenna’s
criticism. The tone of the poem “My Papa’s Waltz” is made very evident throughout each stanza. Mckenna states that “the fourth line of stanza three in ‘MS-A’ originally read: ‘My forehead scraped a buckle.’ Roethke scratched out ‘forehead’ and wrote in ‘right ear’ on ‘MS-A’” (Mckenna 36). The finished product of the poem for the fourth stanza is “The hand that held my wrist/ Was battered on one knuckle; / At every step you missed / My right ear scraped the buckle.” (Roethke 792). This change in posture, suggested by the change from ‘forehead’ to ‘right ear,’ is a more apt description of a child dancing with an adult and less like a description of the more formal tête-à-tête dance of adults elegantly waltzing” (Mckenna 36). This adds a positive tone to the overall poem, but there are also negative tones to be found within “My Papa’s Waltz.” Readers can see this within the fourth stanza, “You beat time on my head / With a palm caked hard by dirt, / Then waltzed me off to bed / Still clinging to your shirt.” (Roethke 792). Mckenna’s criticism states that “the fathers palm is indeed hard, albeit from honest work; he is a hard man as well as a hard worker. He even plays hard. The changes in these two lines personalize the dance between the speaker and his father. At the same time, they add an undeniably negative tone with the words ‘beat’ and ‘palm caked hard.’” (Mckenna 36-37). This all points to the theme of the poem, which is the conflict of emotions the speaker feels for his father, who both loves and fears his father.
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.
Theodore Roethke's poem “My Papa's Waltz” is a unique American poem which is written in iambic trimeter. The poem captures the sometimes intense relationship between father and son. Roethke's own father, a German immigrant, died when he was still a teenager. His father was a major inspiration in his life and images from his childhood appear throughout his poetry. A biographer, Matt Forster comments that “His poems are often explorations of his own psyche, using imagery from his childhood to describe his interior life (Forster 2005).” He became one of the best known American poets by the end of his lifetime in 1963. In the famous poem “My Papa's Waltz” the author uses musicality and deep psychologically-rooted themes to create a poem that is unforgettable and alive with action. The poem is composed in iambic trimeter which parallels the 1, 2, 3 tempo of a waltz. This feature helps in creating the illusion of musicality and dancing as is suggested in the poem's title. Thematically the poem comments on the oedipal complex, the intimate relationship between father and son, loss, memory and music.
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
Roethke’s and Hayden’s poems use tone in the same way to show that both children ultimately love their fathers regardless of the abuse he commits. The young boy in My Papa’s Waltz is clearly very fond of his father even though his Papa abuses him. It is through the tone the young boy uses that Roethke shows how much he loves his father. This is first enforced when the boy says, “But I hung on like death: Such waltzing was not easy” (Roethke, 3-4). The boy loves his father and he h...
"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.
The father in “My Papa’s Waltz” is portrayed by the narrator as one who neglects his responsibilities of ensuring safety and being a positive role model. Using many examples and implying this through writing techniques, the narrator represents the father in a way other than a loving dad. Despite the use of certain words such as “papa” and “waltz,” the overall connotation represented throughout the poem seems to concentrate more heavily on the negative aspects of the narrator’s memories. For these reasons, one can conclude that the poem aims to illuminate the immaturity and irresponsibility of the
My Papa’s Waltz presents a child’s telling of the waltz taking place between him and his father. As a verb, a waltz is “to move or walk in a lively and confident manner” (“Waltz”). The waltz described throughout the poem is quick and lively as the boy “hung on like death” (Roethke)
"My Papa 's Waltz," by Theodore Roethke 's, is a poem about a boy who expresses his affection for his father, but at the same time expresses a sense of danger that comes from the father. The poem appears to be a snapshot in time from a child’s memory. The uplifting experience is created through the father and son’s waltz while the father’s uncontrollable movements juxtaposes the menace of the drunken father.
The tone of a poem can only by recognized when reading carefully and paying close attention to the words and what they might suggest. The rhyme scheme of My Papa’s Waltz is extremely relevant to the poem. For example, in the first stanza dizzy and easy create the rollicking rhythm, as does the following stanza’s with the same pattern. The structure of words create an almost "waltz" like melody. The phrase " we romped until the pans / Slid from the kitchen shelf" and " waltzed me off to bed" (Roethke 5-6, 15), convey a pleasant atmosphere to the reader. The title itself creates an affectionate attitude with the connection of Papa and waltz. The choice of words and details are used systematically to produce thoughts to the reader of happiness and affection, thus, establishing the tone of this poem.
Roethke's Use of Tone Childhood experiences seem to be the ones that are recollected most vividly throughout a person's life. Almost everyone can remember some aspect of his or her childhood experiences, pleasant and unpleasant alike. Theodore Roethke's poem "My Papa's Waltz" suggests even further that this concept could be true. The dance described in this poem illustrates an interaction between father and child that contains more than the expected joyous, loving attitude between the two characters. Roethke's tone in this work exhibits the blended, yet powerful emotions that he, as a grown man, feels when looking back on this childhood experience.
Roethke's "My Papa's Waltz" is about a relationship between a father and his son. Beginning with the title, the author's meticulous choice of voca...
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.