Influential American poet, Theodore Roethke, is deemed to be one of the most accomplished poets of his generation. Roethke spurs passionate academic debates among students, scholars, and professors in his controversial poem “My Papa’s Waltz.” In many discussions, the meaning of the poem varies between individuals; some believe the author is writing in regards to abuse a child experiences from his father and others believe the child is reminiscing affectionate memories. Additionally, several professionals and students dispute whether the biography of Roethke illustrates the context of the poem. After close examination of “My Papa’s Waltz,” it is undoubtedly clear the poem is referencing a troublesome relationship between Roethke and his father. …show more content…
Ultimately, the interpretation of the conflicting bond among a son and father is supported through stylistic devices such as imagery, diction, and context in “My Papa’s Waltz.” The author uses imagery as early as the first stanza to introduce that it is difficult as a small boy to persist with his father due to the fact that he is an alcoholic.
Additionally, in stanza two, the author writes that he and his father “romped until pans [fell] from the kitchen shelf,” illustrating the violence present in the relationship. Further, the author immediately writes that his “mother’s countenance [c]ould not unfrown itself,”painting a picture that she is also aware of abuse. In addition to the author’s mother being aware of abuse, Roethke emphasizes the hand that held his wrist is “battered” and “palm caked hard by dirt.” Although the imagery in “My Papa’s Waltz” is essential to the meaning of the poem, diction also plays a significant …show more content…
role. Upon initial glance, the poem seems to be conveying that Roethke and his father are boisterously playing with each other; however, the diction used throughout “My Papa’s Waltz” gives off a different interpretation of the poem. Specifically, in line four the author refers to the time spent with his father as “waltzing” which illuminates the way Roethke successfully expresses how the father and son’s “romped” play is meaningful to the author. Furthermore, the author reveals in the last line that he is still “clinging” onto his father’s shirt indicating the love for his father is indeed present. Despite the abuse Roethke receives from his father, the author manages to elucidate the sentimental feelings towards his father displayed when Roethke writes “I hung on like death.” These specific words the author uses within “My Papa’s Waltz” not only alternates the meaning, it also grants the poem with context. The central focal point of “My Papa’s Waltz” is context which; in whole, creates meaning in the poem.
Beginning with the title, “My Papa’s Waltz” holds importance. Roethke referring to his father as “papa” shows that the author is longing for him while exposing Roethke does; in fact, have a special relationship with his father. The author also uses “waltzing” to leave the reader with the impression that the son and father are ‘dancing;’ however, further examination reveals that the poem is not only describing the relationship between the author and the father but at the same time expressing the troubles that lie within the relationship itself, in this poem---abuse. In addition to the reveal of conflict between the author and his son, Roethke utilizes sensory language in the appeal of touch to give the poem context. We recognize the sense of touch used; firstly, in stanza three in order to describe the “hand” that held Roethke’s wrist which alone produces context for readers. Context develops when the author first introduces his father having “whiskey” on his breath is so strong it can make Roethke “dizzy” as well as at the end of the poem when the author writes “Still clinging onto your
shirt”
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.
Inevitability at one point in most of our lives we have to deal with some type of hardship. A lot of us have experienced first hand or known someone who has had the unfortunate experience of dealing with a close friend or family member who becomes abusive and aggressive because of drug or alcohol related problems. My Papa’s waltz is a poem that tells the story of a young boy dealing with an abusive father and a broken home. Despite the initial light atmosphere of the poem Theodore Roethke uses strong and powerful language to convey an underlined meaning to their dance. My Papa's Waltz is a poem of fear, all the more horrible because the boy is terrified and hurt by his father, even in play, yet he clings and hangs to him showing how strong he is despite his age and through his actions he illustrates his love and patience for his troubled father.
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
Today, people tend to believe that hitting a person is abuse. Although, many people can connect with ¨My Papaś Waltz¨ by Theodore Roethke, the intended audience is himself illustrating a past memory of his childhood. The controversy of the poem is whether itś a good or bad memory. While the subject of “My Papa’s Waltz” has spurred a passionate academic debate from professors, scholars, and students alike, the imagery, syntax, and diction of the poem clearly supports the interpretation that Theodore Roethke wrote “My Papa’s Waltz” to illustrate on a past memory of his drunk and abusive father.
“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.
If the narrator simply intended to reflect a warm commemoration, he could have used a strand of words that implied happiness or comfort. The author was clearly aware that at first glance, readers typically assume the poem is about an abusive relationship; nevertheless, he neglected to alter his poem, demonstrating the idea that negative memories of the father do exist. 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.
While one reading of My Papa’s Waltz creates visions of a warm home and a cheerful family, a deeper reading creates a story of fear, abuse, and the effects of alcoholism. Roethke’s poem sends an important message about abuse. Victims of abuse often hide behind a happy, healthy visage, although the signs of abuse are glaring. My Papa’s Waltz shows how easy it is for victims of abuse to hide the truth of the horrors they face. Therefore, the poem sends the message that it is always important to keep a vigilant watch for the signs of abuse, for even the happiest tales can have darker
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
In “My Papa’s Waltz” by Theodore Roethke, was a great poem that can mean many different things to many different people of this world. To me I think it was just a boy who just wanted to spend time with his dad before he has to go to bed. The boy probably does not get to spend time with his dad that much. The father probably works all day and all week and this is the only time the boy gets to spend with him. Roethke use of words in this poem is amazing. The use of the words in this story can mean different things to the reader. The first word to look at is the word waltz. In the dictionary the word waltz is a dance for a fast triple meter song. This is just what the father is doing with his son but his is drunk and dizzy. “But I hung on like death: Such waltzing was not easy (Roethke)” The word death is not what people usually think but nobody can shake or get away from death. So the boy was holding on to his father where his father could not get away from him like the boy did not want him to go. “We romped until the pans Slid from the kitchen shelf (Roethke)” another word to understand is romped. The word romped means to play or frolic in a lively or boisterous manner. To go deeper in the definition boisterous means rough and noisy. While the father and the son are playing around dancing they are also messing up the house as well. Messing up the kitchen will make any mother mad and that is what happens next. Of out any other place in the house the kitchen is the woman’s throne room. “The hand that held my wrist was battered on one knuckle; at every step you missed my right ear scraped a buckle (Roethke).” In lines 9-12 you can tell that the father has came back from a long day of work. The father’s job has to be doing something wi...
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.
“My Papa’s Waltz” is composed of four stanzas with four lines in each stanza. Each line is similar in length and the same number of rhymes. In each stanza, there are rhymes or rhymes combined with the first and the third lines or the second and fourth lines. Theodore Roethke’s poem, "My Papa’s Waltz," is often times misunderstood regarding the nature of the relationship between the father and son. Without having any prior knowledge of Roethke’s relationship with his father it is difficult to fully understand the meaning of this poem. Judging by the title, the person revealed in these lines is the boy’s father, and the boy is the speaker. The father is drunk on whiskey. He’s drunk to the point that the scent of his breath is too much for the boy. It is hard to decide if he is actually there, as there is nothing actually said between father and son, nor does the father respond to the boy. Rather, his son is possibly just imagining him. The line "I hung on like death" (Roethke 3), suggests that the whiskey is in fact causing the boy to become dizzy. The use of the word “death” so soon in the poem signals the reader that this poem is not merely a joyful memory. Suggesting the boy hung on “like” death is an example of a simile ("My Papa’s Waltz | Literature Folio", n.d., ). Furthermore, the "waltz" of the poem is a metaphor for the relationship between father and son, indicating the struggle between enjoying and fearing his father’s strength. The details used in describing what is taking place in the kitchen shows the pair is creating so much uproar that the pans are falling off the walls. These lines also provide the setting, the kitchen. A great deal of family life is spent in the kitchen – cooking, eating, and now, waltz...
First of all, “My Papa’s Waltz” by Theodore Roethke is a profound look into the childhood memories through the eyes of a small boy. Roethke’s choice of the title of the poem is a powerful use of sensory imagery. Furthermore, the word waltz may influence the audience’s preconception of the
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.