Theodore Roethke’s short poem “My Papa’s Waltz” can be interpreted as a brief representation of alcohol abuse by the father. The poem is short and brief and does not go into full depth as to what creates the idea of how the father could be represented as an alcoholic. However, the poem’s diction, style, and imagery helps create a sense of unspoken words that the poet is trying to portray. Diction, style, and imagery in poetry help enhance the poet’s narration of his poem. These literary devices also help create a sense of understanding for the reader so they are able to interpret the poem from different perspectives.
Diction is understood as the style the writer uses for their choice of words. In order for the diction to be well understood
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by the reader, the choice of words must be accurate in order to get the writer’s message across. In this case, Roethke’s diction is well understood to me as he is trying to acknowledge the message this poem portrays by the theme, the father’s alcohol abuse. “My mother’s countenance could not unfrown itself” (Line 7-8) is a great example of the poet’s proper choice of words to help represent the mother’s anger and annoyance towards the father’s action while creating a mess in the kitchen. This also helped me realize that her anger might not just be towards the mess in the kitchen, but also for her alcoholic husband. If she could not get over the fact that her husband was making a mess in her kitchen, it also shows me as the reader that this kind of event may have previously happened and her frown shows that she continues to be aggravated by her husband’s actions. If the line from the poem would have been said in a different way than how the poet originally wrote it, I believe I would have had a difficult time trying to determine why the mother was truly upset by her husband and son dancing in her kitchen. In poetry, style is the way the writer writes and their technique. The style varies from writer to writer and depends on one’s word choice and tone. Roethke’s poetry is a representation of a narrative writing style. This type of style is known as the writer narrating their story, such as short stories and poetry. The poem is narrated as first person as if Roethke represents the young boy that is dancing with his father. This type of style fits well with this poem because it made me as the reader understand the theme of alcohol abuse because of the narration of Roethke in first person since he was speaking as the son and exactly what he was witnessing from his father’s actions. I believe that the poem’s style would be understood much differently if it was being told in second or third person because it would affect me as the reader to believe that the writer has now changed his theme of his writing. Imagery uses figurative language to represent objects, actions and ideas in a way that appeals to the reader’s physical senses.
Imagery is more complex than just a picture. For this particular poem, the imagery can be described in different points of views from other readers than my own. “With a palm caked hard by dirt, then waltzed me off to bed still clinging to your shirt” (Lines 14-16) is an example that makes me understand a type of imagery that Roethke may be trying to get across. Because the father’s hands are hard by dirt, he more than likely works outside as a hard working construction worker, gardener, farmer, etc. If these so happened to be his occupation, it would help explain his reason for his alcohol abuse from coming home exhausted from the heat and body aching and craving the whiskey he has been dreaming of drinking all day. The father then dances with his son up to his bed and his son does not want to let go of his shirt. By him still grabbing onto his shirt while he is trying to lay him down in bed, could be interpreted as the son wanting some kind of affection from his father who pays more attention towards his love of alcohol rather than his love towards his family. Even though the father could possibly be drunk, the waltz between the son and father could be the happiest moment in the young boy’s life because his father is actually holding onto him showing love and happiness that he has been missing. These actions helped me imagine in my head what …show more content…
exactly was going on, as if it were an actual movie being made. I believe that it was easy for me to imagine these scenes because of the idea that the author was getting across; which was ignorance from the father and alcohol abuse. When reading the poem, sadness that the son and mother must feel for their beloved other is what helped me set the emotion in my head that their household is not filled too much with laughs and happiness. Instead, it was represented towards me as a small family that could use some help on what love truly is. As I have previously stated, the theme of the poem could be understood as alcohol abuse. I came to this conclusion because theme is the main idea or an underlying meaning of a literary work that may be stated directly or indirectly. Alcohol abuse is used in this poem by the father but it is not directly being stated as if he was an alcoholic or not, it is just the assumption that I made. The theme that a writer portrays is a major key in any type of writing because it can help the reader reflect back on why certain things occur in the first place. “But I hung on like death: Such waltzing was not easy.” (Line 3-4) enforces the theme because the poet could be insisting that his father may be too drunk to realize he is being too rough with his son while waltzing. A waltz could usually be done as simple steps if danced correctly, so if the son believes that this particular waltz was not easy then the conspiracy of the father being drunk can be more believable. All in all, Roethke does a well job at representing the poem’s diction, style, and imagery towards the theme.
The poem completes all of these aspects within just four stanzas which is quite impressive. All three of these aspects truly help readers understand the morals and details that the poem is trying to portray, and poets such as Roethke try to keep their audiences’ minds wondering why such and such occurs. The deeper meaning of poetry acts as if it is a mystery to be solved by the reader which keeps me interested and more aware of why certain things may make sense while I am reading. Any type of poetry with understandable diction, style, and imagery will absolutely help reveal the theme and keep the reader yearning to discover why the theme is the way it
is.
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.
The major themes of the poem reflect the poet's own inner life and his struggle with the loss of his father. Through this complicated and intricate poem the inner feelings of the poet are made manifest through the speaker's tone towards the father. The exchange between father and son represents a magical moment in the speaker's childhood: dancing the waltz with his father. In the second stanza, the poet comments “My mother's countenance / could not unfrown itself (Roethke 7-8).” Here the poet seems to regret the fact that he hoarded his father's time after a long day at work, when his father could have been s...
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.
Abuse is a difficult and sensitive subject that can have long lasting effects. These traumatic emotional effects are often intensified if the abuse happens at a young age because children do not understand why the abuse is happening or how to deal with it. There are many abuse programs set up to counter the severe effects which abuse can have. Even more, poets and writers all over the world contribute works that express the saddening events and force the public to realize it is much more real than the informative articles we read about. One such poem is Theodore Roethke’s My Papa’s Waltz which looks carefully through the eyes of a young boy into the household of an abusive father. Robert Hayden’s Those Winter Sundays is a similar poem from the perspective of a young adult reflecting back on the childhood relationship with his father and the abuse his father inflicted. These poems are important because they deal with the complex issues surrounding the subject of abuse and also show the different ways which children react to it. My Papa’s Waltz and Those Winter Sundays are similar poems because they use tone, imagery, and sounds and rhythms to create tension between the negative aspects of abuse and the boys own love and understanding for their father.
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
Donald Hall describes the use of imagery in poetry as a device that "makes us more sensitive to [literature], as if we acquired eyes that could see through things"(p 530). Imagery creates vivid details that deal with one's sense of sight, sound, touch, smell, or taste. These details can be seen in Theodore Roethke's "My Papa's Waltz" because the senses of touch, sight, sound, and smell appeal to the reader in order to better explain the feelings of each character in the poem. Roethke's use of imagery creates a negative picture that is painted by the son of an abusive father.
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 Using a strand of harsh words including “beat,” “scraped,” “battered,” and “whiskey,” the narrator suggests an idea of a harsh relationship despite any fond memories that were discussed.
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
The speaker from the first stanza is the observer, someone who pays closer attention to the entire piece of work, noticing all the details and able to understand the painting as a fluid story and not a snapshot. He is a man with fishing experience. He knows violent the seas and the power nature holds, strong and unforgiving to any individual. The second speaker in the poem is the observer, his voice is heard in the second stanza. He describes the individual looking at the painting as an innocent bystander embracing the art in a museum. The man views the painting, not fully immersing oneself in the complete story of the painting. Instead, he just looks on as a spectator, not fully appreciating the intensity of what he is looking at. Breaking the poem into two stanzas not only allows Finkel to voice two speakers, but also allows him to alternate the tone. The tone of the first stanza with the observer is dark, the speaker describes the events in the painting with a terror, making the painting more realistic with hints of personal experiences. The second stanza is divided into two parts: the first is calm, the onlooker is innocent, gazing at the still image on the canvas, describing the painting at face-value. The latter half of the stanza brings the painting to life. Similar to the first stanza, it transitions back into darkness, a contrast of what the observer views on the
The author somewhat implicates feelings of resentment fused with a loving reliance with his father. For example, the first two lines of the poem read: "The whiskey on your breath/ Could make a small boy dizzy;" (Roethke 668). This excerpt appears to set a dark sort of mood for the entire rest of the poem. By the first two lines, the reader may already see how this man feels about his father's drunkenness. It seems as if Roethke has preceded his poem with this factor in order to demonstrate the resentment that he feels toward his father.
The poem, “My Papa’s Waltz” by Theodore Roethke, is about a boy reminiscing about an incidence with his father. From the beginning, this poem states the conflict between a father and son involved in a rambunctious dance, but as it continues, the story suggests the dance may actually be a physical altercation. Within the line, “Such waltzing was not easy,” is the proposal this is not a singular incident, but rather a routine ritual between the boy and his father (Line 4). The speaker is an adult recollecting, to himself as the audience, a childhood memory of an incident with his father. As the poem opens, the child recalls his father engaging in act of the drinking whiskey to the extent that the fumes of his breath made him dizzy or lightheaded, as if the adrenaline coursing through his veins from wrestling or struggling with his father wasn’t enough to make him unsteady. The child is hanging on to his father as a way of protecting himself from the assault being inflicted upon him. When the narrator states within the simile, “But I hung on like death,” death symbolizes a force inescapable and not able to release its grasp (3). As the poem continues, the speaker uses the term “romped” to describe the movement within the waltz. A waltz is an elegant, flowing type of dance and one does not “romp” through a waltz. The two participants are causing such a ruckus, the mother’s pans slide off a shelf in the kitchen. As the mother looks on, she is silent with only a frown as an expression of her disapproval. The speaker states his father’s hand “was battered on one knuckle,” suggesting the hand had been injured possibly from another violent incident in the past (10). As the commotion continues, the child is “waltzed” into his bedroom, the ...
“Diction” refers to the choice of words an author uses that distinguishes his “voice” from everyone else’s. That is, if you pick up a book by Charles Dickens, you don’t have to read very far before you know without looking who the author is—he has a unique style.
The phrasing of this poem can be analyzed on many levels. Holistically, the poem moves the father through three types of emotions. More specifically, the first lines of the poem depict the father s deep sadness toward the death of his son. The line Farewell, thou child of my right hand, and joy creates a mental picture in my mind (Line 1). I see the father standing over the coffin in his blackest of outfits with sunglasses shading his eyes from the sun because even the sun is too bright for his day of mourning. The most beautiful scarlet rose from his garden is gripped tightly in his right hand as tears cascade down his face and strike the earth with a splash that echoes like a scream in a cave, piercing the ears of those gathered there to mourn the death of his son.
The theme of My Papa's Waltz is about a little boy spending quality with his father learning how to do the classic dance the waltz. While his father is teaching him, there's a lot of things that the child is either concerned about, or doesn't like. But he is willingly to suck it up to enjoy this special time his dad before bed. The reason I know that this is the theme of the poem is simply because this is what the poem is about. The poetic devices that are seen in this poem is rhythm, hyperbole, and metonymy.