Similarities Between My Papa's Waltz And Elizabeth Jennings

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Good morning, today the two poems I will be analysing, comparing and contrasting are, "My Papa's Waltz" by Theodore Roethke and "One Flesh" by Elizabeth Jennings. The two poems explore and question the human condition of love. In the two poems they show there are different forms of love and this will be explored in more depth later on.

In the poem "My Papa's Waltz" written by Theodore Roethke, can be interpreted in two different ways. Some people think that this poem is one of a happy exchange between a father and son. Other people believe that this poem has a hidden message of parental abuse. The poets use of poetic devices gave the impression of the love between the father and son, not of an abusive relationship.

The poem One Flesh portrays …show more content…

In "My Papa's Waltz" the father and son are dancing and having a good time whereas in "One Flesh" the couple are 'in separate beds' and 'hardly ever touch.' This shows that between the father and son is a young, strong love and the other couple have grown old and now have a physical and emotional separation in the relationship. The first stanza in One Flesh focuses on the physical separation on a daily basis. It describes how their marriage has resulted in them avoiding each other and any physical contact. The couple no longer sleep in the same beds anymore but even though they are in the same room there is no communication between the two. The man goes to extra effort to avoid communication by just holding a book, he isn't reading, just trying to avoid any conversations amongst the …show more content…

Also the author of this poem had experienced abandonment issues and that he lost his mother and father at a young age. He could be expressing regret in this poem and stating how he wish he could've shown more affection for his father. The little boy 'hung on like death' whilst they were dancing, this could be referring to not wanting to lose him from his life or let him go again as he's suffered from abandonment. The author could also be expressing that affection shouldn't be hidden when you have the chance you should show your affection for your loved

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