Tone Of My Papa's Waltz By Theodore Roethke

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Recommended: Literary analysis of poetry

In “My papa’s Waltz” , the write uses a confused tone, dramatic irony and personification to

suggest that the little boy in the poem has a different point of view from the readers. For my

theme I choose The happy family can be a myth to many. Being vulnerable was what the boy

is talking about, his dad abusing him but he couldn’t defend himself or do anything about it.


Theodore Roethke uses a confused tone to support how the little boy confuses his father’s

actions as a Waltz. For example when somebody says “ Then Waltzed me off bed still clinging

to your shirt” stanza 15&10. The happy family can be a myth to many, this quote supports the

theme because this little boy wants to see the terrible actions his dad does or has done using …show more content…

Again his dad had drunk a lot and wasn’t

himself, he got aggressive and took the little boy and threw him to his bed, these actions make

the boy wonder why his dad is acting this way.


Theodore Reethke uses a dramatic irony to show us that we know what’s actually happening

but the little kids doesn’t because of his innocence, for example when somebody says “We

romped until the pans slid from the kitchen shelf” stanzas 5&6 . This quote supports the theme

because he seeks it as the father and him are playing and bumping into everything until the

pan fall. But that is not the truth, the truth has a darker turn, what is actually happening is that

the dad is drunk and hitting the kid but he can’t see that because he is too young.


Theodore Roethke uses personification to show from the boy’s point of view how his mother

watching looked so broken, he didn’t understand why what wrong with his mom and why she

was so frustrated about his dad. When somebody says “ My mother’s countenance could not

unfrown itself “ stanza 7&8. This quote supports the theme because it includes the mother

watch the dark sense happening but she looks so broken as she gone through the same. I

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