In the poem My Papa’s Waltz by Theodore Roethke, there seems to be two conflicting tones at play. There is a tone of love and admiration that is seen through the eyes of an innocent child, but there is also the tone of an experienced man who is looking back on his childhood and is finally acknowledging the harshness with which he was treated and the helplessness he felt.
In the poem, there are certain words and phrases that convey a tone of admiration and love towards the narrator’s father. The word papa in the title connotes tenderness and affection, opposed to other words that could have been used in its place like ‘father’. This simple word creates a loving a child-like tone in the title, which carries on through the rest of the poem.
…show more content…
Also, the use of the word ‘waltz’ to describe the interaction between the narrator and the father calls to mind a graceful dance that is done with too people who have a close and loving relationship, adding to the affectionate and admiring tone.
As him and his father commence their waltz, the narrator describes that they “romped until the pans/ Slid from the kitchen shelf” (5-6). The word romp means to frolic in a lively manner, creating an image of a father playfully dancing with his son. This innocent picture makes the tone of the poem lighthearted and it seems as if the narrator is enjoying his time with his father. At the end of their dance, the narrator’s father “[waltzes him] off to bed” (15). This phrase depicts a father lovingly bringing his son to bed and tucking him in for the night, creating an affectionate tone. The narrator also recalls that he was still “clinging to [his father’s] shirt” (16). Children, and people in general, only cling onto things that …show more content…
they love and do not want to leave them. The narrator still holding onto his father shows his deep love and affection for his dad. Children idolize their parents and love them unconditionally, as can be seen through the tone of My Papa’s Waltz. There is an underlying child-like tone throughout the poem that conveys love and admiration for the father, regardless of his actions. Although love and admiration is conveyed through the poem, the connotation of some of the words Roethke uses suggests violence and creates a helpless tone toward the situation the narrator is facing.
The narrator describes the smell of whiskey on his father’s breath, saying it could “make a small boy dizzy” (2). The word dizzy connotes confusion and an unpleasant sensation, and the mentioning of alcohol brings to mind visions of stumbling and poor decision making. These images add up to create a helpless tone, as if the narrator is at the will of his drunken father. The narrator also states that he “ hung on like death” (3). Using the word death establishes a feeling of harshness and the potential for harm, which adds to the tone that the narrator is resigned to the way his father mishandles him. The narrator remembers that his father “held [his] wrist” and not his hand (9). People hold their children by the wrist when they are forcing them to do something, and this creates a tone of helplessness as the narrator is dragged along to participate in his father’s drunken dance. The narrator also recalls that sometimes his “right ear scraped a buckle” as his father jostled him around the house (12). The word scrape connotes pain, and although not intentionally, his father’s dance was rough and could cause the narrator small injuries, adding to the resigned and helpless tone. The narrator describes that his father “beat time on [his] head” (13). The act of keeping time by tapping
someone’s head is innocent enough, but using the word beat calls to mind roughness and pain, suggesting that his father’s waltz was not gentle but rather clumsy and harsh. All of these words and images establish a tone of helplessness, and the narrator seems as if they are taking part in clumsy, rough, and sometimes painful dance, which is far from the child-like admiration also found in the poem. This discrepancy can be attributed to the fact that the narrator is looking back on his childhood and finally realizing how he was mishandled. Once he has matured and his god-like vision of his father has dissipated, he can reflect on what really happened and see how rough his father was with him.
However, neither the setting of the poem nor its events can be linked to the ballrooms where people dance waltz. The opening lines of the poem portray the narrator’s father as a drunken person “The whiskey on your breath/ Could make a small boy dizzy”. The dancer is anything but elegant, he doesn’t waltz gracefully but romps “until the pans/Slid from the kitchen shelf”. The poem is set in a family home, most likely in the kitchen. Thus, the narrator is trying to downplay the social connotati...
The poem takes the reader back in time for a moment to a small kitchen and a young boy at bedtime. The dishes have been cleared and placed on the counter or in the sink. The family is seated around the table. The father having a glass of whiskey to relax after a very hard day working in the family owned twenty-five-acre greenhouse complex. He is asked to take his small son to bed. The poem begins, “The whiskey on your breath could make a small boy dizzy” (Roethke line 1) enlists the imagery of what the young boy was smelling as he most likely climbed aboard his fathers’ large work boots for the evening waltz to bed. It is obvious this is an evening ritual, one that is cherished. The boy is aware of his fathers’ waltzing abilities and he concedes that he is up for the challenge. The irony of the statement, “I hung on like death” (Roethke line 3) is a private one, yet deeply describes his yearning for one more waltz with his father who passed away when Theodore was only fifteen years ...
In the poem "My Papa's Waltz" by Theodore Roethke, the speaker is reflecting on a childhood experience involving his father. Through diction and details, the speaker conveys his complex attitudes toward his father. When first read it, it appears the young boy is afraid of his father. The first line of the poem writes: "The whiskey on your breath; could make a small boy dizzy." Apparently, the father likes whisky and the smell of it is remaining on his person, which causes the young boy's aversion. The diction of "dizzy" depicts the young boy is getting overwhelmed by the smell of the drink. Imagine how a little child feels when he notices the strange smell of his parent, He feels weak or even scared. That is exactly what the young boy feels when he saw his drunken father with the distasteful smell. The poem then goes on saying: "but I hung on like death, such waltzing was not easy." This simile compares the fear of the boy to the death. To have a feeling of death is not a pleasant feeling, therefore when they started "waltzing"; the young boy thinks it is "not easy." This shows that ...
The first line in the poem introduces the fact that the father has been drinking whiskey. Now, most of us know that people have different reactions to alcohol. Some people are funny and like to have a good time, others become pretty mean. Which category the father falls in is hotly debated, however, most agree that the father’s drinking is the catalyst for the events in the rest of the poem be it waltzing or beating. Then comes the line, “But I hung on like death.” This is an incredibly powerful simile. Death has a negative connotation and adds a darkness to the piece as well as creating some very strong and powerful imagery. Also in the vein of imagery, the description of the father’s hands as “battered on one knuckle,” and “palm caked hard by dirt,” are very descriptive. His hands’ knuckles could be battered (which is an intense word that usually indicates some type of violence) from hitting and abusing the boy, or, in tandem with his hands being caked with dirt, just shows that his father is a hard
The first poem, "My Papa's Waltz," by Theodore Roethke (Page 18) presents a clear picture of the young man's father, from line one. "Whiskey" on the father's breath is one of many clues in appearance that mold a rough image of this uneducated, blue-collar worker, possibly a European immigrant, as indicated by the "Waltz" in the title (Line 1). These traits are not necessarily related. They merely exist at once in the father's character. Additional signs of roughness are his hand, "battered on one knuckle"(11), and "a palm caked hard by dirt"(14). This is a man who has probably known only grueling labor. His few escapes likely consist of a drink or two when he gets home from a tough day and maybe something good on the radio. This idea of the father as an unrefined oaf is further reinforced by his actions. His missed steps injure the child's ear, while the father and son's "romping" causes the pans to slide "from the kitchen shelf"(6). As he "beat[s] time"(13) on the child's head we see very clearly that he is quite brutish and careless with the child, and oblivious to his environment. All these factors make the boy's mother very uncomfortable. We can see the disapproval in her countenance, which "could not unfrown itself"(8). She is obviously upset but, strangely, does nothing to interfere with the horseplay that grieves her. This suggests that the waltz is enjoyable for not only one, but both parties. One might wonder why it is that the boy so delights in these moments. This is obviously a crude, boorish man. He probably doesn't flush. He may even smell bad. Are these reasons to love one's father less? Certainly not in the eyes of a small boy. This young man's father may not be the most sensitive or perceptive man around, but he still seems to be a hero in the eyes of his son. Finally, the son recalls these words: "Then you waltzed me off to bed/ Still clinging to your shirt"(16). After reading this poem, it is clear just how unconditional a child's love is.
Notably, the denotation “romping” can mean, “to play roughly and energetically” (Google), but it can also have a connotation that the boy is hurt or in pain. Furthermore, stanza two also mentions the “mother’s countenance/ could not unfrown itself” (7- 8) which is unusual in the description of playing. While the father and son are playing, the mother is standing aside frowning. Her unhappiness contrasts the playful description of the waltz, which gives the poem its sense of seriousness. In other words, it tells the reader that there is much more happening here than the father and son playing. The drunkenness of the father has caused him to become careless and rough with the boy. The mother is clearly unhappy about the situation, but only watches as the two continue their
The poem “My Papa’s Waltz” by Theodore Roethke uses imagery and a tone to paint a picture of something but, means something different. This idea is to illustrate that things are not always what they seem. In doing so as humans people like to see or think the worst. This poem exploits this flaw and means something completely different. It uses imagery to make the poem appear to be a father abusing his daughter. This poem depicts the father as a man who drinks way too much and takes his anger out on his daughter shown here, “The whiskey on your breath could make a small boy dizzy,” (Line 1 and 2) In fact that is not the case at all the tone is very serious even though the deeper meaning of the poem is happy. The author utilizes these two literary elements elements very well to challenge the reader to dig deeper.
Despite all the controversy one must acknowledge the literary devices used to make this poem as famous as it is. One of the literary devices that helped shape “My Papa’s Waltz” was imagery. For example, Roethke uses “beat time on my head”, “palm caked hard”, and “battered on one knuckle” to give the reader a different interpretation of the memory he is telling. This helps form many controversy in determining the meaning behind the poem because one might think of this as the child is getting beat severely. The author uses “hung
For instance, “The hand that held my wrist was battered on one knuckle" (9-10) the word battered in line 10 is being used at a sadistic state and that can conduct the readers to think that the father grabbed the child's wrist vigorously. Then, the next two lines it states "At every step you missed my right ear scraped a buckle" (11-12) that can indicate that he used a belt to beat the child because the word buckle can be relevant to a belt. The fourth stanza says "You beat time on my head" (13) that can mean that the dad hit his son’s head several times. Furthermore, it reads "With a palm caked hard by dirt then waltzed me off to bed" (14-15) these two lines prove that the father was convincing himself and the reader that it's only a dance that leads to "Still clinging to your shirt" (16) that can imply that he was still grabbing on to him before he went to
An abusive and alcoholic father? Or a hardworking and loving dad? Theodore Roethke’s poem “My Papa’s Waltz” is about a young boy, who is the author in the poem, reminiscing the fond memories he had with his dad. The author lived a depressing life growing up because he lost his dad from cancer at the young age of fifteen. In effect, he encourages his readers to spend time with their parents and be good to them because once they’re gone, their lives will change dramatically, especially if they have a strong bond between them. While the subject of “My Papa’s Waltz” has spurred passionate academic debate from professors, scholars, and students alike, the imagery, syntax, and the diction of the poem clearly support the interpretation that Theodore
"The hand that held my wrist Was battered on one knuckle;" (line 12-13), this is when you can tell his father starts becoming more aggressive. The father is holding the little boys hand tightly, with his very rough knuckled hands. This poem is supposed to be about waltzing and dancing but in this stanza it is a very rough dance where he is most likely being dragged while dancing with his dad. Then in the next line the father was walking the son up the stairs while waltzing and his son kept scraping his ear against his belt buckle. What type of dad would let this happen to their son. The dad is obviously abusive at this point in the poem but it doesn't end there. "You beat time on my head With a palm caked hard by dirt" (line 17-18), this goes back referring to his rough knuckles and hands having to do something with what the dad does for a living. It also shows the aggressiveness of the dad, in the first line the son says u beat time on my head, this is showing me that the dad repeatedly time after time would beat his kid. The next line states that he got waltzed off to bed while he was clinging onto his dads shirt which has me thinking if he just got done beating his son and he just couldn't walk so he carried him to bed. The only nonaggressive part in this poem is when the son is finally in bed
The olfactory imagery in the first and second lines of the poem gives the reader an immediate sense of what the speaker smelled as he danced with his father. The father of the speaker has consumed so much whiskey that even the scent of his breath was enough to make the speaker dizzy as a young boy (1, 2). As the speaker waltzed with his intoxicated dad, he “hung on like death” simply to avoid being thrown off by his rambunctious father’s romping (3). Roethke uses a simile here to compare the boy clinging onto his father to death. By bringing in the morbidness associated with the word “death” so early on in the poem, Roethke creates a darkness that lingers behind the apparent happiness of the speaker’s memory. The visual imagery Roethke uses to describe the father’s hand that was “battered on one knuckle” and his palms that were “caked hard by dirt” gives the reader an idea that the father has come home from a long day of strenuous work (10, 14). After a hard day of physical labor, the father comes home to drink, but he also makes sure to spend time with his son before the day is over. This obvious effort that the father puts in to be with his son shows just how much he truly loves him. In the final two lines of the poem, Roethke wrote “Then waltzed me off to bed/ Still clinging to your shirt” (15, 16). The brilliant ending to this poem goes so much deeper than just a dad putting his child down to sleep for the night. The memory ends with the speaker clinging to his father’s shirt, like if he were to let go of his father, he may never see him again. Roethke’s concluding sentence of his poem makes the memory seem like a dream, and the child clings onto his father because he knows that it is nothing more than a dream. The child knows that when he wakes up from this dream he will be faced with the harsh reality
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.
The father and son could have been playing, and dancing very hard with his son. This would led to the pans falling from the kitchen shelf. This would have also led the mother the mother's “countenance” because she would be worried by the roughly playing and the mess they could have made in the kitchen. In the third stanza it states “The hand that held my wrist-Was battered on one knuckle.” This phrase leads the readers to infer that his father's hand that held his wrist was injured on one of his knuckles. The hard working father could have gone to work and injured his ankle causing him to be hurt on one knuckle. In the next stanzas it states “At every step you missed-My right ear scraped a buckle.” These line lead the audience to believe that the because the father had a little to drink this would make it difficult for him to not to follow along so well, and miss a step. After missing a step that would cause the son to scrape his ear against his belt “buckle”. In the poem the author/ poet also uses a rhyme scheme in the end of each stanza. Using a ABAB rhyme
It wasn’t easy fighting these battles with his stronger, drunk father. It also wasn’t easy to fight back, at the same time, because of that moral dilemma, that Roethke is fighting his own parent. This shows how strained and tormented their relationship was, that a son is defending himself from his own father. Roethke also says, “we romped until the pans slid from the kitchen shelf”, instead of just saying that they fought so hard that the pans fell from the shelf. He used “romped” because he wants to bring the reader back to the dancing aspect of the scene, and not focus on the brutality of the situation. He is going back to how the child version of himself saw this, and what he really wanted to see. This is not a graceful dancing scene, there are people being injured and chaos is occurring. Waltzing, in this poem, is representative of the father and son’s physical altercation. It hurts too much for Roethke to say that his father is abusing him, so he uses waltzing. This shows how destructive their relationship was and how he was barely coping with his father’s drunken states. These altercations most likely happened throughout his whole life, living with his parents, and it seems that they have deeply scarred