Analysis Of The Poem ' My Papa 's Waltz ' By Theodore Roethke Essay

The sense of light also aids in the use of imagery. Visualizing the scene is important because the reader can understand the entire incident in the poem. The sense of sight is first introduced with the idea of the "waltz". The "waltz", however, symbolizes the battle between the father and son and is used as a reference throughout the poem. The first reference is in the title, "My Papa's Waltz". This reference continues throughout the poem by continually referring to the "waltz". The first stanza discusses the difficulty in waltzing when the son points out "waltzing was not easy" (4). This line paints a picture for the reader of a son dealing with the hardship of having an abusive father. The last stanza ends with a final reference to the "waltz". The father "waltzed me off to bed" which implies the son received another beating before bedtime (15). The symbolic meaning of the "waltz" enriches the abusive theme by

Poetry is made to express the feelings, thoughts, and emotions of the poet. The reader can interpret the poem however they see fit. Critics are undecided about the theme of Theodore Roethke's "My Papa's Waltz." Some people believe that the poem is one of a happy exchange between a father and son. The more convincing interpretation is that it has a hidden message of parental abuse. Careful analysis of the keywords and each individual stanza back up this theory of child abuse by a violent and drunken father.

In the poem "My Papa's Waltz" written by Theodore Roethke, the interpretation of the poem depends on the readers`perspective. 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. In my point of view, the imagery and language, the symbolism, and tone in the poem gave me the impression of the love between the father and son, not of an abusive relationship.

In the poem "My Papa's Waltz" written by Theodore Roethke, the interpretation of the poem depends on the readers` perspective. Some people think that this poem is one of a happy exchange between a father and son. Others believe that it has a hidden message of child abuse. In my point of view, the imagery and language, the symbolism, and tone in My Papas Waltz gave me the impression of the abusive relationship between the father and son, but then later realizing the positive side.

“My Papa’s Waltz” by Theodore Roethke sparks differing opinions within the minds of many. Roethke was influenced greatly by his experiences as a young boy. For instance, his uncle and father both died when he was the age of fourteen. “My Papa’s Waltz” is written in remembrance of his father after this dreadful occurrence. The author’s use of imagery brings light to the his adoration for his father. Notably, his way of stringing together ideas reinforces the fond memories they shared. Roethke’s captivating choice of words supports his purpose to make known the love he has for this man. While the subject of “My Papa’s Waltz” has spurred passionate academic debate from professors, scholars, and students alike, the imagery, syntax, and diction of the poem clearly support the interpretation that Theodore Roethke writes “My Papa’s Waltz” to bring attention to the loving relationship he had with his father.

Theodore Roethke “My Papa’s Waltz”, Robert Hayden “The Whipping”, and Sylvia Plath “Daddy” are all examples of poems that have children getting beaten by someone. All three of these poems may be about the same thing, but they are very different in how they are told by the narrators. It is because of this difference that the poems seem different.

The controversial poem, “My Papa’s Waltz” by Theodore Roethke has spurred passionate academic debate from professors, scholars, and students alike; the imagery, syntax, and diction of the poem clearly support the interpretation that Roethke writes “My Papa’s Waltz” to reminisce on a bittersweet memory with his father. His unclear commemoration has sparked a divide on what the true purpose of the poem is. Some may argue the poem’s purpose is to shine light on the subject of abuse, whereas others believe the father and son were sharing a moment while “roughly playing.” However, the more one examines this piece of literature, it becomes undeniable that the poem portrays a scene of a toxic father-son relationship. Although there are a

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

In the ending of the poem it becomes clearer that the boy is experiencing the dance of abuse. The dance is his innocence by

Child abuse is physical mistreatment that unfortunately happens to children everywhere around the world. In the same way, the poem “My Papa’s Waltz” by Theodore Roethke, describes and gives the readers an insight of what child abuse is like. The poem presents a relationship between a drunken father and his son. Therefore, the setting, sensory details, and word choice of the poem allows the reader to understand the violence the little boy goes through after his father returns from work.

In the poem “My Papa’s Waltz”, Theodore Roethke is telling a story about a drunk and abusive father waltzing throughout his house. The poem mostly takes place in what seems to be a kitchen because they mention pans and the kitchen shelf. The narrator of the story is believed to be the son who is of a very young age and could possibly be abused and manhandled by his father when he gets uncontrollably drunk and waltzes with him around the household. The narrator uses words that are usually paired with abusive situations like “battered” and beat”. As the poem goes along it seems as if the father gets more and more abusive. In stanza one, he is talking about how drunk the father gets. Throughout stanza two he talks about how he was a little too

“My Papa’s Waltz” is a poem by Theodore Roethke in which a young boy describes the actions of his father under the influence of alcohol. Like most children, the young boy has a naïve mind that observes his father's abuse differently. To the child, it is all a graceful waltz, but he is covering the truth with a happy illusion. This might come from the fact that he is a child and does not know enough or he knows too much and has to numb the pain. In “My Papa’s Waltz” Theodore Roethke uses dramatic irony, understatement, and hyperbole in order to express the idea that in order to numb the pain, one covers it with a happy illusion.

Theodore Roethke’s poem “My Papa’s Waltz” illustrates a nightly ritual between a working-class father and his young son. In the first stanza a young boy holds tightly to his father. The second stanza describes a playful roughhousing between father and son. The fourth stanza shows again the boy’s unwillingness to let go of his father. Roethke’s AB rhyming scheme and waltz-like meter set a light and joyful cadence. The music of the waltz comes through in the reading and with it a carefree and innocent tone for the telling of the short amount of time between a hard-working father arriving home and the time when his son must go to bed.

Diction may be used to express the style in which the writing is presented (Kennedy & Gioia, 2016). Diction can play a large role in how the reader perceives the characters of the story. My Papa’s Waltz uses an excellent choice of words. The words are that of simple terms and not unknown literary terms that some readers may not know what it means. “The whiskey on your breath could make a small boy dizzy” (Kennedy & Gioia, 2016), this is a general statement stating a small child could inhale the smell of whiskey and almost get drunk themselves. His mother is unable to not unfrown, feelings of sadness due to his mother having to endure this scenario as well. While the Papa held his wrist, every stumbled step lead to his right ear scraping a buckle of some sort. This poem clearly defines the characters of the story, along with the roles they play. Papa was a drunk, the mother was unhappy, and the boy had no choice, but to follow Papa’s hand wherever that may lead to.

When I read, “My Papa’s Waltz,” I didn’t see any abuse going on in the story presented. I also thought the child was a little girl, not a little boy. Not quite sure why I saw the child as a girl though, I guess I just imagined a father dancing with his daughter from the title alone. Like at a wedding, when the father and daughter dance. And so, I had thought that this was an awkward dance between a father and his daughter. The father was drunk, of course, from the line, “The whiskey on your breath.” So I imagined the father kept accidently bumping into things in the house and therefore, accidently hurting his child by smashing her against counters or drawers in the house. And of course, the mother, and perhaps wife of the man, looked on in