Personal Narrative Fiction

“I had a dream, a dream of the past,” he said breathing loudly. “I betrayed them, I betrayed them all . I watch my mom and sister starved by the party without saying a word.”

Surviving trees grow buds that turn into apples, that shows that they are alive. When it shows the tree you can see that is is noticeably different from the ones in the forest, I think that this shows how being adopted changed his life.

He refers to the story of Adam and Eve to show his panic but soon after follows with how sweet and delicious the apple pie was. He refers back to guilt when he decides not to share with Cross-Eyed Johnny in lines 50-52. Once again he soon follows with, “He watched my fingers greedily push big chunks of pie down my throat” (57-58). He expresses that he feels guilty and then cancels the guilt out with his satisfaction for the apple pie. The contrast between his Christian ways and human desires expresses his youth and maturity being a six-year-old boy and how he was influenced by his

William had known that it was Melinda’s land, but as soon the the innocent boy laid eyes on the apples he couldn’t help himself. He dashed through the field, and into the apple grove. Immediately, William began pulling apples off the tree, and devouring them.

My Papa’s Waltz is a poem written by Theodore Roethke, published in his collection of poems in 1942. It captures the complex relationship the speaker has with his father. The speaker describes his relationship with his father as difficult and frightening using symbolism, tone, and word choice. The poem reveals that the speaker is afraid of his father although he still loves him. In this essay, I will explain how Roethke portrays their relationship with the aforementioned literary terms.

From the moment his child is born, a man's world changes. He is no longer Jim, Tim or Greg, but father. His child entrusts him to be a guide, a teacher, but foremost, a protector; their shield from the horrors of an uncertain world. It’s a thankless job, but worth the safety of his child; unless of course, he’s one jeopardizing it. In his poem, “My Papa’s Waltz,” Theodore Roethke describes a neglectful and abusive dance between a father and young son.

The speaker never states with any clarity whether the memory of this story is a pleasant experience. Though the author uses “Papa” within the title as a term of affection, the speaker may well be mourning the loss of his father and venting while recalling this particular event in his past.

Theodore Roethke wrote “My Papa’ Waltz”, a poem with a peculiar twist. The poem describes the relationship between a father and his son, which is told from the point of view of the son. At first, the poem may appear to be a bad memory of his father, but this bad memory quickly turns into a good memory. The way the speaker use imagery in the poem, allowed the reader to imagine what was going on without being present. To be able to grasp the true meaning of the poem, you must remain open minded.

The poem is much more innocent than what the modern reader may think. We can start off by looking at the title of the poem “My Papa’s Waltz.” A waltz is a ballroom and folk dance. Clearly, the speaker of the poem is speaking about his father and the dance. In the first stanza, the speaker explains how such waltzing with his father is not easy, as speaker’s father has had a little too much whiskey, which made the waltzing a little difficult as the father was under the influence and probably had difficulties keeping his balance. If we read on to the next stanza, it shows father is all over the place and having trouble keeping balance while dancing with his son in the kitchen. Mother seems to be upset about the situation, but only because pots and pans slid from the kitchen shelf onto the floor from all the romping. As we move on to the next stanza, the speaker explains how fathers knuckle is battered, which is most likely a result of injury from romping in the kitchen. Speaker also speaks about his right ear being scraped with every step his father missed. This could be because the speaker was a young, short boy who reached his father’s waistline and as they danced roughly the buckle will scrape his

The poem, “My Papa’s Waltz” by Theodore Roethke has spurred passionate academic debate from professors, scholars, and students. On one hand, some individuals interpret this poem as a fond relationship between a father and a son. On the other hand, some imagine a hidden message of parental abuse. The imagery, syntax, and diction of the poem clearly support the interpretation that Roethke writes, “My Papa’s Waltz,” to reflect upon his own childhood experience and to reminisce upon a fond relationship with his father.

His wife found something special about him, and she offered him a chance to open up. Anderson describes him as an old, ugly man. Dr. Reefy is the unwanted twisted apple that is left on the tree. Reefy is not wanted anymore because he is aged, and not attractive to the people of Winesburg. Both the apples and reefy are left to rot because they are not appealing. They are not appreciated by the inside, the people only look at the outside. But his wife actually got a chance to connect with him, and found him to be a lot “sweeter than nice round apples.” The wife was rich, and had many opportunities to meet other people but she chosed the odd looking man because she really digged him. She found her mate even if the guy was a “twisted” apple. This story make the reader understand that it should be our desire to find something sweet in every human being and taste it. What people don’t see is what should be appreciated. So far, his wife was the only one who actually appreciates him and love him. The twisted apples could be an allusion to the garden of eden when eve ate the forbidden apple. In this case the forbidden apple was Dr. reefy. The wife can be a twisted apple because even though she gets pregnant by the suitor, the doctor still finds something sweet in

The relationship between a parent and child is potentially one of the most influential in a child’s life. A positive interaction often yields admiration, love or a sense of support. A negative relationship may yield distrust, animosity or a sense of solitude. Theodore Roethke’s poem, “My Papa’s Waltz,” describes the admiration of his hardworking father. The speaker, a young boy, depicts roughhousing with his father in the form of a waltz; expressing his desire to stay up and spend more time together though their relationship is detached. Seamus Heaney’s “Digging,” instills a sense of respect, pride, and a slight affliction for the speaker’s choice of the pen over the spade. The speaker has chosen a different path in life than that of his father and grandfather. Although written at different stages in life, both Roethke and Heaney write a poem about their families utilizing vivid imagery to demonstrate the love and pride they felt for these men.

‘You have plucked fruit in the garden yonder. You have it in your pocket now. And you are going to carry it back, untasted, to the Lion; for him to eat, for him to use. You simpleton! Do you know what that fruit is? I will tell you. It is the apple of youth, the apple of life. I know, for I have tasted it; and I feel already such changes in myself that I know I shall never grow old or die. Eat it, Boy, eat it; and you and I will both live forever and be king and queen of this whole world - or of your

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

"I have only leaves and apples. Take my apples, Boy, and sell them in the city. Then you will be happy. And so the boy climbed up the tree and gathered her apples and carried