Analysis Of Theodore Roethke 's My Papa 's Waltz

With My Father When introduced to “My Papa’s Waltz” by Theodore Roethke, there is a sense of nostalgia; like watching an old black and white movie. Contradictory to the title however, the poem depicts a perplexing scene of a father drunkenly dancing his son up to bed. There is a bit of controversy about this poem over whether this is about a childhood memory of a son’s cherished moment with his father, or if it is about a violent, dysfunctional family situation. In fact it is both. Theodore Roethke

different poems from two different authors. The first poem we will venture into is “My Papa’s Waltz” by Theodore Roethke, the other is “The Victims” by Sharon Olds. Each describe a father figure and the relationship between the narrator and his father which is in turmoil. We’ll explore in some lengthy detail about the archetype of a bad father and the narrator’s take on them. Starting with “My Papa Waltz” by Theodore Roethke it brings to mind at first glance from the title something innocent and maybe

The poem “My Papa’s Waltz” by Theodore Roethke tells the story of a moment between a father and a son. The father smells like he has had a little too much to drink, and he is dancing around in the kitchen with his son. The dance doesn’t seem to be as much fun for the son, because he is continually scraping his ear against his dad’s belt buckle. Similarly, the poem “Those Winter Sundays” by Robert Hayden tells the story of a particular moment between a father and son. The son tells the story of his

"My Papa 's Waltz," by Theodore Roethke, and "Those Winter Sundays," by Robert Hayden, are two of the most famous American poems dealing with the theme of fatherhood. Each of them detail the narrator’s own experience with their fathers and some things are the same about them and some are different. That is what makes poetry unique. There are millions of poems out there so some may appear to be the same upfront, but they always have a factor that separates them from the rest. Both of these poems

“My Papa’s Waltz” by Theodore Roethke is an intriguing poem because of its ambiguity. One could see this as a poem about a child having a playful dance with his dad before bedtime but I see it as a poem about a child being abused by his father because he is an alcoholic. A dance is supposed to symbolize an expression of joyful spirituality and love especially the waltz. Specifically, the title may give the impression that this dance between father and son is a smooth romantic dance but some words

physically and emotionally scar him, and those scars can last for a lifetime. In the poem “My Papa’s Waltz” by Theodore Roethke, the speaker describes the abuse that his father dealt to him under the guise of a dance. Although this abuse is hidden to some readers on the first read through, there are a few instances in the poem that are typical signs of abuse. The evidences of abuse in the poem “My Papa’s Waltz” that are typical to child abuse are the alcoholism of the father, the striking of the child

In the analysis of Theodore Roethke’s “My Papa’s Waltz,” and Robert Hayden’s “Those Winter Sundays,” both modernistic and highly respected poets similarly write with a sense of reminiscence of childhood experiences. Similarly, both poems are about a memory as a boy looking back at a specific time in their lives and the love they have for their respected fathers. A similar implication is expressed in the way of their lives not being perfect, but still remaining a humble family. This is shown within

Analysis of My Papa's Waltz by Theodore Rothke My Papa's Waltz is by Theodore Rothke it is about a childhood memory written later in his lifetime. Theodore Rothke's dad was an alcoholic drunk. Theodore Rothke went through a period where he was depressed and mentally unstable. Theodore Rothke was fascinated by the nature of the world; many of his poems were about this subject. Some people who read My Papa&'s Waltz come to the conclusion that it is about a drunken abusive father. However, I think

tones, structure, my personal opinion and analysis of the poem “My Papa’s Waltz” by Theodore Roethke. For more to add, you will also encounter with a brief biography of the poet Roethke which will explain why the poet wrote this poem and how much meaning it has for him. The reason why I chose this poem out of the other seven choices that were given was because this poem captivated me. The poem itself has a lot of parts in which it amazed me, but what

The poem "My Papa's Waltz" by Theodore Roethke is a moving representation of childhood spent in a working middle class family. The speaker of this poem is a man recalling his childhood, his father and his mother through the means of a waltz. The following essay will present a detailed analysis of the dramatic situation and speaker through the explanations of the various poetic tools used in this poem such as similes, choice of words and style. Theodore Roethke portrays the father figure