Essay on Analysis of My Papa's Waltz

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

"We romped until the pans / Slid from the kitchen shelf" (5-6). In numerous poems different readers vista a variety of ways to interpret what poems actually mean. This is very much true in Theodore Roethke's poem "My Papa's Waltz." The quote mentioned has caused many misconceptions about what the poem; "My Papa's Waltz" actually refers to. The two superior interpretations of critics are that Roethke's poem describes abuse or a dance. The abuse seems much more apparent in "My Papa's Waltz" because of the language that Roethke uses. The dance is interpreted because the boy is innocent and knows nothing else therefore the abuse seems normal. The drunkenness of his Papa, the mother's

Theodore Roethke's "My Papa's Waltz" is a poem that consists of sixteen lines. Roethke made the rhyme plot abab, cdcd, efef, ghgh. Roethke utilizes this rhyme plan to influence it to seem as though the poem is a waltz. The rhyme throughout the stanzas gives the poem a beat. Every stanza consists of four lines, which the first and third lines rhyme, and the second and fourth lines rhyme. As you first read the poem you portray a little kid who is hitting the dance floor with his intoxicated father in the kitchen. In line 7 and 8, you get the feeling that the little kid's mom is annoyed with the father. The pictures in the sonnet incorporate the kid's dad faltering around, and the little kid supposes he and his dad are moving. Another picture the poem leaves is the father's hands "battered on one knuckle" and "built up hard by dirt" which is stated in lines 10 and 14. This leaves a picture of a hard-working man, and the mother is furious. The last picture in the poem is the place that the drunk father is putting the little kid to bed. Roethke utilizes a likeness in the sonnet contrasting how the kid was being dragged around while the kid thought he was moving stated on line 3. The waltz is a generally developed allegory. The little kid trusts that he is moving, however, his dad is just dragging him around. The tone of the poem is gloomy. Roethke utilizes in line 3 and 10 the words "battered" and "passing" to make the tone of the sonnet gloomy. The father appeared to have gotten into an encounter while being intoxicated, and his significant other is worried about him. The little kid did not have any desire to go to bed since in line 16 it says he was sticking to his dad's shirt.

In “My Papa’s Waltz” by Theodore Roethke, was a great poem that can mean many different things to many different people of this world. To me I think it was just a boy who just wanted to spend time with his dad before he has to go to bed. The boy probably does not get to spend time with his dad that much. The father probably works all day and all week and this is the only time the boy gets to spend with him. Roethke use of words in this poem is amazing. The use of the words in this story can mean different things to the reader. The first word to look at is the word waltz. In the dictionary the word waltz is a dance for a fast triple meter song. This is just what the father is doing with his son but his is drunk and dizzy. “But I hung on

While the subject of “My Papa’s Waltz” has spurred passionate academic debate from professors, scholars, and students alike, the diction, context, and imagery of the poem clearly support the interpretation that Theodore Roethke writes “My Papa’s Waltz” about a fond memory of an intoxicated father and a young child waltzing around enjoying every moment they have together. In this case in the title, the author intentionally uses the word “papa” instead of the word father or dad to describe the relationship he has with his “papa.” However, many other readers notice a different perspective in this poem. Readers assume the poem is about a little boy being abused by his father. Although ,after deconstructing the poem it becomes undeniably clear that it's about a young boy and his father waltzing around making memories together. Roethke uses context to prove his point.

In "My Papa's Waltz" by Theodore Roethke, the poem expresses love between father and son. Speaker is reflecting on a childhood experience involving his father. In the poem a father comes home with whiskey on his breath and starts to dance the waltz with his son. The line “ I hung on like death” (“Roethke” 3) provides emotional imagery pointing to the boy's love for his father and joy to have time with him. "We romped until the pans /slid from the kitchen shelf" (“Roethke” 5-6) provides a picture of an intense and wild time. "The hand that held my wrist / was battered on one knuckle"(“Roethke” 9-10) and "palm cacked hard by dirt"(“Roethke” 14) provides evidence that the father has spent time under some physical duress previously, but despite possibly being tired and drunk, he enjoys a wild dance with his son. The poem ends with the boy waltzed off to bed “still clinging to your shirt” (“Roethke” 16) showing the intense emotional love the boy has for his father. "My Papa's Waltz" concludes leaving the reader thinking of the strong bond of

Theodore Roethke’s, “My Papa’s Waltz” is a short but extremely powerful poem. The message Theodore Roethke is delivering in this poem is that love will always oust hate. The speaker recalls numerous tragic events he would endure throughout his childhood that most others would certainly want to bury deep away and never relive. The speaker thinks back to nights his father would barge into their house like an angry storm. His breath reeking of whiskey as he lashed out on the ones who loved him the most. He recalls times looking to his mom for strength, only to be met by the harsh reality, she was just as helpless as he was. You would think one would have resentment and hate towards such a man, but that certainly isn’t the case in this story as the speaker still yearns for his troubled father’s love.

My Papa’s Waltz Analysis Theodore Roethke’s poem, “My Papa’s Waltz” is about a small boy no taller than a man’s waist, dancing around the kitchen and the house with his drunken father. Roethke did not have an easy childhood. His father died of cancer while his uncle tragically committed suicide all by his age of 14. This lead to the creation of poems revolving around natural imagery and people’s mentalities and emotions. The underlying message within this poem is not everything is always as perfect as it sounds, meaning dancing around the house with your family is not as nice as it seems when the father is actually a drunk.

​“My Papas Waltz” by Theodore Roethke comes across in many different ways to its readers. Some say that it is about a child describing his childhood abuse or possibley just about a child enjoying time with his father. The recall of the memory is perhaps read as a bittersweet moment or maybe more bitter than sweet. The poem interpreted to me is about a boy reminiscing on fun times with his father.

    While the subject of “My Papa’s Waltz” by Theodore Roethke has spurred passionate academic debate from professors, scholars, and students alike, the imagery, context, and diction of the poem clearly support the interpretation that Roethke writes “My Papa’s Waltz” to reminisce on a fond memory of his father “waltzing” with him when he was a child.  Whether this memory was a fond one or one of an abusive relationship is up in the air. There are multitudes of different speculations as to what this poem could possibly mean; they range from double meanings to sexual undertones. One popular interpretation among many readers is the belief that “My Papa’s Waltz” was a poem about the abuse from father to son. In reality, the meaning is simply a dance.

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 had a conflicting relationship with his father. He adored the man, but feared him at the same time. Roethke lost his father as a young teen and much of his literary works reflect the impact the father had on his son.

In this poem “My Papa Waltz” by Theodore Roethke, the writer is describing a relationship between a father and son. The relationship is characterized by a form of dance which is waltzing. This dance was taught by the father to the son. Throughout the poem, the writer uses aggressive words such as death, knuckle, buckle, and beat letting it be known that this is not a pleasant poem. This poem is from the viewpoint of the innocent child that is why it is possible to see the truth in this poem. In the poem, the child is being hurt by his father. The writer tries to beautify a father hurting his child with a beautiful dance, the speaker does this to make the beaten readable so he used the waltzing metaphor. You would think this is a nice moment between a father and his child but instead, it is just a cover-up of what’s really going on in this home.

The relationship between the fathers and the sons through their childhood memory is the bottom line connection of these poems from first glance. Nevertheless, they both love and appreciate what their fathers do for them through their contribution of hard work and labor. Referring to the graphic, “My Papa’s Waltz” uses a playful and lighthearted tone, which is the opposite to “Those Winter Sundays” since it’s a sad, regretful tone, yet both are able to prove their appreciation towards their fathers. Roethke is left to hold on to the love, literally and metaphorically, when he is clinging to his father’s shirt. The son is clinging onto his father’s shirt, not wanting to let go of this moment; he is holding onto the love he has for his father even though “the whisky on [his] breath could make a small boy dizzy” (Roethke, 10). His mother is left upset about the father’s drunken actions. Roethke is creating memories with his father, where it can be inferred that he doesn’t get to see his father a lot because of the “hand that held [his] wrist was battered on one knuckle” (Roethke, 10) indicating the extensive amount of labor his father endures. Hayden also has a hard working father, but his gratitude is expressed in a different way. He uses a different approach to imply love and respect, mostly through his tone of regret and sadness. As a child, Hayden didn’t pay much attention to

My interpretation of the poem, My Papa's Waltz is by Theodore Roethke, is about a childhood memory written later in his lifetime. Theodore Roethke's dad was an alcoholic. Theodore Roethke went through a period where he was miserable and mentally unsteady. Some people who studied, “My Papa's Waltz”, conclude that it is about an abusive father that is drunk and cannot control himself. However, I strongly believe that he was writing this to remember about a good childhood memory from when he was younger. Theodore Roethke used his imagination to re-create a childhood memory with his father, but also begins to strive to comprehend the meaning of the relationship between him and his father. Some people who have read this poem may feel it’s a warm memory of happy play, but for others who are familiar with Roethke’s work very dark and unhappy.

“My Papa’s Waltz”, at first after reading the title I came up with the idea that the poem was about a happy day, the wedding of this boy and all he wanted was to share a dance with his dad. I personally thought I was going to read a poem about a deep love by this boy and his Dad, and I think I’m quite close after reading the first lines.