Childhood Memories in "My Papa's Waltz" by Theodore Roethke and "Piano" by D.H. Lawrence "My Papa's Waltz" by Theodore Roethke and "Piano" by D.H. Lawrence are two poems in which grown men recall memories of their childhood. "My Papa's Waltz" has a quietly sad, almost resigned tone as Roethke relives his nightly dances with his father as a young boy. Lawrence's "Piano" is somewhat dreamy as a man is taken back by a song to his childhood. While both are presented to us through similar personas
describe “My Papa’s Waltz” by Theodore Roethke, which is about a young boy and his father moving around the house to “waltz” the young boy to bed. This poem has a lot of controversial feelings from different readers. Many readers believe it is about an abusive father, but if a reader looks at the situation from the eyes of the child, he or she would see it more about how much a son loves his father. Roethke uses persona, theme, and stanza to create the feeling of how much love a young boy holds for
In comparing and contrasting the poems, "My Papa's Waltz" by Theodore Roethke and "Piano" by D. H. Lawrence, the reader could also compare and contrast the childhood lives of the poets themselves. Roethke's father, Otto Roethke, was a drunk and a figure of terror to his son (Seager 26). His mother was an angry woman and Theodore was a desperate child consistently in the middle of his parent's opposition (Seager 28). D.H. Lawrence's father was a drunk, almost illiterate miner (Squires and Talbot 34)
Poet and American journalists, Theodore Roethke in his descriptive poem “My Papa’s Waltz” portrays the intense connection he once felt with his father. He develops his message through explaining the moments from his childhood. In addition, according to stanza one “The whiskey on your breath could keep a small boy dizzy” infers his father was under the influence of alcohol which reveals the difficulty his son had to face, though his son kept “hanging on like death.” Further, the author creates a reflexive
us want to erase it from our memory. Everyone also has their own personal feelings towards a father's figure due to their personal experiences they have as a child. The poems "My Father's Song," by Simon J. Ortiz, and "My Papa's Waltz," by Theodore Roethke, are two similar poems written about a father and child relationship. My Papa's Waltz" creates a debate whether the father-son relationship is sweet loving memory or a confession of childhood abuse. The two poems are spoken from the child's point
“My Papa’s Waltz” by Theodore Roethke, and “Those Winter Sundays” by Robert Hayden are the poems that talk about the relation between son and father. Both speakers in the poem are grown men and reflect memories of the day they spend with their father when they were in childhood. About the poem “My Papa’s Waltz,” Baird states that “Theodore Roethke imaginatively re-creates a childhood encounter with his father, but also begins to attempt to understand the meaning of the relationship between them”(
To begin, American poet, Theodore Roethke in his open to question poem, “My Papa’s Waltz” illustrates his childhood memories with his father by using the “waltz” rhythmic movements in his poem. There have been professional debates between professors about what the poem is truly about, many believe that the author talking about his abusive and alcoholic father; others strongly disagree and believe it is about a father and his son having fun and making a mess around the house, leading the child to
lover to his mistress. The poem '' My Papa's Waltz'' by Theodore Roethke and "Sonnet 130" by William Shakespeare focus on a similar theme which is love. The speaker in “My Papa’s Waltz”, and the speaker in sonnet 130 describe loving someone more than yourself. In Roethke's poem, the speaker is a young boy who remembers his childhood relationship with his father. In sonnet 130, the speaker is a man who loves his mistress by celebrating the love for her. Theodore Roethke and William Shakespeare demonstrate
Unfortunately, poet Theodore Roethke was one of the unlucky people who had to endure such a fate, as his father died of cancer when he was at the tender age of fifteen. Furthermore, his uncle, who had served as a father-like figure to him, committed suicide shortly after. These two tragedies, in addition to his already low self-esteem, shaped Roethke’s life and led him to suffer from manic depression. His poem, “My Papa’s Waltz,” describes how his father taught him how to waltz as a young boy, and is commonly
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