Theodore Roethke

Self-Expression in Theodore Roethke's Elegy for Jane Theodore Roethke demonstrates an abiding honesty toward the facts of his experience. Roethke, who was one of America's teaching poets before his death, was self-absorbed, and his poetry derives much of its imaginative strength from his quest for that communion joining self and creation (Mills 527-28). In "Elegy for Jane," one of his most successful poems, he blends his grief for his student Jane Bannick with his childhood memories, his students'

These ordinary moments can be seen in a glimpse of Theodore Roethke’s poems. Throughout Roethke’s childhood and adult life, he was exposed to difficult situations. These events significantly impacted his poetry later in his life, and he uses rhythm to express his poem’s themes of grief, nature, and mental illness, along with rhyme and alliteration. In the poem “My Papa’s Waltz” Roethke strategically uses rhythm to enhance the meaning of the poem. Roethke uses iambic trimeter to mimic the waltzing that

While it is true that “My Papa’s Waltz” uses what would be perceived as negative connotation, it does not necessarily define the story. As much as the average reader would think that this story is about abuse, that was not the author’s intention. Theodore Roethke wrote this poem with nothing but fondness for his father; however, many still believe that as uninspired as that message of abuse may be, there could still be a reason for it to be there. Being a poem gives it that pull that allows it to be interpreted

Theodore Roethke’s “The Lost Son”: Theme of Death Theodore Roethke’s 1948 “The Lost Son” is perhaps one of his best-known poems. It is composed of five sections, which highlight a period or periods of great sadness for the speaker. From the beginning, it seems that the speaker is also the author. The five sections are “The Flight,” “The Pit,” “The Gibber,” “The Return,” and “It was beginning winter.” Roethke’s work is a journey of sorts as the author indulges the audience in his emotions that reveal

Samantha Lacewell Professor David Miller English 2328 February 20, 2015 Theodore Roethke's Elegy for Jane: My Student, Thrown by a Horse Theodore Roethke was born in Saginaw in 1908 and grew up in the house now preserved as The Theodore Roethke Home Museum. He worked in his grandfather’s floral company, which his experience there inspired many of his poems. After graduating college, he taught at several colleges. He would later receive a Pulitzer Prize for “The Waking”, which included the short

Battered Knuckles While the subject of “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 supports the interpretation that Roethke writes “My Papa’s Waltz” to reflect back to his sentimental memories with his father. In brief, Roethke leaves the audience with an unclear understanding of what the meaning of the poem is. In discussions of “My Papa’s Waltz,” one controversial

Theodore Roethke, the American poet who wrote many poems based on his past childhood events. For some short time he surrounded himself around his father, until he suddenly passed away. After the death, Roethke suffered many manic episodes of depression, anger and excitement. His poems also portray this sense of mania by alternating between happiness, fear and love. Roethke’s use of rhythm, rhyme and diction impact the theme of his poem: “My Papa’s Waltz”. Rhythm is clearly presented in “My Papa’s

Theodore Roethke’s poem “My Papa’s Waltz” is ambiguous and contains mixed feelings about his father. Throughout his life, Roethke had problems relating to alcohol addiction and psychological breakdowns (McRoberts, n.d.). As an adult to confront personal tensions, he uses his childhood memories to create a window into the past to move forward with his life. We learn his father had been drinking whiskey from the lines “The whiskey on your breath / Could make a small boy dizzy” (1-2). “A simile is a

The poem “My Papa’s Waltz” by Theodore Roethke, uses four stanzas to explain what many readers would conclude as a beating by an abusive and out of control father. He uses metaphoric language to set the tone for his poem. Studying Roethke’s biography you learn his poems are based on events he experienced during his development from childhood to adulthood. Take for instance the title of the poem, “My Papa’s Waltz”, at first glance, one would think the poem is about a beautiful dance. However you

Behind “My Papa’s Waltz” “My Papa’s Waltz” is one poem written by Theodore Roethke. Roethke’s style is unique, because he uses situational irony. This is a simple poem, created with four stanzas of four lines each, called quatrains. “My Papa’s Waltz” is the interpretation of an adult’s emotions. Roethke describe the relationship with his father. This poem is a monologue where the persona is an adult telling about himself and a particular situation by looking back at his childhood. The poem describes