Preview

Analysis Of My Papa's Waltz By Theodore Roethke

Good Essays
Open Document
Open Document
665 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Analysis Of My Papa's Waltz By Theodore Roethke
"Inside is where the son and father will always be holding hands"(Adam Johnson). All children one way or another have a special bond between them and their father. But, a father and son form an unbreakable bond. It's natural for a father to groom his son and teach him things he himself faced when he was once young. The poem "My Papa's Waltz" by Theodore Roethke entails a memory of a small boy and father perceived to be having a good time and having a good time and dancing despite the father being drunk. “My Papa’s Waltz” is a positive childhood experience because the drunk father made time for his son, the father worked hard to provide for his family and the small boy loved his father unconditionally. The drunk father made time for his son, “We romped until the pans slid from the shelf” this quote from the poem proves that the father and so were having so much fun that they were unaware that the pans falling off the kitchen shelf. When people are so engrossed in their actions, in this case it was the father and son …show more content…
The father seems to be a hard worker who takes care of his family, but things do not seem to go right for him. Studies indicate that many people drink as a means of coping with life and its accompanying economic stress, job stress and marital discord. “The whiskey on your breath” this line could be interpreted as a person who has alcohol on his breath or is drunk, but it could also be interpreted in a positive way. For example a hardworking person who has a few stumbles and falls but their way of relieving some of stress is drinking to forget which in this case applies to the father. “The hand that held my wrist was battered on one knuckle” this proves that the occupation occupied by the father, is one that requires hard labour and is quite demanding and also giving very little in return, like a gardener or even a welder which requires physical strength. Hence causing a battered

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Good Essays

    Although Johnny's dad is a disciplined army soldier, he also displays a emotional and sensitive side to him. When his army buddy came over for a visit, they both laughed heartily and cried over the old war memories. They drank whiskey together reminiscing about their military days and acted as if his crippled fingers were a joke. It was the first time that Johnny had ever seen his dad cry or drink alcohol and a very surprising moment because he rarely smiled…

    • 646 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    In today’s world, children need a father figure of some type. Whether this father figure is a brother, uncle, grandfather or friend, the impact of a father has a lasting impression on children. The impression a father lives on a child will have an effect on them for the remainder of their live. In Jimmy Carter’s poem, “I Wanted to Share My Father’s World”, he reveals how every moment with a father, regardless of the situation, should be cherished.…

    • 460 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    His poem "My Papa's Waltz" is a very emotionally stimulating poem. Roethke’s use of ethos in this poem helps establish his creditability. He writes the poem from a first-hand perspective, recounting some very vivid memories from a night with his father. With his use of pathos and ambiguity usually leaves the interpretation of the poem up to the reader. Some people may consider this poem to describe an abusive relationship between a young boy and his father. On the contrary, some believe this poem reflects on fond memories between a father and son.…

    • 1060 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Everyone grows up, leaving their childhood and their old life behind. When this happens, they will often look back on those happy times fondly, remembering how easy and nice it all was. In Theodore Roethke’s poem, “My Papa’s Waltz”, the speaker does just this. Nostalgically, he reflects upon a time when his father would waltz him around the house before taking him off to bed. Waltzing carelessly around the kitchen, clutching tightly to his inebriated, carefree father, knocking pans and pots down off the shelves, this is one of the prominent memories that the speaker has of his father. The poem reminisces on these times with his father, missing the time that they could dance together. The speaker’s father had his flaws, he had a job and wasn’t home as much, he…

    • 1109 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Summary: Soop Notes

    • 748 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Parental relationship has deteriorated over time; mother and daughter became closer while the father became more distant from both the mother and daughter. Mother and daughter have become enmeshed and are somewhat estranged from Dad. Dad perceives his relationship to both in a fairly linear way and expresses his love in providing for the family rather than in overt emotional ways. He learned this role from his father. Daughter does some drinking with Mom and also with friends, so further investigation of her drinking behavior is warranted.…

    • 748 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    The development of the father character begins with his son’s flashback of being brought to a nightclub against the will of his mother. He wanted to bring his son to see jazz great Thelonious Monk. Wolf has intended to portray the father as a reckless parent with no regard for the welfare of his child. In the father’s defense we are left with a disclaimer that the father is only trying to institute a foundation of culture upon his son. The boy was not thrust into this environment with the intent of exposing him to the tribulations of a nightclub atmosphere. It becomes easy for the father to not hold back in the presence of his son. The father does not have custody of the boy so he isn’t burdened with the role of disciplinarian. As Wolf has noted “As the lift bore us to the peak yet again, my father looked at his watch and said, “Criminy. This’ll have to be a fast one.” ”(Wolf 211). So, when receiving time to spend with his son he is able to have fun and not worry about the effects of his teachings.…

    • 1580 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Good Essays

    Triggering each person to receive the poem in a different way. (Fong page 80-81) Some saw it as being joyful with the son and father dancing and some saw it as the father being abusive with his son. Which can be assumed by the words used starting with “whiskey on your breath” implying that the father was drunk. In a book written by Jim Baird he talks about the poem “My Papa’s Waltz”. He talks about how the poem was about the way his father shows his love to his son and how the son feared the actions done by his father. (Baird) Baird goes ahead and talks about how the fear that the son had while doing the waltz was caused by the son having to hold on so tight that he would not fall. Since the dance is so intense it comes off as being abusive. Which does not mean that the father was abusive his way of showing his affection for the boy was shown after a long day of hard work leaving…

    • 1099 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Theodore Roethke writes about a loving relationship between a father and his son in the poem “My Papa Waltz”. Their relation is so close and loving even though the father is alcoholic “the whiskey in your breath could make a boy dizzy.” He hung’s on to the dance with him and they dance through the kitchen making a mess and the son knows his mother will disapprove of it “my mother’s countenance could not inform itself.” The father waltzes his son to bed but he still insists on his shirt and this proves his love for his dad despite his shortcomings.…

    • 468 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    "My Papa's Waltz" is one of most popular contemporary poems written by Theodore Roethke. The poem was first published in 1942 by Heast Magazines, Inc. from The Collected Poems of Theodore Roethke. It is a poem about a boy recalling a time with his father while they share a dance of waltz. This poem consists of four quatrains written in iambic trimeter with a simple rhyme scheme. It uses imagery, metaphors, and simile to invoke a strong impression. Each image captures an emotional richness all told from an innocent point of view of a child. At first glance, this poem has a tone of playfulness that captures the bond between father and son. Yet as one looks closely, the poem has a curious ambiguity that evokes multiple interpretations. The use of sardonic words to describe an affectionate moment is misleading and ultimately the readers are left to wonder whether the boy in the poem is suggesting some type of abuse or…

    • 882 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Alcoholism is a dreadful affliction that plagues all of those who are tempted by “the drink”. Alcohol is a cruel mistress that turns gentlemen into savages and destroys the families of those who fall for its temptations. How might someone who is an alcoholic affect one’s life and how might they deal with said alcoholic especially if that someone is their father? In Frank McCourt’s memoir Angela’s Ashes, McCourt takes the reader on heart wrenching journey through his childhood that is filled with poverty and hardships and some daresay claim that the cause of such hardships is his father’s alcoholism. McCourt’s father’s problem is what set the family down the path of poverty and being liberated from this alcoholic prison may just be what the…

    • 190 Words
    • 1 Page
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    In the autobiography "Under the Influence" in an Anthology of Norton Reader by Melissa A. Goldthwaite, the author Scott Russell Sanders tells his story about growing up with an alcoholic father. Sanders family go through many obstacles because of their father. His fathers drinking problems made Sanders shame and guilt because the main character felt like it was his fault that his father was drinking and wanted to save his father from his drinking habits. Sanders uses imagery and diction to tell the reader about growing up with an alcoholic father and what consequences it had in his life.…

    • 286 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    My Papa's Waltz Analysis

    • 731 Words
    • 3 Pages

    In “My Papa’s Waltz”, American poet Theodore Roethke transforms the horrid experience of a child being beaten by his father into the romantic and beautiful dance of a waltz. Written in trecet iambs to imitate the relaxing beat of the waltz, the poet installs some sense of pleasure in the reader. In doing so, Roethke makes the subject of a beating more readable and lessening the effect of the drunkenness makes the speaker’s father more forgivable. The lucidity of diction and imagery throughout Roethke’s poem distracts from the underlying dark metaphor of a son being beaten by his drunk father to a graceful waltz.…

    • 731 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    The risk of physical abuse may increase with an alcoholic parent. They may lack the patience necessary to provide antiquate parenting skills and may turn to physical punishment, or abuse. Kunitz, Levy, McCloskey, and Gabriel (1998), explain that “Physical abuse is a significant risk factor for alcohol dependence.” This highlights how serious physical abuse is by alcoholic parents. Children who are abused have a higher risk factor of themselves developing a dependence on alcohol. This creates a cycle of addiction and violence within families that can be very difficult to…

    • 1858 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Good Essays

    My Papa Waltz

    • 599 Words
    • 3 Pages

    In the poem “My Papa Waltz” Written by Theodore Roethke, a young child is running around the house following and playing with the drunkard of a dad. The child can smell the whiskey on his breath but continues to cling tightly as the child does not want to stop playing. This scuffling shakes and rattles the pans in the kitchen frustrating the mom as she is annoyed with her drunk of a husband. Bedtime has approached so the child is then carried to bed still clinging to the fathers’ shirt. Roethke uses irony, symbolism, and imagery to portray how forgiving a child’s love can be.…

    • 599 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    Throughout Stephen’s life he and his father grow apart. As a child Stephen adores his father. Stephen remembers the story his father use to tell him about the moocow (1). Stephen’s memory of this story shows he put complete focus into his father whenever his father was around. Stephen’s father seems gentle and benevolent when he puts the sauce on Stephen’s plate after everyone else denies the sauce (19). As Stephen gets older he loses his bond with his father. Stephen believes his father is in a lot of trouble. Before Stephen’s family moves to Dublin he hears his father tell his uncle that he has enemies and some sort of fight is going to happen (45). This news puts a lot of pressure of Stephen and it makes Stephen pull away from his father. Stephen feels that the information that he learned makes him a part of the fight (45). Stephen’s bonds breaks even more when his father makes fun of him. Stephen’s father talked to the dean from Stephen’s school and learned that Stephen made a huge deal out of getting pandied (50). When Stephen learns they laughed about it he become very ashamed and he starts to dislike his father (50). As Stephen matures his father means less and less to him. Stephen feels ashamed of his father’s drinking so he tries to avoid the reality of the…

    • 1225 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Better Essays