My Papa's Waltz
Andres Barbeito
Professor Garcia
ENC1102
April 1, 2013
My Papa’s Waltz
Born in Saginaw Michigan, Theodore Roethke had a troubling childhood. With his works
as evidence, one can see that he had to bear a handful of calamities most of his life, one of them
being his relationship with his father. Now, the love for a father is a very distinctive love. In "My
Papa's Waltz", Theodore Roethke does an excellent job describing the relationship he has with
his father. In this short poem, one can easily get a taste of the type of childhood issues Roethke
had to endure. However, he illustrates unconditional love as his tone by employing rhythm,
metaphors, and imagery.
"My Papa's Waltz" is written in the format of ABAB. Examples of this rhythm can be
seen with words that end each line such as "breath; dizzy; death; easy". “Dizzy” and “Easy”
don’t rhyme perfectly, but they still fit the ABAB rhyme scheme. Although it may be a bit of a
stretch, the ABAB format may be used to symbolize the consistency of Roethke's love for his
father.
The whole poem is basically a metaphor in and of itself. The idea of the father's "Waltz"
is actually representing the enduring relationship the writer and his father have. They went
through this dance like a routine. The waltz may be a symbolic reference to the reoccurring
hardships Roethke would sustain from his father. And of course, he would withstand all of this
because of his unconditional love.
Throughout the poem, Roeothke injects pure imagery into the reader's mind. In the first
stanza, he states, "The whiskey on your breath Could make a small boy dizzy; But I hung on like
death: Such waltzing was not easy." Here, he plainly shows his adversity with his father by
demonstrating his drinking problem. On the last stanza, he writes, "You beat time on my
head/With a palm caked hard by dirt,/Then waltzed me off to bed/Still clinging to your shirt."
Professor Garcia
ENC1102
April 1, 2013
My Papa’s Waltz
Born in Saginaw Michigan, Theodore Roethke had a troubling childhood. With his works
as evidence, one can see that he had to bear a handful of calamities most of his life, one of them
being his relationship with his father. Now, the love for a father is a very distinctive love. In "My
Papa's Waltz", Theodore Roethke does an excellent job describing the relationship he has with
his father. In this short poem, one can easily get a taste of the type of childhood issues Roethke
had to endure. However, he illustrates unconditional love as his tone by employing rhythm,
metaphors, and imagery.
"My Papa's Waltz" is written in the format of ABAB. Examples of this rhythm can be
seen with words that end each line such as "breath; dizzy; death; easy". “Dizzy” and “Easy”
don’t rhyme perfectly, but they still fit the ABAB rhyme scheme. Although it may be a bit of a
stretch, the ABAB format may be used to symbolize the consistency of Roethke's love for his
father.
The whole poem is basically a metaphor in and of itself. The idea of the father's "Waltz"
is actually representing the enduring relationship the writer and his father have. They went
through this dance like a routine. The waltz may be a symbolic reference to the reoccurring
hardships Roethke would sustain from his father. And of course, he would withstand all of this
because of his unconditional love.
Throughout the poem, Roeothke injects pure imagery into the reader's mind. In the first
stanza, he states, "The whiskey on your breath Could make a small boy dizzy; But I hung on like
death: Such waltzing was not easy." Here, he plainly shows his adversity with his father by
demonstrating his drinking problem. On the last stanza, he writes, "You beat time on my
head/With a palm caked hard by dirt,/Then waltzed me off to bed/Still clinging to your shirt."