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
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130”‚ William Shakespeare speaks about his mistress metaphorically‚ compares her to nature‚ and states how their love is different and rare. In “My Papa’s Waltz”‚ Theodore Roethke illustrates a father who is under the influences‚ dancing around the kitchen with his child‚ trying to dance his child to sleep. Therefore‚ Shakespeare and Roethke use diction‚ imagery‚ and detail to convey the complexities of power and their effect on the dynamics of relationships. In “Sonnet 130”‚ Shakespeare utilizes diction
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have portrayed history‚ values‚ customs‚ and languages of particular groups. Literature is being multicultural now helps acquire knowledge of different societies in the world. The story Jewish Christmas by Faye Moskowitz‚ a poem My Papa Waltz by Theodore Roethke and the play Andre’s Mother by Terrence McNally provides for the diversity and the influence of family in literature. Faye Moskowitz writes about a traditional Jewish Christmas as she was taking up in Michigan in the thirties. The theme of religious
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In the famous poem‚ Root Cellar‚ author Theodore Roethke uses immensely visual and sensory images. The reader not only experiences going down into the cellar through the intense description‚ but also through the imagery‚ along with a few powerful similes that give life to the root cellar’s contents and creates a sense of awareness for the reader. In the first line‚ the words “dank as a ditch‚” are an example of a simile that brings some clarity to the cellar because now there is something to compare
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poem “My Papa’s Waltz” Theodore Roethke uses a type of dance to symbolize the narrator’s relationship with his violently alcoholic father‚ the antagonist. The evidence in the poem suggests the boy‚ the protagonist‚ has come to terms with the domestic violence and accepts it. The narrator believes the beatings are inevitable and relates them to every human’s inevitable fate‚ through death. The narrator doesn’t blame his father and in fact blames himself for the beatings. Roethke argues that the relationship
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"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
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In the poem‚ My Papa’s Waltz‚ Theodore Roethke talks about a young boy’s relationship with his father. I think that the poem talks about how the young boy loves his father but their relationship is strained. I also think that the young boy fears that his father will drink himself to death. There is a lot of imagery in this poem. There are descriptions like‚ “we romped around until the pans slid from the kitchen shelf. There is imagery in every stanza. Roethke uses great word choice too. It is imperative
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“My Papas Waltz” Theodore Roethke‚ in his poem‚ “My Papas Waltz”‚ recounts his childhood and his experiences with his drunken father‚ where he compares it to a waltz. Roethke’s purpose was to illustrate his love for his father even though he drank. He adopts a contemplative tone in order to reflect similar feelings and experiences in his scholastic readers. When analyzing the poem even the title has meaning besides its obvious use. The author uses the word papa‚ which is a child’s term for father
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and Writing. 9th ed. Ed Abcarian‚ Richard and Marvin Klotz. Boston‚ MA: Bedford/St Martin‚ 2007. 777. Print. Myers‚ David G.‚ and David G. Myers. "Module 16: Love." Psychology in Modules‚ Ninth Edition. New York: Worth‚ 2010. 217. Print. Roethke‚ Theodore. “My Papa’s Waltz.” Literature the Human Experience Reading and Writing. 9th ed. Ed Abcarian‚ Richard and Marvin Klotz. Boston‚ MA: Bedford/St Martin‚ 2007. 800. Print
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almost the same meaning as “I could see his quiet face in the rearview mirror‚ eyes like hallways filled with smoke” from “Nighttime Fires.” Both phrases identify their father’s bumpiness and conveys a picture of physical assault to the reader. Roethke states‚ “We romped until the pans slid from the kitchen shelf” and Barreca expresses‚ “When I was five in Louisville we drove to see nighttime fires.” These phrases identify the shared struggle experienced by both authors in their poems. They share
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