Analysis Of My Papas Waltz - 1471 Words

Poems are written to convey the feelings, thoughts, and emotions of the poet and are meant to be analyzed. People have different views and interpretations of poems going from one extreme to another. This poem can be looked at from two perspectives: a happy and playful exchange between father and son or parent abuse. Looking at the title of the poem â€Å"My Papa’s Waltz†, by Theodore Roethke, I got positive vibes and thought it would be about a kid and his father dancing. Papa is usually a word used by a young boy or girl to get the attention of their loving father and a waltz is a dance usually demonstrating happy times. The first time reading it through I continued to think that it was a poem about a father and a son just dancing around†¦show more content†¦He didn’t want to let go because he didn’t know what would happen if he did. â€Å"Such waltzing was not easy† made me realize that the son and the father were actually dancing, but ga ve me the idea that the young boy was helpless and didn’t have a choice. Dancing with a sober father isn’t easy, but dancing with a drunken father is even more difficult. As you may think this dancing is just a form of father-son bonding, it really is not. The kid is not enjoying the dancing going on between the two of them because it seems more painful than enjoyable. Depending on how you read a poem, you develop different ideas. I took this poem as an abusive family relationship and thought of the theme as power. It is obvious and typical to assume that the man is the head of the household, but I think his power is a little more than just holding that title. The way the father acts towards his son and wife shows weakness in the two of them. The abuse that is going on is not how a family usually works. Not only is he leading the son every step of the dance but the father clearly has a lot of power over the wife too. She stands and watches, not even attempting to stop the two from turning her kitchen into a complete mess. This can show that she may fear her husband’s actions which gives him more power than he already had. Determining the speaker of any poemShow MoreRelatedAnalysis Of My Papas Waltz1001 Words   |  5 PagesDue to Theodore Roethke’s use of imagery, syntax, and diction, â€Å"My Papa’s Waltz† continues to spur passionate academic debate from professors, scholars, and students alike. Roethke uses these elements to allow the reader to recognize that he is reminiscing the intricate relationship he and his father shared. Although it is not essential, one could put the historical context into consideration. Evidently, there will always be individuals that see only abuse or a fond memory; however, we will neverRead MoreMy Papas Waltz Personal Analysis1473 Words   |  6 PagesEssay†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦2 Conclusion†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦5 Bibliography †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦6 Introduction: For this paper, you will be able to encounter the various meanings, tones, structure, my personal opinion and analysis of the poem â€Å"My Papa’s Waltz† by Theodore Roethke. For more to add, you will also encounter with a brief biography of the poet Roethke which will explain why the poet wrote this poem and how much meaning it has for him. The reason why I chose thisRead More Analysis of My Papas Waltz by Theodore Rothke Essay521 Words   |  3 PagesAnalysis of My Papas Waltz by Theodore Rothke My Papas Waltz is by Theodore Rothke it is about a childhood memory written later in his lifetime. Theodore Rothkes dad was an alcoholic drunk. Theodore Rothke went through a period where he was depressed and mentally unstable. Theodore Rothke was fascinated by the nature of the world; many of his poems were about this subject. Some people who read My Papas Waltz come to the conclusion that it is about a drunken abusive father. However, I thinkRead MoreEssay on Analysis of My Papas Waltz680 Words   |  3 PagesIn the poem My Papas Waltz written by Theodore Roethke, the interpretation of the poem depends on the readers`perspective. Some people think that this poem is one of a happy exchange between a father and son. Other people believe that this poem has a hidden message of parental abuse. In my point of view, the imagery and language, the symbolism, and tone in the poem gave me the impression of the love between the father and son, not of an abusive relationship. My Papas Waltz is a poem presentedRead MoreAnalysis of Theodore Roethke’s â€Å"My Papa’s Waltz† Essay733 Words   |  3 PagesAnalysis of Theodore Roethke’s â€Å"My Papa’s Waltz† Theodore Roethke’s poem â€Å"My Papa’s Waltz† illustrates a nightly ritual between a working-class father and his young son. In the first stanza a young boy holds tightly to his father. The second stanza describes a playful roughhousing between father and son. The fourth stanza shows again the boy’s unwillingness to let go of his father. Roethke’s AB rhyming scheme and waltz-like meter set a light and joyful cadence. The music of the waltz comes throughRead MoreCritical Analysis of My Papa’s Waltz by Theodore Roethke757 Words   |  3 Pagesattitude toward his father Otto was depicted in his widely anthologized work My Papas Waltz written on 1948. Apparently, Roethkes filial anxieties stemmed from the trauma of his father’s death, which interrupted the adolescents successful passage through oedipal rivalry (Garraty and Carnes). Roethkes drive to master his precursors, however, led him to forge significant literary innovations. By reading the poem â€Å"My Papa’s Waltz† by Theodore Roethke, the reader might see either a loving relationshipRead MoreMy Papas Waltz: an Analysis of Speaker and Situation Essay772 Words   |  4 PagesThe poem My Papas Waltz by Theodore Roethke is a moving representation of childhood spent in a working middle class family. The speaker of this poem is a man recalling his childhood, his father and his mother through the means of a waltz. The following essay will present a detailed analysis of the dramatic situation and speaker through the explanations of the various poetic tools used in this poem such as similes, choice of words and style. Theodore Roethke portrays the father figureRead MoreAn Analysis of Theodore Roethkes My Papas Waltz3287 Words   |  13 Pagesï » ¿Discussion #1: Part I: My Papas Waltz by Theodore Roethke appears ambiguous, especially at the first reading. The main reason for this is the type of diction the author uses. Stanza 1 seems innocent enough, for example, where the speaker ends by referring to waltzing. Although he refers to the dance as not easy, it can still be that the father indulged a little and started playing with his boy. In the second stanza, the word romped further confirms a sense of fun, despite the mothersRead MoreAnalysis Of My Papas Waltz By Theodore Roethke1062 Words   |  5 PagesTheodore Roethke’s poem, â€Å"My Papa’s Waltz† spurs passionate academic debates among professors, scholars, and students; the imagery, context, and diction of the poem clearly supports the interpretation that Roethke writes â€Å"My Papa’s Waltz† reflecting on his relationship with his father. A relationship in which, notably, causes harm to the author. However, through all the nights Roethke spent in pain and in horror, his love for his father still exists. While many people believe that the author tellsRead MoreAnalysis Of My Papas Waltz By Robert Frost777 Words   |  4 Pages(Kennedy Gioia, 2016).† Frost intended for the questioner to think about the words he said, try to understand the simple statement he said. When reading poetry, one must understand the writing and involve themselves in the reading. In the poem My Papa’s Waltz, by Theodore Roethke, is a prime example of reading and understanding the poem. By putting yourself in the story and imagining yourself being the boy drug around by a drunken Papa, you involve yourself so much that you develop feelings and sadness