My Papa’s Waltz
The poem, My Papa’s Waltz is one of the best works by Theodore Roethke. When it is looked at first glance, it can be seen as a simple four-stanza body of work, but upon further analysis, we see it has a deeper meaning. Childhood experiences seem to play a significant role in the development of the plot. The dance that is described in the poem shows an interaction between a child and his father that has more nuances than it meets the eye. At first glance, there is a joyous and loving attitude shown in the poem between the author and the father. However, a more in-depth look into the poem we see blended, yet very potent emotions that a grown man feels when he looks back to his childhood experience in the hands of his father. …show more content…
This is seen in the third stanza. The dance seems to be some love affair between the father and the son. It is like a love dance, some blood rite that is between father and son which shows suppressed terror that is combined with the dependency that is awe-inspiring (Balakian, 62). From the poem: "The hand that held my wrist/was battered on one knuckle;/ At every step you missed/ My right ear scraped a buckle" we get to see the speaker talking about his father’s hand being busted on one knuckled which is indicative of a person who is violent or has been in a couple of fights. The tone is not as scary as the reader expected. It shows a complicated relationship between father and son. Even though the man is violent, the same hands he uses to meet violence to other people are the same, which show joy and love to the son. The writer tried to balance the negative and positive tones in the poem. Although this dance between the speaker and his father is rough and aggressive, the author chooses to show it as a waltz that indicates a moment that is special between father and son. Roethke has a unique ability in describing the moment and not his …show more content…
For instance, the word ‘Romped’ is used. This may mean child’s play or may mean coitus, which may mean the child, may have been playing or he may have faced sexual abuse from his father. The writer also points out that; “My mother’s countenance/ Could not unfrown itself” (7-8). This may mean her face, and it may also mean support. The writer may have indicated that the mother had supported the father in his abuse. Finally, the phrase “You beat time on my head” (13) may mean the beat in the music, or it may point to physical abuse. This makes it hard for a reader to discern the meanings if they were admiration or
The poem, My Papa’s Waltz is one of the best works by Theodore Roethke. When it is looked at first glance, it can be seen as a simple four-stanza body of work, but upon further analysis, we see it has a deeper meaning. Childhood experiences seem to play a significant role in the development of the plot. The dance that is described in the poem shows an interaction between a child and his father that has more nuances than it meets the eye. At first glance, there is a joyous and loving attitude shown in the poem between the author and the father. However, a more in-depth look into the poem we see blended, yet very potent emotions that a grown man feels when he looks back to his childhood experience in the hands of his father. …show more content…
This is seen in the third stanza. The dance seems to be some love affair between the father and the son. It is like a love dance, some blood rite that is between father and son which shows suppressed terror that is combined with the dependency that is awe-inspiring (Balakian, 62). From the poem: "The hand that held my wrist/was battered on one knuckle;/ At every step you missed/ My right ear scraped a buckle" we get to see the speaker talking about his father’s hand being busted on one knuckled which is indicative of a person who is violent or has been in a couple of fights. The tone is not as scary as the reader expected. It shows a complicated relationship between father and son. Even though the man is violent, the same hands he uses to meet violence to other people are the same, which show joy and love to the son. The writer tried to balance the negative and positive tones in the poem. Although this dance between the speaker and his father is rough and aggressive, the author chooses to show it as a waltz that indicates a moment that is special between father and son. Roethke has a unique ability in describing the moment and not his …show more content…
For instance, the word ‘Romped’ is used. This may mean child’s play or may mean coitus, which may mean the child, may have been playing or he may have faced sexual abuse from his father. The writer also points out that; “My mother’s countenance/ Could not unfrown itself” (7-8). This may mean her face, and it may also mean support. The writer may have indicated that the mother had supported the father in his abuse. Finally, the phrase “You beat time on my head” (13) may mean the beat in the music, or it may point to physical abuse. This makes it hard for a reader to discern the meanings if they were admiration or