Essay Comparing My Papa's Waltz And Sonnet 130

Often times, authors use poems to demonstrate a universal theme. Therefore, power can greatly influence the way a person behaves, the way they understand things, or how they interact with the people around them. My Papa’s Waltz by Theodore Rothke describes a father and son relationship, and Sonnet 130 by William Shakespeare describes the true beauty of his mistress that others may not understand. Therefore, both poets use diction to convey the complexities of power and their effect on the dynamics of relationships. In Sonnet 130, Shakespeare employs diction to reveal the satirical and loving shift in tone toward the perspective of his mistress’ appearance compared to other standards of beauty. The speaker utilizes words to confirm that the author is satire towards his mistress. As the speaker describes her appearance and actions he …show more content…
The speaker uses various words to illustrate that the speaker is disappointed and negatively affected by the father’s alcoholism. As the speaker reflects on his father, he states, “My mother’s countenance could not unfrown itself.” (7) Rothke incorporates the words “countenance” and “unfrown” to emphasize and support the frightened/ disappointed tone and the speaker’s remorse for the negative effect his father’s addiction had on his childhood homelife. Rothke uses the negative connotation of “countenance” to illustrate the mother’s disapproving facial expressions that “could not be unfrowned” because of the father’s harsh actions. As Rothke continues to reveal the speaker’s experiences with his father, the tone shifts from frightened to heartfelt. Rothke validates this shift by saying, “Then waltzed me off to bed still clinging to your shirt.” (16) Rothke is implying that the father still had love for his son despite the way his alcoholism made him behave. “Clinging to your shirt” indicates a sense of comfort or