Situations in life are not always as they seem. From one point of view the situation may be glorious and wonderful, however from the opposite perspective it may be full of gloom and despair. By looking carefully and examining every aspect of the situation the true meaning can be found. As careful examination works in real life situations, so does it in the literary world. Poems and short stories are full of such deep wisdom and meaning that it is sometimes confusing to understand. The actual meaning can sometimes be trapped under the beautiful display of the context, but by using literary devices such as imagery, the poem or story comes to light. This is the case in “My Papa’s Waltz” by Theodore Roethke. Mr. Roethke writes a poem about an early
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Roethke’s flashback to his younger life goes to show how memorable this time was to him. Although it is strange the speaker begins talking about how drunk his father is, this scene sets up the imagery that is used throughout the entire poem. He says, “The whiskey on your breath Could make a small boy dizzy; But I hung in like death: Such waltzing was not easy” (ll.1-4). The speaker is giving details about how this wonderful event has started. The speaker distinctly remembers how his father was drunk off of whiskey. His father was so intoxicated that the excess whiskey on his breath seemed to make the speaker feel dizzy. As the speaker and his father begins to dance it is a struggle because of the intoxication level of his father. The imagery in this stanza helps the reader see how the scene is taking place and gives the reader a mental picture of a drunken father trying to dance with his son. The imagery also gives off clues that this family and father has gone through a rough time. There were some problems and situations the father had been going through, so he decides to kick back and hang loose one night. Although the speaker’s father may have gotten drunk many other times, this specific time was very important and memorable to the speaker. He goes and gets drunk, when he returns home his son is waiting there so they begin to clown around and have a little fun. The son does not even care that his father is drunk, he just wants to spend time with him, and is not going …show more content…
As the speaker is ending the poem, he definitely does not want this night or moment with his father to end. He clearly enjoys it and wants it to last all night long. The speaker ends with, “You beat time on my head With a palm caked hard by dirt, Then waltzed me off to bed Still clinging to your shirt” (ll.13-16). As the night and fun is beginning to end he gets one more go around waltzing with his father. To stop the continuous stumbling his father begins to keep a waltzing beat on the speaker’s head to help keep them upright. Though surprising because the father is still not in his complete right mind, this works. The speaker does not mention anymore that his father loses his balance or bumps into anything. The father is starting to settle down and knows it is time for his son to go to bed. So while they are doing the last waltz across the house he begins to slow down and put his son to bed. But the speaker does not want this night to end and holds onto his father’s shirt very tightly. The waltz may have ended, but it will stay in the speaker’s memories
Roethke’s flashback to his younger life goes to show how memorable this time was to him. Although it is strange the speaker begins talking about how drunk his father is, this scene sets up the imagery that is used throughout the entire poem. He says, “The whiskey on your breath Could make a small boy dizzy; But I hung in like death: Such waltzing was not easy” (ll.1-4). The speaker is giving details about how this wonderful event has started. The speaker distinctly remembers how his father was drunk off of whiskey. His father was so intoxicated that the excess whiskey on his breath seemed to make the speaker feel dizzy. As the speaker and his father begins to dance it is a struggle because of the intoxication level of his father. The imagery in this stanza helps the reader see how the scene is taking place and gives the reader a mental picture of a drunken father trying to dance with his son. The imagery also gives off clues that this family and father has gone through a rough time. There were some problems and situations the father had been going through, so he decides to kick back and hang loose one night. Although the speaker’s father may have gotten drunk many other times, this specific time was very important and memorable to the speaker. He goes and gets drunk, when he returns home his son is waiting there so they begin to clown around and have a little fun. The son does not even care that his father is drunk, he just wants to spend time with him, and is not going …show more content…
As the speaker is ending the poem, he definitely does not want this night or moment with his father to end. He clearly enjoys it and wants it to last all night long. The speaker ends with, “You beat time on my head With a palm caked hard by dirt, Then waltzed me off to bed Still clinging to your shirt” (ll.13-16). As the night and fun is beginning to end he gets one more go around waltzing with his father. To stop the continuous stumbling his father begins to keep a waltzing beat on the speaker’s head to help keep them upright. Though surprising because the father is still not in his complete right mind, this works. The speaker does not mention anymore that his father loses his balance or bumps into anything. The father is starting to settle down and knows it is time for his son to go to bed. So while they are doing the last waltz across the house he begins to slow down and put his son to bed. But the speaker does not want this night to end and holds onto his father’s shirt very tightly. The waltz may have ended, but it will stay in the speaker’s memories