The Waking By Theodore Roethke

"The Waking," a poem written by Theodore Roethke, is an immersive poem that allows readers the experience of Roethke's understanding of his own life, but also the very way of it. There is an extremely strong sense of emotion throughout this poem which also contributes to the continuous repetition of certain lines such as, "I wake to sleep, and take my waking slow." (line 1). This repetition of lines proves one of the main points of the poem in which creativity comes to everyone in their own way. While also being another main view, Roethke has the understanding that there are connections between life when awake, and life when dreaming, which symbolize the unity within one's self. Roethke details the writing with the utmost thought so that images …show more content…
The poem starts out with the initial statement that Roethke never rushes himself when waking up. He states thereafter that he is not afraid of his fate and that he learns from his mistakes. Roethke believes that emotions control thoughts which is shown clearly to the reader when he later adds that he has the full understanding of the person he is. He questions those closest to him, such as friends or family, as to who can be trusted. Roethke then demonstrates his appreciation for nature "God bless the Ground!" (line 8) and enjoyment of life, but also expresses his deepest of sorrows being long and difficult. While also showing that he is in control of the events in his life then provides the evidence of living past your hardships and …show more content…
The lines of the poem can be contradicting at times such as, "This shaking keeps me steady. I should know." (line 16) These contradicting lines contain more meaning than what readers may think initially. This shows to be part of the creative process as Roethke's use of language is done so in order for the reader to think more promptly on the writing. "The Waking" is a poem that delivers powerful images to the reader. It is very effective to promote the creative process Roethke is describing. Roethke is able to capture an emotional viewpoint which suggests the mood of the poem. While being subtle, hints of sorrow and depression can be made out from the lines which repeat through every stanza. The powerfulness of Roethke's imaging can be clearly seen from, "The lowly worm climbs up a winding stair." (line 11) This description from Roethke means that he has been very patient throughout his long life or "climb up a winding stair." When I continued to read the poem over to further my understanding of it, the whole idea became much clearer. Roethke's main line, "I wake to sleep, and take my waking slow," (line 1) Roethke's main point is all about coming in and out of dreams. He looks forward to dreaming and that is why he does not rush his waking because he wants to enjoy