My Papa's Waltz Rhyme Scheme

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When the reader first analyzes the poem, it naturally comes of as harsh or scary. The first thought that comes to mind is that the drunken father is abusing the child. Although after further analysis of the poem it seems as though that is not the case. The poem doesn’t sound as though it was the happiest memory of the child’s life, but it wasn’t a memory he feared either. In the poem “My Papa’s Waltz” written by Theodore Roethke, the speaker’s experience seems to be a positive one based on the rhythm and word choice.
The tone throughout the poem does not suggest hate or hostility, but instead has a rhyme scheme that has an even beat to it suggesting a positive tone. In the fourth stanza, line 13 and 15 then 14 and 16 rhyme. This offset rhyme gives a certain constant beat to poem. This rhythm could be compared to the buoyant sound of a waltz. This is seen all throughout the poem. “You beat time on my head/ With a palm caked hard by dirt/ Then waltzed me off to bed/ Still clinging to your shirt.”(13-16) If this poem were about pain and resentment it would not flow so smoothly, instead it would be harsh and blunt. If the poem were intended to have a scary effect, the beat would be different. For example, a poem written by Martin Dejnicki, titled, “Old Scary Witch” has a faster rhythm to it. “Old scary Witch lived down the street, Insects and rats she would eat. Acting evil was her game, Knew the spells to make a flame” (Dejnicki 1-4). This poem has a faster beat so when the reader reads it their heart beat speeds up and their emotions come into play. When all of this is combined the author gets the intended effect, which is to frighten the reader. Another evaluation made of the poem was the word choice that was used. The speaker refers to his father as “Papa”. The term papa is a word of familiarity. It is an affectionate word unlike father that sounds more distant. Another example would be the word romped. Romped suggests a more playful kind of activity. “We romped until the pans/ Slid from the kitchen shelf.”(5-6) If the author were to use a word such as wrestled or fought, it would be taken differently. The line “With a palm caked hard by dirt”(14) depicts the image that the father is a hard worker. Why else would his hands be covered in mud if it weren’t for his job? On the other hand, this argument could be turned around. There are some words in the poem that could be misconstrued as bad. Line ten uses the word battered. Battered is normally the word used when referring to violence or punishment. This does sound like a harsh word to be used when talking about a lighthearted dance, however it could also be taken another way. Later in poem the author states that the fathers hand is caked by dirt. This could be another example of the fathers work. If he is doing hard physical labor, he is bound to get some nicks and bruises every

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