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My Papa's Waltz By Theodore Roethke

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My Papa's Waltz By Theodore Roethke
Memories can be strange. When recalling the past, they can still stir up feelings, both positive and negative. Theodore Roethke’s “My papa’s waltz” is based on a memory a boy has about his father. By telling this story of night when he and his father waltzed around the home a young boy is actually describing the relationship he had with his father. Through the use of similes, word choice and the poem’s rhythm the speaker is able to show the positive memories the boy recalls about his father.
Though the poem starts in a somber tone, it slowly grows into a spirited one, reinforcing the caring bond of the child to the father. “The whiskey on your breath, could make a small boy dizzy” (lines 1-2). The opening line in this poem sets the poem for
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