Preview

My Papa's Waltz Literary Devices

Powerful Essays
Open Document
Open Document
776 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
My Papa's Waltz Literary Devices
New Criticism draws in numerous perusers to its procedures by luring them with unmistakably laid out strides to follow keeping in mind the end goal to censure any work of writing. It rejects the utilization of every single outside source, stating that the best way to genuinely break down a ballad productively is to concentrate absolutely on the words in the sonnet. For this understanding I tailed every one of the means important with a specific end goal to appropriately break down the lyric. I went to an agreement on both the strain, and the determining of it.

A lyric's expression assumes a central part in dissecting a sonnet, considering the content is each of the one needs keeping in mind the end goal to find the importance. My Papa's Waltz
…show more content…
Similar sounding word usage is seen all through the whole lyric, as in lines one through four, and seven through eight. The similar sounding word usage in one through four (whisky, waltzing, was) streams pleasantly, differentiating to the antagonism of the principal stanza, while seven through eight (face, could) sound unpleasing to the ear, stressing the mother's dissatisfaction. The symbolism of the father beating time on the youngster's head with his palm sounds unsafe, and the picture of the father's wounded hands holding the kid's wrists. It depicts the father as having an extreme control over the kid, rather than holding his hands, he gets his wrists. These two pictures make the father appear to be controlling. Ironicly the tyke "held tight like demise," (Line 3) or as such, clung to spare his life. This is likewise a likeness. "Romped" (Line 5) is humorous in light of the fact that out of the fun loving nature of it, the father and child brought about pulverization by thumping the dish over. The rhyme plan incorporates incline rhyme. Incline rhyme sounds unnatural making the lyric have an uncomfortable feeling. The stanzas stream like a move would, with the exception of the few words that sound off. This parallels how the intoxicated father was awkward as the kid states in line eleven. These all interface together to give understanding into the

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Good Essays

    My Papa's Waltz Summary

    • 267 Words
    • 2 Pages

    In the poem, My Papa’s Waltz, Theodore Roethke talks about a young boy’s relationship with his father. I think that the poem talks about how the young boy loves his father but their relationship is strained. I also think that the young boy fears that his father will drink himself to death.…

    • 267 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    In the first stanza, Roethke starts off by setting a sort of ominous tone. “The whiskey on your breath / Could make a small boy dizzy” (1-2). Here he reveals to his readers that his father was drunk and the smell of his breath was unbearable. Subsequently, he goes on to describe the manner in which he was holding on to his father. “But I hung on like death / Such waltzing was not easy” (3-4). The simile here shows the boy holding onto his father as tight as he possibly could. It was not an easy task for the child but he was determined not to let go.…

    • 1060 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    Barred Owl

    • 1342 Words
    • 6 Pages

    The first line in the second stanza has a break after “words” accentuated by a comma putting emphasis on the word “words” and slowing the rhythm of that sentence. In “bravely clear” there is a reversed letter pattern “el” and “le”, which makes the words flow together. The words “child”, “night”, “some” and “small” are repeated throughout this poem perhaps to emphasize these words. There may be a connection between “child” and “thing” since both words are preceded by the word “small”. In lines ten and eleven there is internal rhyming with the words “listening”, “dreaming” and “thing” which have the same “ing” ending. The author uses alliteration in “some” and “small” which draws the two words together. In the last line there is…

    • 1342 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    The tone and subject create a major impact to the overall theme of the poem, creating a strong emotional connection to the boy's experience. It is evident from the author’s use of the title, “My Papa’s Waltz.” Its transparency sets up the readers’ expectation before we even read the first line. This allows the author to focus on the lyrical form and wordplay of the poem eliminating the need to explain the situation any further. A waltz is a ballroom dance that comes with a rhythmic beat of three which mimics the prevailing iambic trimeter of the poem. Furthermore, the alternating rhymes in the poem metaphorically tie in with the constant swaying back and forth found in waltz dancing. The waltzing in the poem signifies an extended metaphor for the father-son relationship, therefore, is also symbolic and ultimately ties in organically to the sensitive and delicate significance of this…

    • 882 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Khe Sahn

    • 696 Words
    • 3 Pages

    One of the more noticeable techniques used to evoke feelings and thoughts from the reader are the structure and rhythm that the song evolves. This is clearly visible in the first verse, alike the others, the first line rhymes with the second and the third with the fourth. For example the repletion of the whole end consonant sounds like ‘Sahn and man', ‘turkey and city'. The fifth line of the verse links the song to the next verse. A clear structure and rhythm establishes a clear, strong sound to enforce the meaning of the lyrics being sung.…

    • 696 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Line one, “The whiskey on your breath” conveys a father who has been drinking and is now interacting with his small child (1). The stanza continues with words like “dizzy” and “death” and so Roethke begins to set the stage for his tricky and hazy recollection (2;3). More negative words follow, and throughout the poem we see examples of words that, at face value, have negative connotations. He describes his mother, who is witnessing this mess-making as they “romped”, as having a “Countenance” that “could not unfrown itself” (5;7;8). This obvious disapproval might suggest again that something unsavory, perhaps even dangerous, is occurring.…

    • 877 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    four lines. The rhyme scheme is, in the first stanza - abab, in the second…

    • 980 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    My Papa's Waltz Analysis

    • 731 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Despite the dulcet cadence of the poem’s syntax, Roethke’s diction in certain lines of the poem disrupt the idealist dance that a son and father are participating in. With its simple ABAB rhyme scheme and trecet iambs, the true action of the poem is often lost among the sing-song quality of the lines; the rhythm almost acts as background music for the waltzing son and father. Themes of adoration and love are portrayed when the son “hung on” to his father (Roethke l. 3), implying that he appreciated the time he spent with his. The full line, however, states that the son “hung on like death”, which changes the tone of the poem from something that is cheerful to something that is violent and grim. This tone continues in the second stanza as they “romped until the pans/ Slid from the kitchen shelf” (ll. 5-6); these words used together create a scene of tumult and cacophony. The diction used in the poem creates a tone that can be rendered as both…

    • 731 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Title: The title signifies that this author, Theodore Roethke, see a close family member of his family, like his father, intoxicated that the waltz dance brings out the humorous side to him. This dance prepares the family for the worst because this it is seen so much.…

    • 440 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    The speaker can remember even the tiniest detail about his father, down to "the slight catch, / the depth from his thin chest" (3-4). The child cared very deeply about his father, even more tonight, and is thinking about him. The tone of the second poem is established by the diction used by the author. Upon first glance, the tone of the poem is amusing. The scene that the reader's mind forms is rather comical, with the child holding on for dear life as his chuckling father spins him around. However, the lines "At every step you missed / My right ear scraped a buckle" (Roethke 11-12) suggest that the boy is being injured by this careless dance. Furthermore, when the author states, "You beat time on my head" (13) it leads the reader to believe that the father is abusive of the boy. The speaker says "We romped until the pans / Slid from the kitchen shelf" (5-6). The word romped evokes a playful tone, and is not usually…

    • 905 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    My Papas Waltz Analysis

    • 668 Words
    • 3 Pages

    This gives the audience an idea of the intensity that the little boy is experiencing. Roethke the moves to the third stanza were he incorporates a metaphor “At every step you missed” meaning because of the fathers bad habits he missed parts of his sons life that were important to the son. The author whether he meant to generalize the sons age or not, he gives us a clue of this when he says” My right ear scraped a buckle “. You should notice that Roethke uses the syllable “a” instead of “his” this points out the boys love for his father, and his attitude that his dad could do no wrong. As the author moves to produce the forth stanza he emphasizes the fact that his dad did work hard with imagery “With a palm caked hard by dirt”. Roethke then moves to create an assonance effect by rhyming “hard by dirt “and “to your shirt”. The author then ends with capitalizing on that perfect parent attitude, “Still clinging to your shirt “. This could also be a son wishing for the return of his father. The lucidity and cheerfulness of the rhythm succeed to some extent in hiding the pathos and resentment in the poem. It also exhibits cause and effect because of dad’s alcoholism, the boy’s life was harder than those with sober parents.…

    • 668 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Crossing the Swamp

    • 507 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Some of the sound devices include consonance, rhythm and alliteration with the repetition of the end sounds of such as in the words” pathless, seamless, peerless” (line 12-13), and “foothold, fingerhold, mindhold” (line 16-17). The speaker also used alliteration in line 19 with hipholes and hummocks.…

    • 507 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    Sonnets and the Form of

    • 1124 Words
    • 5 Pages

    Padgett, Ron. The Teachers and Writers Handbook of Poetic Forms. New York, NY: Teachers and Writers Collaborative, 2000. Print.…

    • 1124 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    The ambiguity reflects the relationship between the father-son, where moments of affection are interwoven with moments of aggression and violence. The tone creates a feeling of unease and discomfort, inviting readers to grapple with the conflicting emotions and moral ambiguities that lie in the poem. Moreover, the rhyme scheme of the poem heightens the theme of abuse and violence. The poem follows a rhyme scheme of ABAB, this structure establishes a view of lightheartedness and a sing-song tune. This mimics the momentum of a lively dance, such as the waltz.…

    • 762 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    The last two stanzas continue to plant the illusion that the father is abusive. Roethke draws attention to the man's hands. The one holding the boys wrist is "battered," and the other…

    • 599 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays