portrays a message of abuse from the drunken father‚ others see the happiness of the relationship. This poem in my opinion shows love between the two rather than hate or abuse‚ because of the imagery‚ symbolism‚ and word choice that Theodore Roethke uses. Roethke starts the poem off talking about the whisky on the father’s breath and how it was so strong it ‘Could make a small boy dizzy’. Immediately the reader may picture a drunken man because if his breath is really that strong then he must
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in this poem acts that way‚ yet the darker side of this waltz‚ which is a powerfully unsettling emotion under the surface of this poem‚ dominates the mood‚ and the love and intimacy of the dance do not make a strong impression on the reader. Theodore Roethke manipulates our emotional response to the poem through a number of literary conventions‚ some of which play on the conventions of a waltz. Waltzes are not technically difficult dances‚ and they are set to lighthearted‚ easily accessible music
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Unconditional Love With jolting word choice and the effective application of imagery‚ the poem My Papa’s Waltz‚ written in 1948 by Theodore Roethke (1908 – 1963)‚ presents the speaker as a child who is trapped in a world tragically affected by alcoholism and physical abuse yet who relentlessly attempts to attain love and affection from his drunken and violent father. The whimsical lyrics prompt the reader to recognize that although this poem depicts the essence of a child‚ the implication of
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Matthew Chavana English IV AP Chavez 15 February 2013 Response Paper #1 In Theodore Roethke’s “My Papa’s Waltz” and Donald’s Hall’s “My son‚ my executioner” there is a glimpse into a dysfunctional relationship. We see this unconventional outlook from a child’s point of view and from a father’s‚ both faced with the tribulations which their corresponding father/son bring upon them. Hall’s “My son‚ my executioner” very much disturbed me as the speaker blatantly poisons the beauty and innocence
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The Difference in Similarity “Lady Lazarus‚” by Sylvia Plath and “ “The Waking” by Theodore Roethke are two poems that relate directly to the speaker. Although both poems share this similarity‚ the way in which both works or literature are constructed are vastly different. Plath uses visual imagery and poetical tercets to show the pain and suffering of the speaker in her poem‚ while Roethke uses the musical Villanelle and synesthesia to create his picture of the speaker’s inner thoughts and a sense
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“My Papa’s Waltz” by Theodore Roethke and‚ “Piano” by D. H. Lawrence both recollect a childhood memory. The two poems are also different eventhough they are talking about a childhood memory. The poems have the same background‚ but in “My Papa’s Waltz” it is a boy and his father and in “Piano” it is a boy and his mother; one is positive and one is negative; and lastly the feeling of each poet is different in each poem. Eventhough the two speakers share a childhood memory with a parent‚ the gender
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Cited: Roethke‚ Theodore. “My Papa’s Waltz.” Portable Literature: Reading‚ Reacting‚ Writing. Ed. Laurie G. Kirszner and Stephen R. Mandall. 7th ed. Boston: Wadsworth‚ 2007. 647. Welty‚ Eudora. “A Worn Path.” Portable Literature: Reading‚ Reacting‚ Writing. Ed. Laurie
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articles we read about. One such poem is Robert Hayden’s Those Winter Sundays which is a poem from the perspective of a young adult reflecting back on the childhood relationship with his father and the abuse his father inflicted. Another such poem is Theodore Roethke’s" My Papa’s Waltz" which looks carefully through the eyes of a young boy into the actions‚ of an abusive father. These poems are important because they deal with the complex issues surrounding the subject of abuse and also show the different
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In the poem‚ “My Papa’s Waltz”‚ Theodore Roethke uses many connotations and detail that could be understood as positive or negative‚ but in my eyes‚ the word choice and intense details seem indicate a more sullen tone and a more abusive behavior towards the speaker. This poem is about a father and a son “waltzing” in their kitchen with their mother watching. Roethke does use a few words such as clinging and romped that could indicate a playful dance and a child clinging to their loving father not
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American Writers seemed to view impulsive behaviors as negative traits‚ while earlier American Writers found them to be more acceptable. Three American Writers specifically stood out amongst others: Benjamin Franklin‚ Frederick Douglass‚ and Theodore Roethke. Our current generation mainly views impulsive behavior as a negative characteristic or inclination. Nowadays‚ impulsive behaviors are often correlated with diseases or psychological problems. Benjamin Franklin (1731-1813) was one of the
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