...“My Papa’s Waltz” “Recalling days of sadness, memories haunt me. Recalling days of happiness, I haunt my memories”. Many childhood memories are remembered as fun and joyful, the time without a care in the world. The speaker, which is the young boy in Theodore Roethke’s poem “My Papa’s Waltz”, recalls a time out of his childhood that involved him and his father during family time at home one evening. A strong bond of love and playfulness between father and son is shown thru Roethke’s recollection of personal childhood memories. The poem takes place at the family’s home on a quiet evening. The father comes home after a hard day’s work which is where Roethke states, “With a palm caked hard by dirt” (line 14) suggests that the father is a blue collar hard working man who provides for his family and puts the food on the table every night. Since he works so much and does not want to come home bitter and exhausted and complain about his long day, he rewards himself with a bit of alcohol. The speakers reveals, “The whiskey on your breath, Could make a small boy dizzy” (1-2). One might get the impression that the father came home drunk out of his mind, but what those two lines say to me is after having a drink or two, or maybe he drank at home, he was in such a good mood that he started waltzing with his son. Also since the father was such a hard worker and most likely was a big fellow, his son mentions the whiskey breath which would be too strong for him but does not make him seem...
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...skin deep. Theodore Roethke’s “My Papa’s Waltz” and Emily Dickinson’s “I’m Nobody! Who are you?” explores this theme of the gilded side of humanity. Roethke opens “My Papa’s Waltz” through the eyes of a small boy, lending an initial tone of naivety and innocence. This mood is reinforced through his use of rhyme scheme, which adds to the childish effect. However, this feeling is quickly subverted, as a more sinister interpretation can be seen midway through the poem. The boy describes, “The hand that held my wrist/Was battered on one knuckle;/At every step you missed/My right ear scraped a buckle.” (9-13), leading the reader to question what the actual meaning behind this “waltz” is. The minor mentioning of the unhappy mother, as well as the phrase, “But I hung on like death:” (3) is suddenly relevant; it suggests that the father may be an abusive alcoholic, deviating from the prior assumption that he was simply a happy drunk spending time with his son. This shift in reader interpretation can also be attributed to Roethke’s unique word choice. Take for example the word “waltz,” which is used exclusively in the beginning and ending stanzas of the poem. A waltz is often linked with tranquility and lightheartedness, viewed by many as a wholesome sort of dance. Roethke plays off of this initial association by implementing words with negative connotations, such as “battered,” “scraped,” and “beat.” These words sharply contrast with the audience’s expectations of a waltz, thus forcing...
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...America today. Not only does it affect the person abusing alcohol, but it also affects the family and anyone who the alcoholic may come in contact with. A child of an alcoholic may not fully understand the degree of the problem, but they are aware of the danger that could be imposed on them. “My Papa’s Waltz”, written by Theodore Roethke, is a classic example of parental substance abuse and the effects it has on children. The speaker in this piece is the child. In the poem, there are multiple occurrences that prove the child is apprehensive with his father and his drunkenness. The father in the piece comes home intoxicated and would like to dance with his son. A Waltz dance is supposed to be a very elegant and joyous dance that joins two people together. However, this dance is far from a pleasant experience and is actually separating the...
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...period in which they were written and often tend to reflect on the time period. A poem’s theme is usually interpreted by not only the plot, but the elaborate diction and language used that contribute to the mood evoked by the poem. Three poems were written in different time periods that all contain a similar theme of “supremacy” are “My Last Duchess” by Robert Browning, “I like to see it lap the Miles” by Emily Dickinson, and “My Papa’s Waltz” by Theodore Roethke. Disregards to the dissimilar time periods of these poems, the audience’s comprehension of the theme to each poem will...
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...responsible for, the contents of such third party websites. Please use care when accessing them. Designed by Mike Brain Graphic Design Ltd Typeset by E Clicks Enterprise, Malaysia Cover design by Clare Webber Cover photo by Jenny Palmer The author and publishers are grateful for permission to reprint the following copyright material: Bloodaxe Books for the poem ‘Dreaming black boy’ by James Berry from Hot Earth Cold Earth, published by Bloodaxe Books, 1995. Reproduced with permission of Bloodaxe Books; University of Pittsburgh Press for the poem ‘Epitaph’ from Uncle Time by Dennis Scott, copyright © 1973. Reprinted by permission of the University of Pittsburgh Press; Michelle Saywack and Dr Keith Carter for the poem ‘This is the dark time, my love’ by...
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...[pic] JPPSS ELA COURSE GUIDE 2011-2012 ENGLISH I The JPPSS Instructional Sequence Guides are aligned with the LA Comprehensive Curriculum. JPPSS Implementation of Activities in the Classroom Incorporation of activities into lesson plans is critical to the successful implementation of the Louisiana Comprehensive Curriculum. The Comprehensive Curriculum indicates one way to align instruction with Louisiana standards, benchmarks, and grade-level expectations. The curriculum is aligned with state content standards, as defined by grade-level expectations (GLEs), and organized into coherent, time-bound units with sample activities and classroom assessments to guide teaching and learning. The units in the curriculum have been arranged so that the content to be assessed will be taught before the state testing dates. While teachers may substitute equivalent activities and assessments based on the instructional needs, learning styles, and interests of their students, the Comprehensive Curriculum should be a primary resource when planning instruction. Grade level expectations—not the textbook—should determine the content to be taught. Textbooks and other instructional materials should be used as resource in teaching the grade level expectations...
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