Theodore Roethke’s My Papa’s Waltz and Robert Hayden’s...

Abuse is a difficult and sensitive subject that can have long lasting effects. These traumatic emotional effects are often intensified if the abuse happens at a young age because children do not understand why the abuse is happening or how to deal with it. There are many abuse programs set up to counter the severe effects which abuse can have. Even more, poets and writers all over the world contribute works that express the saddening events and force the public to realize it is much more real than the informative articles we read about. One such poem is Theodore Roethke’s My Papa’s Waltz which looks carefully through the eyes of a young boy into the household of an abusive father. Robert Hayden’s Those Winter Sundays is a similar poem from†¦show more content†¦As the poem progresses, the boy’s tone becomes more playful which reinforces the serious statement about how much he cares for his father. The ‘waltz’ becomes less serious when he says, â€Å"We romped until the pans Slid from the kitchen shelf† (Roethke, 5). Using a word like romped is a deliberate attempt to make a serious event lighthearted and fun. The only reason a child would make this ‘waltz’ playful is because he wants to protect his father, whom he loves. As the last stanza explains, â€Å"You beat time on my head†¦Then waltzed me off to bed Still clinging to your shirt.† (Roethke, 13-16) Again, the abuse is compared to a waltz which makes it seem lighthearted. The boy is taking a serious affair and making it into a fun event. He uses this good-natured tone because he loves his father and wants to justify this serious affair. Similarly, Hayden’s Those Winter Sundays starts with a young adult reflecting back on his childhood and remembering how hard his father worked. He thinks back and his tone is of admiration and respect. This is apparent when the young man reflects, â€Å"Sundays too my father got up early†¦No one ever thanked him.† (Hayden, 1-5) The young man is realizing how hard his father worked and how little recognition he got. This makes a certain degree of guilt come over the young man. He remembers â€Å"fearing the chronic angers of that house† (Hayden, 9) and dislikes his father because of it by â€Å"speaking indifferently to him† (Hayden, 10). Then theShow MoreRelatedTheodore Roethke And My Papas Waltz And Those Winter Sundays754 Words   |  4 Pagesdownhearted. Theodore Roethke’s â€Å"My papas waltz† and Robert Haydens â€Å"Those winter Sundays† are both poems who speak about their conflicting fathers. The speakers in the poems are both young boys who do not understand the meaning of love. In Robert Hayden’s â€Å"Those winter Sundays,† the speaker is showing lack of appreciation towards the speakers father. In contrast, Theodore Roethke’s â€Å"My papas waltz,† will show a brief moment of acknowledgement towards the speakers fathers hard work. Theodore Roethke’sRead MoreEssay on Comparing Those Winter Sundays to My Papas Waltz1100 Words   |  5 PagesMemories: Child and Father Relationships In Those Winter Sundays and My Papas Waltz Sundays too my father got up early and / And put his clothes on in the blueback cold comes from Robert Haydens Those Winter Sundays and describes the life of the speaker who reminisces of the childhood experiences that were spent with the speakers father (1-2). At every step you missed / My right ear scraped a buckle comes from Theodore Roethkes My Papas Waltz and also exemplifies a past relationshipRead MoreThose Winter Sondays And My Papas Waltz Analysis924 Words   |  4 Pagesof love for their sons, this affection can be displayed in many different ways. This theme of father and son love is expressed in the poems Those Winter Sundays, by Robert Hayden, and My Papa’s Waltz, by Theodore Roethke. Both of these authors use imagery and an extended metaphor to depict two different relationships between father and son. In My Papa’s Waltz, Roethke writes from the perspective of a man, looking fondly back on his relationship with his father. Roethke begins describing his fatherRead MoreAnalysis Of Theodore Roethke s My Papa s Waltz, And Robert Hayden s Those Winter Sundays925 Words   |  4 PagesIn the analysis of Theodore Roethke’s â€Å"My Papa’s Waltz,† and Robert Hayden’s â€Å"Those Winter Sundays,† both modernistic and highly respected poets similarly write with a sense of reminiscence of childhood experiences. Similarly, both poems are about a memory as a boy looking back at a specific time in their lives and the love they have for their respected fathers. A similar implication is expressed in the way of their lives not being perfect, but still remaining a humble family. This is shown withinRead MoreMy Papas Waltz And Those Winter Sundays Analysis880 Words   |  4 Pagessilence. The poems My Papas Waltz, by Theodore Roethke and Those Winter Sunday s, by Robert Hayden use the topic of emotionally-based childhood experiences that create a theme to signify their love for their fathers, but are displayed in different ways. The fundamental message conveyed is the importance of a father-son relationship when growing up. Each poem is written with a unique perspective, but they are able to be interpreted with similar ideas. In â€Å"My Papa’s Waltz† Theodore Roethke describesRead MoreMy Papa s Waltz By Theodore Roethke844 Words   |  4 Pagesâ€Å"My Papa’s Waltz† by Theodore Roethke, and â€Å"Those Winter Sundays† by Robert Hayden are the poems that talk about the relation between son and father. Both speakers in the poem are grown men and reflect memories of the day they spend with their father when they were in childhood. About the poem â€Å"My Papa’s Waltz,† Baird states that â€Å"Theodore Roethke imaginatively re-creates a childhood encounter with his father, but also begins to attempt to understand the meaning of the relationship between them†(Read MoreEssay about My Papas Waltz vs. Those Winter Nights1521 Words   |  7 PagesRichard Koch Literature and Culture 5/6/13 Research Paper My Papa’s Waltz Vs. Those Winter Nights In â€Å"My Papa’s Waltz† by Roethke and â€Å"Those Winter Sundays† by Hayden, the two narrators speak about their fathers in a way that shows there were two different sides to their fathers. One side was abusive and strict, while the other side was loving and caring. Each narrator has a different attitude toward their feelings for their fathers. Roethke has a more fun and understanding view of hisRead MoreEssay Analysis of Poems by Theodore Roethke and Robert Hayden 965 Words   |  4 Pagescall defining moments in our views of motherhood or fatherhood. It is clearly evident that both Theodore Roethke and Robert Hayden have much to say about the roles of fathers in their two poems as well. While the relationships with their fathers differ somewhat, both men are thinking back to a defining moment in their childhood and remembering it with a poem. My Papas Waltz and Those Winter Sundays both give the reader a snapshot view of one defining moment in their chi ldhood, and these momentsRead MoreAnalysis Of The Poem My Papa s Waltz By Theodore Roethke1537 Words   |  7 PagesThe poem â€Å"My Papa’s Waltz† by Theodore Roethke tells the story of a moment between a father and a son. The father smells like he has had a little too much to drink, and he is dancing around in the kitchen with his son. The dance doesn’t seem to be as much fun for the son, because he is continually scraping his ear against his dad’s belt buckle. Similarly, the poem â€Å"Those Winter Sundays† by Robert Hayden tells the story of a particular moment between a father and son. The son tells the story of his