Theme Duality in My Papa's Waltz - Essay Example

The initial reading may make people comment that y Papa's Waltzis simply a delightful childhood incident a tender moment between father and son. While another interpretation is the that the boy in the poem is being abused by his father that is the child ancesunwillingly. Whether the poem is a about a positive or negative relationship between a father and son, Roethke goal as an author is clear. He wanted to write a poem in which the reader can just as much part in determining the theme as the author.

Meaning and theme of any piece of literature is partly determined by the author and also by the audience. y Papa's Waltzexemplifies the situation in which personal and past experience determines the ultimate theme. Due to the various discussions over the meaning of the poem, the reader neglects the grace and skill of the writing. Roethke creates this split meaning poem by skillfully using a number of literary elements. Roethke in y Papa's Waltzemploys the use of contrasting images, alliteration,and meter to create the poem's dual theme.

y Papa's Waltzis poem about a ancebetween a father and child. Roethke uses the metaphor of the waltz as a way to show the relationship between a father and child. The waltz is a dance between two people, like all dances someone must lead and someone must follow. This is true in all parent child relationships. The drunk father and son dance in the poem knocking over items, bumping into things while the mother looks on disapprovingly. The father dances the son right into the bed. However, the poem is not that straight forward.

There are several components of the poem which are not light hearted or fun. It is obvious that t