My Papa’s Waltz by
Theodore Roethke
The
first thing to jump out at me within the poem is the very obvious rhyme scheme.
When I think of poems about abusive and alcoholic fathers, I don’t usually
associate them with rhymes. I think Roethke employs this method in order to add
to the fact that the poem’s narrator is a child. The simple four line stanzas
have a rhythm that’s reminiscent of a childhood storybook. The juxtaposition
between the serious subject matter and simple language adds significantly to
the poem. Maybe the simplicity of the poem’s language is commenting that
children have no way of understanding such complex and horrible things.
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