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Theodore Roethke

Theodore Roethke. 1908-1963. My Papa’s Waltz. The whiskey on your breath Could make a small boy dizzy; But I hung on like death: Such waltzing was not easy. We romped until the pans Slid from the kitchen shelf; My mother's countenance Could not unfrown itself. My Papa’s Waltz.

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Theodore Roethke

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  1. Theodore Roethke 1908-1963

  2. My Papa’s Waltz The whiskey on your breath Could make a small boy dizzy; But I hung on like death: Such waltzing was not easy. We romped until the pans Slid from the kitchen shelf; My mother's countenance Could not unfrown itself.

  3. My Papa’s Waltz The hand that held my wrist Was battered on one knuckle; At every step you missed My right ear scraped a buckle. You beat time on my head With a palm caked hard by dirt, Then waltzed me off to bed Still clinging to your shirt.

  4. The whiskey on your breath Could make a small boy dizzy; But I hung on like death: Such waltzing was not easy. We romped until the pans Slid from the kitchen shelf; My mother's countenance Could not unfrown itself. You smelled like whiskey, which made me feel a little dizzy; but I hung on really tight to you as we danced. It wasn’t easy. We danced around and caused such a ruckus that mom got kind of mad. Explication

  5. The hand that held my wrist Was battered on one knuckle; At every step you missed My right ear scraped a buckle. You beat time on my head With a palm caked hard by dirt, Then waltzed me off to bed Still clinging to your shirt. You held my hand with your weathered hands and because I was short and you were clumsy, my head hit right at your belt buckle. You played drums on my head as we danced, with your dirt caked hands, and then we danced into my bedroom to get ready for bed. Explication

  6. Literary Devices • Simple quatrain structure/rhyme scheme indicative of childish memory • Simile “like death” = drama of youth • Uses dance as a metaphor for relationship between father and son

  7. Biographical Information • Born 1908 in Saginaw, Michigan • Father ran a greenhouse • Much of work relates to nature • Greatly impacted by father’s death from cancer - age 15 • Incredibly insecure about intelligence and appearance • Suffered from mental illness • Professor and coach

  8. Epidermal Macabre Roethke Reads

  9. Themes & Big Ideas • Movement from omniscient narrator to first person creating a confessional tone • Desire to be in ‘spirit form’ – flesh is sin and brings despair • Desire to shed flesh = shed sin • Paradox - life and death at same time • Religious overtones

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