Comparative Analysis of “Papa’s Waltz” and “Those Winter Sundays”
The love of parents, especially fathers, have been taken for granted for so long. On many occasions, they spend most of their time outside the home, working hard to provide for their families. Most of them rarely have the opportunity to interact with their kids. Due to this, their expression of love and affection towards their kids began to drift away. This article will compare Theodore Roethke’s “My Papa’s Waltz” and Robert Hayden’s “Those Winter Sundays.” The two Poems talk about fathers’ love towards his sons. The two authors describe the father-son relationship while reflecting on childhood memories with their fathers.
Discussion
I will begin by analyzing both poems individually and then draw a comparison between the two poems based on the structure and themes in the poems. The first stanza of “My Papa’s Waltz” states:
“The Whiskey on your breath
Could make a small boy dizzy
But I hang on like death:
Such Waltzing was not easy.”
(Theodore, S.1, 1-4)
So, looking at the surface of this poem, one can make the imagination of a father and a son dancing; but looking deeply at the word choice, one can see a chaotic and messy situation. Theodore is addressing his drunk father. He says that he can smell the booze from his breath, which could make him dizzy, but he keeps on dancing, although it was not easy. “But, I hang on like death.” The poet then goes on to explain the setting of the action about how they romped in the kitchen. Moreover, his mother was in the kitchen, and she was not happy about the dancing as they were knocking the utensils “My Mother’s Countenance/ could not unfrown itself” (Theodore S.2, 3-4)
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From this, we get to learn about the chaos that the drunkard father had created. While they are dancing, we get to see the emotive and equivocal nature of the father-son relationship. The author uses words such as “beat,” “hand by beat,” and “battered” to express the violent images in the poem. The poem was rhythmic; the rhyme scheme is ABAB. Each stanza consists of four lines that follow a rhythmic pattern. Furthermore, the theme of the poem is odd and it shows the mess and the underlying fear created by the dance. The poem alludes to the ambiguous nature of the father-son relationship. This disharmony between the subject matter and the tone of the poem is intentional as the author uses a playful form to follow a specific guideline to build. Yet, it depicts the insecurity and fear of the son.
Similarly, “Those Winter Sundays” by Robert Hayden also deals with childhood memories of a complicated father-son relationship. Overall, the poem has three stanzas. However, unlike Theodore’s “My Papa’s Waltz,” this poem is not rhythmic. Looking at the first stanza, it states that:
“Sundays too my father got up early.
And put his clothes in the blue-black.
Then with cracked hands that ached
From labor in the weekday weather made
the banked fire blaze. No one would ever thank him.”
(Hayden, S.1, 1-5)
Looking at the poem carefully, it is like the speaker is sharing his secrets with someone close to him. He describes his father’s Sunday activities, and despite the hard work, he put through nobody ever thanked him, not even the speaker thanked him. The tone depicted in the poem is that of anger, aggression, and sadness. This is evident as the author uses words like “breaking,” “splintering,” “chronic anger,” and “fear.”
The poem presents a harsh and cold atmosphere as well as the complex relationship between the father and son. The above stanza showcases the speaker’s fear of the “chronic anger” in his family; this tells us the complicated situation in the family and that something is not quite right. The first two lines show the skeptic nature of the author’s mind and the complicated nature of the relationship with his father.
Comparison
The two poems are about a father-son relationship. Both depict how intricate their relationship was with their fathers. Also, both poems are reminiscence of pre-teens memories in an adult age poem. “My Papa’s Waltz” is tentative to evoke his feelings towards his father. We observed the use of chaotic words that allude to danger. The speaker was also fearful when his father engaged in Waltz. Similarly, the speaker in “Those Winter Sundays” expressed the same kind of sadness and fear. He is also hesitant and doubtful about the nature of their relationship.
In “My Papa’s Waltz,” the author composed the poem in a playful manner that showcased the chaotic and messy nature of his relationship with his father. On the contrary, in “Those Winter Sundays,” the author used a style that reflects a feeling of remorse and regrets. The speaker regrets because he did not thank his father for the love and sacrifices he made. Be that as it may, be, both authors depicted the complexity of their relationships with their fathers.
Conclusion
Both poems show the love and respect that exist between father and son. Although it may not have been a huge concern at their young age, they are now thankful and can relate to why their fathers’ actions. The two poems also illustrate how fathers quietly showcase their love and affection for their children and the same, fulfilling their fatherly duties.
