Compare and Contrast ‘My Papa’s Waltz’ and
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Compare and Contrast Poetry
“Those Winter Sundays” is written by Robert Hayden (Hayden, 2014). And “My Papa’s Waltz” is written by Theodore Roethke in 1961 (Roethke, 1979). Both poems are famousAmerican poems and in both poems the poets describe the relationship between father and son. The speakers in both poems recall their childhood experiences with their fathers. In “Those Winter Days” the speaker recalls how his father did all labor for him when he was a kid. While in “My Papa’s Waltz’ the speaker remembers the dance, his father did with him when he was drunk.
In both poems, the poets show the memories of the son to his father, but speaker in Theodore’s poem directly speaks to his father whereas in Hayden’s poem the speaker talks about his father. Thus, different tones are used in these poems which are subjective and objective. The situation in Hayden’s poem is funny like a father and son dancing in the house. However in Theodore’s poem, the situation is of a serious kind as the speaker tells how his father wakes up early even on cold mornings of Sunday.
In ‘Those Winter Sundays,’ the illustrator describes his regret and this is reflected by his words “No one ever thanked him.” The speaker feels shame as he did not recognize the love and sacrifice of his father that time and the duties he performed for him every other day (WoodKerry, 2008).On the other hand, the father in Roethke’s poem seems irresponsible as he is drunk and dirty too. As he does not realize that he can hurt his son and can drop him. This is reflected by the lines ‘The whiskey in your breath; could make a small boy dizzy’ and ‘with a palm caked hard by dirt.’ Although both poems share the same relationship and the attachment between a son and his father but the father in ‘Those Winter Days’ is a responsible person.
In addition, the poem ‘Those winter Sundays’ describes morning time and in ‘My Papa’s Waltz’ the time is of evening. Moreover, the mother of the boy is mentioned in My Papa’s Waltz and in another poem speaker does not talk about his mother. The boy in Roethke’s poem seems afraid as he has the fear that his father can drop him that’s why he says ‘I hung on like death.’ And the boy was quiet too in Roethke’s poem, and he does not speak to his father. On the other hand, in Hayden’s poem, the boy talks to his father but indifferently and he has regret on this.
In Hayden’s Poem, there is much focus on the feelings of the father as compared to a son. And in Roethke’s poem the feelings of the son are focused. By reading Roethke’s poem, it is felt that the speaker now regards his father with great respect and love. As in the end, the speaker appreciates his father’s love towards him. In Hayden’s poem, it is not expressed that how the son regards his father at present. However, the poem is half-ironic and half loving and is one of the beautiful poems in English literature (My Papa’s Waltz, 2014).
References
My Papa’s Waltz: Theodore Roethke-Summary and Critical Analysis. 2014. Bachelor and Master.Viewed. October 9. 2014. http://www.bachelorandmaster.com/britishandamericanpoetry/my-papas-waltz.html
Hayden, Robert. 2014. Those Winter Sundays. Poetry Out Loud.Viewed. October 9. 2014. http://www.poetryoutloud.org/poem/175758
Roethke, Theodore. 2014. My Papa’s Waltz. Poetry Foundation.Viewed. October 9. 2014. http://www.poetryfoundation.org/poem/172103
WoodKerry, Michael. August 11, 2008. Analysis of Robert Hayden’s Those Winter Days.Poets and Poetry.Humanities 360 Degree.Viewed. October 9. 2014. http://www.humanities360.com/index.php/analysis-of-robert-haydens-those-winter-sundays-51517/
