Posted: May 22nd, 2015

My Papa’s Waltz

Each of the stanzas in the poem My Papa’s Waltz bears a clear alliterative moment. The first example appears in line four “waltzing was”. The repeated “W” brings out a gentle sound that is contrasting with the third line simile about death. The alliteration in this line makes the waltz sound tranquil and natural. Lines seven and eight are further examples of alliteration in the poem. The repeated “C” produces a sharp sound that gives out a hard edge to the gracefully sounding stanza. I consider this alliteration because it gives a brief description of the persona’s mother as a signal of warning or a form of danger. The other example of alliteration appears in line nine, “hand held that”. Similar to the first stanza, the “hand…held” gives out a nearly protective gentle sound of alliteration. The alliteration is in sharp contrast of the scrapped ear and battered knuckle dominating the imagery of the stanza.

The first evidence of diction in the poem manifests itself in line four. The words “was not easy” are an understated observation that emphasizes on the detail that this poem sets us in the mind of a poem. There are other ways that can be used to describe the dance because in this regard, there is no way a child can come up with such sophisticated vocabulary. The other form of diction in the poem is seen in lines seven and eight. These are arresting and unusual lines regarding diction that signify change in the poem. Countenance is an awkward word to describe facial expression. In addition, the persona made up the word “unfrown” even though the meaning is quite clear.

The poem My Papa’s Waltz has several similes that can be derived. The first comes in line three through the words “hung on like death”. In this case, the reader can make two assumptions out of the line. “Hangs on” can be taken to imply holding on or clinging on tightly. This simile introduces death in a way of emphasizing the negative situation associated the waltz. On the other, the reader can also conclude that the persona attempts to compare himself with death. This shows that the persona considers himself to be in certain danger. The poem also depicts imagery as we can see how the persona and his father share an unsteady relationship. We can be able to create mentally a picture of the two engaging in a waltz dance. The father in this case is seen to be guiding and instructing his unwilling son and punishes him whenever he gets it wrong.

The first example of irony is evident in line in lines one and two of the poem. The words “whiskey on your teeth” and “makes a small child dizzy” are ironic in nature. The irony in these lines is the fact that the whiskey breath is toxic enough that I can make a small boy drunk as well. The other form of irony manifests itself in line three through the words “hung on like death”. This line is in connection with line four of the poem because the persona’s father represents a particular danger. He clings on to him “like death” for life rather than death. Thus, the word “ironic” can be taken to be ironic. Line five is another revelation of irony. The words “romped until the pans” are ironic because they seemingly make us to believe that the waltz sound is carefree even though the intended effect is to create violence.

Waltzing can be considered the central symbol of the poem My Papa’s Waltz. Indeed, the family engages in a short dance before they go to sleep. This symbolizes the relationship between the father and the family. This relationship defines a man who is in control of and does so by applying physical force to express authority over his son even though he loses his own control in the process. The waltz talks more about how this family interacts, and is supported by the poem’s title as well. The control exhibited by the father also symbolizes the persona’s unwillingness. Moreover, a waltz always has a leader and this scenario shows the father’s control over his son. The main picture is not how the persona is being led, rather how the father plays the leading role. Indeed, the waltz is a common phrase and idiomatic saying that seemingly suggests the symbolism of the father’s action of literally, and figuratively leading his son to bed.