“My Papa’s Waltz” Introduction

• Read the full text of “My Papa’s Waltz”

“My Papa’s Waltz” Summary

“My Papa’s Waltz” Themes

• 

  Fathers, Sons, and Masculinity

  Where this theme appears in the poem:

  • Lines 1-16

Line-by-Line Explanation & Analysis of “My Papa’s Waltz”

• Lines 1-4

  The whiskey on ...
  ... was not easy.

  

  

  

  

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• Lines 5-8

  We romped until ...
  ... not unfrown itself.

  

  

  

  

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• Lines 9-12

  The hand that ...
  ... scraped a buckle.

  

  

  

  

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• Lines 13-16

  You beat time ...
  ... to your shirt.

  

  

  

  

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“My Papa’s Waltz” Symbols

• 

  Pans

  Where this symbol appears in the poem:

  • Line 5: “pans”
• 

  Waltz

  Where this symbol appears in the poem:

  • Line 4: “waltzing”
  • Line 15: “waltzed”

“My Papa’s Waltz” Poetic Devices & Figurative Language

• End-Stopped Line

  

  

  

  

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  Where end-stopped line appears in the poem:

  • Line 2: “dizzy;”
  • Line 3: “death:”
  • Line 4: “easy.”
  • Line 6: “shelf;”
  • Line 8: “itself.”
  • Line 10: “knuckle;”
  • Line 12: “buckle.”
  • Line 14: “dirt,”
  • Line 16: “shirt.”

• Enjambment

  

  

  

  

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  Where enjambment appears in the poem:

  • Lines 1-2: “breath / Could”
  • Lines 5-6: “pans / Slid”
  • Lines 7-8: “countenance / Could”
  • Lines 9-10: “wrist / Was”
  • Lines 11-12: “missed / My”
  • Lines 13-14: “head / With”
  • Lines 15-16: “bed  / Still”

• Alliteration

  

  

  

  

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  Where alliteration appears in the poem:

  • Line 1: “b”
  • Line 2: “b,” “d”
  • Line 3: “d”
  • Line 4: “w,” “w”
  • Line 5: “W”
  • Line 6: “k”
  • Line 7: “M,” “m,” “c”
  • Line 8: “C”
  • Line 9: “h,” “h”
  • Line 10: “b”
  • Line 11: “m”
  • Line 12: “M,” “b”
  • Line 13: “b,” “h”
  • Line 14: “c,” “h”
  • Line 15: “b”
  • Line 16: “c”

• Assonance

  

  

  

  

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  Where assonance appears in the poem:

  • Line 1: “o,” “ea”
  • Line 2: “a”
  • Line 3: “I,” “o,” “i,” “ea”
  • Line 4: “a,” “o”
  • Line 5: “i”
  • Line 6: “i,” “i,” “e,” “e”
  • Line 7: “ou,” “e”
  • Line 8: “ow,” “e”
  • Line 9: “i”
  • Line 10: “o,” “u”
  • Line 11: “e,” “e,” “i”
  • Line 12: “u”
  • Line 13: “i,” “y,” “ea”
  • Line 14: “y,” “i”
  • Line 15: “a,” “o,” “e”
  • Line 16: “i,” “i,” “i,” “i”

• Consonance

  

  

  

  

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  Where consonance appears in the poem:

  • Line 1: “w,” “r,” “b,” “r”
  • Line 2: “d,” “m,” “m,” “b,” “d,” “zz”
  • Line 3: “l,” “d”
  • Line 4: “S,” “w,” “z,” “w,” “s,” “s”
  • Line 5: “m,” “p,” “l,” “p”
  • Line 6: “l,” “m,” “k,” “n,” “l,” “f”
  • Line 7: “M,” “m,” “c,” “n,” “n,” “n”
  • Line 8: “C,” “n,” “n,” “f,” “n,” “l,” “f”
  • Line 9: “Th,” “h,” “d,” “th,” “t,” “h,” “d,” “s,” “t”
  • Line 10: “b,” “tt,” “n,” “n,” “n,” “ckl”
  • Line 11: “t,” “r,” “st,” “p,” “m,” “ss”
  • Line 12: “M,” “r,” “r,” “s,” “cr,” “p,” “b,” “ckl”
  • Line 13: “b,” “t,” “t,” “m,” “m,” “h,” “d”
  • Line 14: “m,” “h,” “d,” “d,” “rt”
  • Line 15: “l,” “t,” “t,” “b,” “d”
  • Line 16: “ll,” “l,” “t,” “r,” “rt”

• Simile

  

  

  

  

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  Where simile appears in the poem:

  • Line 3: “But I hung on like death”

• Extended Metaphor

  

  

  

  

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  Where extended metaphor appears in the poem:

  • Lines 1-16

• 

  

  

  

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  Where appears in the poem:

“My Papa’s Waltz” Vocabulary

Select any word below to get its definition in the context of the poem. The words are listed in the order in which they appear in the poem.

• Waltz
• Romped
• Unfrown
• Unfrown
• Buckle
• Beat Time
• Caked Hard

• (Location in poem: Line 4: “waltzing”; Line 15: “waltzed”)

Form, Meter, & Rhyme Scheme of “My Papa’s Waltz”

• Form

• Meter

• Rhyme Scheme

“My Papa’s Waltz” Speaker

“My Papa’s Waltz” Setting

Literary and Historical Context of “My Papa’s Waltz”

More “My Papa’s Waltz” Resources

• External Resources

  • Theodore Roethke Museum — The website of the Theodore Roethke Museum, with photos, recollections from friends, and recommendations for further study.

  • Introduction to Roethke's Collected Poems — The full text of Edward Hirsch's introduction to Roethke's Collected Poems.

  • A Tribute to Roethke — Former U.S. Poet Laureate, Stanley Kunitz, reflects on the importance of Roethke's poetry.

  • Roethke's Life — A detailed biography of Theodore Roethke from the Poetry Foundation.

  • Roethke Recites "My Papa's Waltz" — Listen to the poet read his poem aloud.

• LitCharts on Other Poems by Theodore Roethke

  • The Waking