Unconditional Love

Unconditional Love With jolting word choice and the sound application of imagery, the poem My Papas trip the light fantastic toe, written in 1948 by Theodore Roethke (1908 1963), presents the loud loudspeaker as a claw who is trapped in a world tragically affected by alcoholism and physical clapperclaw yet who relentlessly attempts to attain respect and affection from his drunken and flushed produce. The whimsical lyrics prompt the reader to recognize that although this poem depicts the essence of a electric shaver, the implication of a life of patterned torture is in thick(p) contrast to the reality of a carefree childishness.My Papas Waltz is written in quatrain form purposely echoing the sing poem sound of idyllic childhood rhymes to contrast the meaning of the poem which illustrates a childhood buzz off with an alcoholic and abusive receive who, despite the ongoing pain inflicted, is still loved unconditionally by his son. The speaker relates this experience in his childhood with his drunken father in an almost doting tone, yet with the distain of the alcoholism and violence soundly ringing through.He states, The whiskey on your breath, Could make a small boy dizzy simply I hung on like death Such waltzing was not easy, (lines 1-4). The speakers tone reveals that although his father drinks to the point of his breath universe wise and that the situation is confusing to the lad, he still hung on like death, cont give notice with his fancy that if he continued the waltz the relationship with his father that he would retain his fathers love.In the cobblers last line of the stanza, the speakers resolute determination of continuing with the difficult waltz lends reliance to the optimism of his youth which is evident in his perseverance to experience the father-son relationship. The word choices throughout the poem, such as death, battered, scraped, and beat imply that the speakers childhood is certainly not a functional one and, moreover, is filled day-after-day with the cruel interactions of his hardened father.The speaker reflects, We romped until the pans, Slid from the kitchen shelf My mothers countenance, Could not unfrown itself, (5-8). This passage suggests through detailed imagery that although this young boy is being abused by his father, with household items being knocked from their places with the shaking of the violence, his mother discreditably remains a silent but disapproving bystander as she witnesses her childs horrendous beatings.The brutal scene continues to unfold as The handwriting that held my wrist, Was battered on one knuckle At every blackguard you missed, My right ear scraped a buckle, (9 12). In a vivid vaunt of terrifying progression, the father grasps the boys wrist with his hand in an attempt to land yet another steady blow, battering his press even more. When his drunken state causes him to stagger, the boys ear scrapes against his rush buckle, instead.As the fathers tension and f ury explodes from the failed strike, the speaker recounts that his father beats time on my head then waltzed me off to bed, creating a vision of a frenzied rage as he is repeatedly hit until he is thrown violently into his room at the end of the beating (13, 15). Throughout this instance of abuse it is quite clear that this childs love for his father is steadfast and unwavering. Regardless of the incessant beating, the last line of the poem is the boys emphatic plea for love and acceptance as he was still clinging to (his) shirt, (16).While he notes his fathers palm caked hard with dirt, the excusing tone suggests that he recognizes the hard life his father lives and thus pardons his cruelty. As is often the case with an abused person, no matter the depths of the abuse that is endured, a longing and a resilient hope for a functional, loving and nurturing relationship with ones parent continues, as is displayed in My Papas Waltz. Works Cited Roethke, Theodore. My Papas Waltz. litera ry works for Composition, 8th ed. Eds. Sylvan Barnet, William Burto, William E. Cain. New York Pearson Longman, 2008. 807.