Compare and Contrasting Poetry

Comparring My Papa's Waltz and Listening to grownups quarrel   Poems are often designed to express deep feelings and thoughts about a particular theme. In Theodore Roethke's poem, My Papa's Waltz, and Ruth Whitman's poem, Listening to grownups quarreling, the theme of childhood is conveyed through their details, although we can neither see a face nor hear a voice. These poems are very much alike in their ideas of how their memories pertain to the attitudes of their childhood; however, the wording and tones of the two poems are distinct in how they present their memories. The two poems can be compared and contrasted through the author's use of tone, imagery, and recollection of events; which illustrate each author's memories of childhood. (Stephen Fry, 62-89)The tone of a poem can only by recognized when reading carefully and paying close attention to the words and what they might suggest. The rhyme scheme of My Papa's Waltz is extremely relevant to the poem. For example, in the first stanza dizzy and easy create the rollicking rhythm, as does the following stanza's with the same pattern. The structure of words create an almost "waltz" like melody. The phrase " we romped until the pans / Slid from the kitchen shelf" and " waltzed me off to bed" (Roethke 5-6, 15), convey a pleasant atmosphere to the reader. The title itself creates an affectionate attitude with the connection of Papa and waltz. The choice of words and details are used systematically to produce thoughts to the reader of happiness and affection, thus, establishing the tone of this poem. The tone of Listening to grownups quarreling, has a completely different impact. When reading this poem, the reader has a more sad outlook on the thoughts of this author's memories. Whitman uses words such as anger, tremble, and phrases such as "cold with their wrath" and the " claws of the rain" (9, 10), which indicate a darker environment. The two plain stanza's present no melodic tune and the words are more blunt and to-the-point. Whitman's poem is more direct with her message of children growing up in the midst of an unhappy marriage and home. The title of this poem verifies exactly what this poem is about without sugar-coating for the effect of a more uplifting childhood. Therefore, the tone of this poem is very depressing and sorrowful. Poetry can sometimes have hidden meanings due to representation and symbolism. The imagery in My Papa's Waltz is extremely important in understanding the underlying message of unhappiness. Because the tone of this poem seems upbeat, the imagery tries to have the same attitude; perhaps through its verbal irony. For example, in lines 7 and 8, " My mother's countenance / Could not unfrown itself", is almost deceiving unless the reader breaks down the meaning and realizes that the words "not unfrown" means that this child's mother could not stop frowning. This mother is obviously unhappy that her husband, the child's father, is coming home late with ...