Literary Element

MY PAPA’S WALTZ

Theodore Roethke

1948

The whiskey on your breath

Could make a small boy dizzy;

But I hung on like death:

Such waltzing was not easy.

We romped until the pans 5

Slid from the kitchen shelf;

My mother’s countenance

Could not unfrown itself.

The hand that held my wrist

Was battered on one knuckle; 10

At every step you missed

My right ear scraped a buckle.

You beat time on my head

With a palm caked hard by dirt,

Then waltzed me off to bed 15

Still clinging to your shirt.

Draft Analytical Essay about Poetry

The essay assignment for this week is to compose a paper of at least 750 words in which you offer your interpretation of a key theme in one of the assigned poems. You may choose any poem from the reading list except for “The Chimney Sweeper.” If you wish, you may base your paper on the analysis you began in this week’s discussion question. If you get “stuck,” read your chosen poem again with a pen in hand so you can make notes. Do not hesitate to share your initial ideas with your classmates and the instructor.

• You should open your essay with an introductory paragraph that engages the reader and presents your poem and author. End your introduction with a thesis statement that interprets one literary element of the poem (such as theme, imagery, symbolism, or characterization).
• Each paragraph following the introduction should present specific aspects of the poem that help to illustrate and support your thesis. Make sure to quote and analyze specific lines that support your argument.
• Include a concluding paragraph at the end that summarizes the main points of the paper and explains the significance of the thesis.