My Papas Waltz Analysis

My Papas Waltz Analysis Upon first reading the poem titled My Papas Waltz by Theodore Roethke, a negative opinion could be formed. Due to some of the words in this poem, it is understandable why this kind of reaction could be evoked. Further analysis and critical thinking allows one to better understand what the writer may really mean. In the first line of the poem, The whiskey on your breath is descriptive enough to produce an image in ones mind of a man who is drunk. The words of Could make a small boy dizzy further illustrate the strong intoxication of the man. It is often not in good taste when an intoxicated adult presents him or herself to a child. The poem could be interpreted as a depiction of a childs experience of abuse from his father. But I hung on like death seems to convey a childs terrible feeling from having to face a drunken father. The image painted here is that of a child and his father waltzing around the house with the boy having to hold on like death. The word death could have been use d to emphasize the helplessness of the child against his drunken father. Indeed, a child waltzing with a drunken father could be a difficult task, as described in the line Such waltzing was not easy. My mothers countenance could not unfrown itself seemed to prove that the action of waltzing with a drunken father was inappropriate and causing a disruption. Breaking down the meaning of could not unfrown, one may conceive a thought of a mother who could not stop frowning, meaning the mother is unhappy about the situation and also perhaps about her husband being drunk. In the line We romped until the pans slid from the kitchen shelf, this could indicate how the mother disapproves of the situation, for the child could get hurt and also because her kitchen is a mess. The hand that held my wrist was battered on one knuckle. The battered in this line is often a word that describes abusive situations. At every step you missed, my right ear scraped a buckle. The word buckle could be related to a belt buckle. This idea could add to the scenario of a father beating his child with a belt. The beat time on my head is another line that might lead the reader to think that the father is abusing t he child. The words that Roethke chose in describing the scene produce pictures of a violent kind of waltz. In this interpretation, the waltz was not a joyful one. The poem employs a sad mood and a somewhat satirical tone, suggesting that the person remembering his childhood is critical of his father. The smell of the whiskey, the roughness and the inconsiderate, reckless actions of the father were scrutinized and criticized. But there is another analysis of the poem that reveals a different line of ideas. The poem for others conveys a message contrary to the first impression that is often formed. The other interpretation of Theodore Roethkes poem suggests it is a dance, hence the name of the poem, My Papas Waltz. For other readers, the poem has evoked good, past memories. For example, an older man through the poem remembers his father who was a hardworking employee. A particular scenario could be the instances when his father would walk into their home after a days work with scraped hands. His father was a strong and tough man, yet a good man who provided for the needs of the family. For that person, the poem is a particular memory of a child that stood among the rest. This was a story of a boy reminiscing that instance when his father had returned home from work one late evening. He happened to be in a celebration along with his co-workers at a local pub. He excitedly waltzed while entering his home, an d proudly picked up his son, swinging him around in a dizzying waltz. Father and child playfully danced and wrestled in the living room, hence making this poem funny for some readers. A kid dancing with a drunken father would make readers think that the child is having fun with his dad. Topping the funny scenario is the expression of a mother getting peeved of whats going on in her kitchen: We romped until the pans slid from the kitchen shelf. The father and son romping typically arouse this kind of reaction from every mother, with her being the lady of the house. This is a positive bonding experience between a father and child and particularly between a father and a son. The poem is said to employ a winning tone that is light and almost comical. The constant rhythm throughout the poem endows it with a light beat like a waltz. It shows that the child was very fond of his father. Though the poem starts in a serious tone, it progresses into a playful one, reinforcing the caring regard of the child to the father. He really valued his father and the hard work that he did to provide for the familys needs. The line With a palm caked hard by dirt, then waltzed me off to bed, still clinging to your shirt suggests the loving bond between a son and his father. Through it all, the poem in its simplicity of delivery has managed to produce two completely different reactions. One either interprets the poem with a negative implication or a poem with a positive implication. A persons judgment would depend mostly on the experiences, the cultural, social, and psychological background among others of an individual. A boy indeed needs this kind of experience from his father for him to see not just the strong, matured, and responsible nature of his father. It is a joyful experience for a child to see his or her father in a light and playful mood, particularly when he has alcohol in his system. The poem does not explicitly state that the child is being beaten and physically hurt by the father. There is just this free-spirited form of dancing that could bring no harm to a boy. It is funny and sweet to be able to see a father out of his usual tough and matter of fact persona. It brings him closer to his children.

Taxes on Cigarettes :: Essays Papers

Taxes on Cigarettes The article â€Å"Smoke Signals†, by the New York Times and the New Jersey Sunday edition, presented an overview of for the state of New Jersey’s recent decline in cigarettes bought in the last year. The article starts off by explaining to the reader how smokers took a financial beating at the cash register every time they went to a convenience store to buy cigarettes. In a smokers reduction movement the state of New Jersey doubled the sales tax on cigarettes forcing smokers to spend an extra forty cents on every pack they bought. Len Fishman, the state commissioner of Health and Senior services, stated that the tax increase was meant to drive down the consumption entirely. As Mr. Fishman traveled around the state he discovered that many people were already trying to quite smoking, they just never had the right physical motivation to pursue their goal. These people explained that the dramatic increase on tax was the finale straw that broke the camels back, and provided the right motivation for them to quite smoking. The tax increase put New Jersey behind only Hawaii and Alaska at $1 a pack, and Washington state at 82.5 cents a pack. Over a six month period the revenue collected from cigarette sales had dropped by 12 percent. For 1998 the revenue earned by cigarette sales should have been roughly 54.2 million cartons, but with the tax increase that number had been dropped to 47.4 million cartons. This gap represents a 6.8 million carton difference, an outstanding decrease in cigarette sales. To all smokers the tax increase means a substantial amount of money will be necessary to maintain their habits. Some smokers will go through great lengths to save as much money as possible, even if it means traveling to other states to buy their smokes. Both Pennsylvania and Delaware reported a significant increase in cigarette sales over the next six months after the tax took affect. Over a one year period Delaware even had a ten percent increase, manly due to the tax increase in New Jersey. The state of Massachusetts raised their tax 25 cents a pack in 1992 and reported a 12.5 percent decrease in sales the following year. Certainly a more alarming statistic is not necessarily how much the tax has decreased the sales of cigarettes, although very impressive and healthy, but rather the percent of under aged children and high school students who already smoke and who are beginning to smoke.

James Baldwin “Language is a key political instrument”

Imagine this, you are from a small town in Alabama, but you have Just moved to New Jersey. You have a deep southern accent and you use words like â€Å"Yall. † People are going to automatically think that you're a redneck, which probably means that you live in a trailer, you hunt deer as a hobby, you live on a farm, and moonshine is your favorite drink. They will treat you according to the way that they think you are, only because they don't understand the way you speak.Because both of you are from a different part of the United States their way of speaking English is different from ours, which makes the way you speak unique to you and your identity. In Baldwin's essay, he is saying that the manner in which you speak, will determine how people treat you. I agree, people will make assumptions about you based on your choice of words, accent, or vocabulary.In order to conform to this harsh reality people evolve a new language in order to control their circumstances and/or environ ment. Black English originated during slavery, when the slaves were brought to America they were all from different tribes; therefore they did not speak the same language. In order to survive and to understand each other, they evolved a language of their own.In England people can tell what kind of person you are, where you're from, and if you're wealthy Just by listening to your diction. A person living in Paris cannot understand what a person from Quebec is saying even though they speak the same language (French. ) I do believe that language is the key to a person's identity. Your grammar, language, etc. will determine how you are treated and if you will be accepted in the society that you are in.

Thomas Paine s Political Pamphlet - 925 Words

Thomas Paine’s Political Pamphlet Thomas Paine’s political pamphlet entitled Common Sense was a very inspirational piece of writing. Common Sense stirred the American colonists who were pursuing independence. It was also a persuasive piece of writing for the American colonists who were unsure if they wanted to split their ways with Great Britain, or not. Throughout the political pamphlet Paine argues that the colonist were not dependent on Great Britain. He makes powerful points regarding how the American colonies would interact if they were still together with Great Britain. Paine also uses the location and size of Great Britain and the American colonies to aid in strengthening the case for independence. Many political influences such as Thomas Jefferson were swayed by the political pamphlet Common Sense. Thomas Paine’s political pamphlet Common Sense was published in 1776. Common Sense presented two key points that included: independence from Great Britain and the making of democracy. He began his political pamphlet by pointing out the differences of society and government. He states that society is produced by our wants, and government is produced by our wickedness. Society endorses our happiness while government imprisons our vices. He uses a fictional scenario to explain that when people form ties with one another government becomes almost necessary; they cannot depend on just moral virtue. Paine states in this scenario that because government is necessaryShow MoreRelatedThomas Paine s Common Sense Essay813 Words   |  4 PagesThomas Paine began writing Common Sense in late 1775 under the working title of Plain Truth. With Benjamin Rush, who helped him edit it, publish it, and suggested the final title, Paine developed his ideas into a forty-eight page pamphlet. He published Common Sense anonymously because of its treasonable content. 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