Modification For A Comparative Paper

Difference of relationship between father and son in different families is implied in the authors’ words choice in “My Papa’s Waltz” and “Those Winter Sundays” . Roethke says, “The whiskey on your breath” (199). Author uses “breath” which shows that his father is addictive for drinking and his father drinks overloaded that day. Roethke states, “ Could make a small boy dizzy” (199). Author uses “dizzy” to shows that the smell of whiskey is bad, and it makes this small boy feel very uncomfortable. His father is a drunkard and he always drinks alcohol in large volume. In some way, this drunken father leaves a bad memory for a small boy. Author says, “But I hung on like death” (199). The word “death” in the sentence shows that a small boy tries his best to grab his father in order to keep balance. It also displays the fear and nervousness of a little boy of his drunken father. A sense of security is important for a child, however, this boy can’t get this sense form his father. A lack of security and even the feeling of fear for patents can alienate children from their parents both physically and psychologically. When Roethke was a little boy, he was afraid of his father because his father was a drunkard. Hayden says, “When the rooms were warm, he’d call” (436). Hayden’s father was very concerned about his son which made him get up early to made the room warm in order to allow his son get up easier. The father doesn’t want his son to get up in a cold and early morning. Hayden uses “warm” and “call” in this sentence. Although the dialogue between the father and the son is not described in detail, it shows the harmony between the father and the son as well as a common and simple father-son relationship. Hayden says, “No one ever thanked him” (436). His father sacrificed himself to his family silently and all his efforts were meaning to improve his families’ life condition. However, the son never thanked his father. Hayden states, “What did I know, What did I know of love’s austere and lonely offices” (436). As an adult, the author could finally understand his father's silent love and his sacrifice as well as dedication to his family. Although Roethke lacked love from his father in his childhood and he was afraid of his father, he still longed for his father's love.

The characters in “Those Winter Sundays” and “My Papa’s Waltz” have distinct personality traits. There are three characters in “My Papa’s Waltz”. Roethke states, “The whiskey on your breath” (199). Roethke’s father is addicted to alcohol which made him an alcoholic father who has a negative effect on the development of his son. A good role model is important for a little boy, however his father fail to set himself as a good role model for Roethke. Boys tend to mimic the behavior of their fathers and and when he grew up, they have a high possibility to drink overloaded. Roethke says, “With a palm caked hard by dirt” (200). It shows that his father is a worker or gardener by describing father's hands were dirty and muddy. This heavy work made father do not have enough time to stay with his son. Many fathers are always forced to spend most of their time on their works in that they are taking the responsibility to support the whole family. This also makes some of them ignore the importance of their father's company to their children. Roethke says, “My right ear scraped a buckle” (199). It is painful for a child to have his ears scratched by a buckle. After drinking a great amount of alcohol, his father became very rude and violent without considering the feelings of this little boy and hurt this small boy. The small boy’s mother also appears in the poem “My Papa’s Waltz”, but she is involved not in it and his mother chooses to do nothing although she knows that the drunken father may hurt this little boy. This son lives in a negative and unhealthy family environment because his father is a drunkard and he never spends time to take care of his son. In addition, his mother doesn’t take responsibility to protect his son when he may get hurt. There is only two characters in the “Those Winter Sundays”. The father in the poem “Those Winter Sundays” is a far cry from that in the poem “My Papa’s Waltz”. Hayden says, “Sundays too my father got up early” (436). His father always gets up early no matter it is weekdays or weekends. Hayden states, “then with cracked hands that ached from labor in the weekday weather made banked fires blaze” (436). The cracked hands imply that his father is a worker who works in a bad working condition. Although this father does not have a respectable job and a profitable position, he works very hard in order to support his family. He always acted as a selfless provider for the entire family. He gets up early in the cold winter morning to make the house warm. He tries to provide a better living environment and condition for his son, and he never asks for anything in return from his family members. Although he might be thanked explicitly by no one, he still insists on keeping the house safe and warm for his family. The son in “My Papa’s Waltz” grew up in a violent family environment without his father's love and companionship. By Comparison, the son in “Those Winter Sundays” live in a warm and happy family environment.

Authors of “Those Winter Sundays” and “My Papa’s Waltz” use loads of words to describe imagery so as to show the relationships between father and son. Roethke writes, “We romped until the pans slid from the kitchen shelf” (199). The “Waltz” is very loud and makes a mess in the kitchen. The father has drunk too much whiskey which makes it difficult for him to control his emotions and behaviors. After drinking whiskey in great amount, he may beat and hurt his son but not on purpose. After being beaten by his father, the son develops more sense of fear for his father. Roethke states, “Then waltzed me off to bed still cling to your shirt. The son still clings to his father's clothes even after he falls asleep. The small boy feels very scared and nervous after being beaten by his father which makes him want to cling to something. Hayden uses imagery to show another kind of relationship between father and son. Hayden says, “and put his clothes on in the blueblack cold” (436). Although the weather was very cold, the father persists on getting up early every day to keep the house warm for his family. Hayden says, “fearing the chronic angers of that house” (436). The house gradually becomes very warm in that the father does not want his son to get up in a cold morning like the way he did. So he calls his son to get up until the house become warm. The father is considerate, and his action speaks louder than words. Hayden says, “What did I know, what did I know of love’s austere and lonely offices” (436). It shows the gratitude and regret of the son for his father because he never thanked his selfless father in his childhood. His father's love for him was simple and unselfish. Although his father did not express his love in an explicit manner and concern for his son in words, he expressed his love for his son by his actions. The father's actions and habits impose a considerable influence on the relationship between father and son. The violent behavior conducted by the alcoholic father made his son afraid of being close to his father and son is expected to be estranged from his fathers. The father in “Those Winter Sundays” uses his selfless action to narrow the distance between him and his son.

“My Papa’s Waltz” is a poem which tells a story in which a boy who grows up in a violent and worse family, and whose father and mother are both irresponsible. “Those Winter Sundays” is a poem which is about austere and close relationship between father and son. This boy grows up in a warm and happy family. Hayden and Roethke use some writing techniques such as word choices, character and imagery in their poems in order to show the theme that father’s love and warm family environment are both important for children. The boy who lives in a violent and irresponsible family would be afraid of his father and lack sense of security. The boy who lives in a warm and happy family thanked his parents’ love. The authors hope that all parents could take the responsiblity for their children and provide them with a warm and happy environment in which they could grow up happily.

Work Cited

Roethke, Theodore. “My Papa’s Waltz.” The Carolina Reader. Edited by Kelsey Flint-Martin with Ethan J.H. Knight. Uofsc press, 2019, pp 199-200.

Hayden, Robert. “Those Winter Sundays.” The Carolina Reader. Edited by Kelsey Flint-Martin with Ethan J.H. Knight. Uofsc press, 2019, pp 436.