¶ … Papa's Waltz," the speaker mentions the booze on his father's breath, strong enough to make a "small boy dizzy," (Line 2). Theodore Roetke then opts to use the word "death" in the third line, creating instantly a tone of despair. The titular waltzing refers to the child having to dance around his father's abuse. He is also "waltzed off to bed," (Line 15). The irony of using the term "waltz" throughout adds complexity to the poem's tone. Waltzing is an odd choice of metaphor, because waltzing is dancing: something that is inherently joyful or happy. The "beating time" is not actually beating time to music but beating a child (Line 15). By using the metaphor of waltzing to discuss domestic violence, the poet draws even greater attention to the serious nature of the subject.
Simile and metaphor allow Sharon Olds to discuss sexuality and emotional intimacy. The first simile that appears in the poem compares lovers to dancers. "Beautiful as dancers, / gliding over each other like ice-skaters," (Line 2-3). This simile is straightforward in that many dances are erotic in nature and involve physical expressions of intimacy between partners. The second metaphor refers to the physiological effects of arousal: "faces / red as steak, wine, wet" (Lines 5-6). Here, the speaker uses food and drink similes also in a manner congruous with sexuality because both food and sex fulfill physical needs. Then, Olds reaches the central metaphor of the poem, which is comparing true love to a religious experience. "These are the true religious, / the purists, the pros, the ones who will not / accept a false Messiah," (Lines 13-15). The false Messiah is quick one-night stands; the truly religious and pure of spirit imbue sexual experiences with spirituality.
3. The rose symbolizes love in Kelly Mays's "One Perfect Rose." However, the speaker finds the rose an ironic symbol of love. A rose is delicate, "fragile," and will soon die (Line 6). All the rose does is to represent "his heart," (Line 5). The speaker points out the difference between a rose and a "limousine," (Line 10). Whereas the flower functions...
William Carlos Williams comments on the brutal persistence of patriarchy in "The Raper from Passenack." The title immediately conjures the imagery of rape, and the title fuses into the first line of the poem. "The Raper from Passenack" is written in a narrative format, describing a scene in which the titular character is driving home the nameless girl who he just violated. Most of the narrative takes place inside the
William Carlos Williams' "Pastoral" and "Proletarian Portrait" William Carlos Williams' poem "Pastoral" is narrated in an introspective, confessional voice that describes the narrator's attitude toward the streets in which he was raised. There is very little plot in the poem, and it consists mainly of details concerning the street locale. Given the minimal plot that occurs, the details assume great significance. The reader must therefore be cognizant of how the details
Gradually, the viewer's pleasure of being the knowing doctor shifts to the pleasure of socially-sanctioned unwilling penetration: "But the worst of it was that I too had got beyond reason. I could have torn the child apart in my own fury and enjoyed it. It was a pleasure to attack her. My face was burning with it," says the doctor as he grows angry with the girl's intransigence. Mulvey might
Not all humans exhibit the same jealously levels, behaviors, etc.); and, 2. Today, instinct theory has a more biological emphasis for specific motives and not all (like aggression and sex). but, there is still a strong instinct perspective in the study of animals (ethology) (p. 2). Notwithstanding this lack of consensus, there have been much attention directed to the relationship between instinct theory and the various dimensions of the human
Proletarian Portrait" is a poem by William Carlos Williams that presents a brief snapshot of a working class woman, a proletarian. She is bogged down by two stigmas: class and gender. Because the reader has no other cues of the woman's identity, it is also possible that she is not white, either. Being of the non-dominant culture would make the woman an emblem of the underclass, presuming the setting
Force: Symbolic rape in William Carlos William's short story William Carlos William's "The Use of Force" is a strange, uncomfortable short story to read about a seemingly very simple subject. A doctor is trying to force a resistant young girl to open her mouth so he can see if she has diphtheria. The girl, not knowing the doctor is trying to help her, bravely but foolishly resists him and he must
Our semester plans gives you unlimited, unrestricted access to our entire library of resources —writing tools, guides, example essays, tutorials, class notes, and more.
Get Started Now