The Tone of the Offender A Comparison of Offenses in William Carlos Williams This is Just to Say and Theodore Roethkes My Papas Waltz
Modernist poetry opens up a whole new world of experiencing poetry in terms of structure, tone and meaning. William Carlos Williams This is Just to Say and Theodore Roethkes My Papas Waltz are no exceptions to this rule. Both poems describe different situations, but both address an offense and ones experience surrounding an offense. This is Just to Say depicts the offense of stealing plums. My Papas Waltz, depending on the interpretation of the poem, depicts the offense of accidental hurting of a child to full-blown child abuse, depending on interpretation. In terms of societys beliefs on offenses- the offenses described in each poem are far conflicting, and the poems treat them very differently. Though the formal offense in Roethkes poem My Papas Waltz is greater, the offense of stealing plums in This is Just to Say is treated as far more serious and impacting.
Roethkes poem My Papas Waltz includes an offense that at best is an accidental bruise, and at worst, a cruel, drunken beating. Based on the perspective of the poem-told from the viewpoint of a son- it is handled in a tone of forgiveness and love. The poems theme is a way to find insight into the treatment of the offense. Thematically, My Papas Waltz talks about the bittersweet relationship between a father and son, and the changes between the romanticism and trauma of a father-son relationship. This is proven through lines like line four in the poem, but I held on like deathsuch waltzing was not easy (Roethke). The experience of family is told through the extended metaphor of the waltz, a dance that shows an interdependent relationship.
The child in the poem will always love his father, no matter how terrible he is or how much he drinks. The whiskey on your breathCould make a small boy dizzyBut I hung on like deathSuch waltzing was not easy (Roethke). The boy knows his father is drinking and this can possibly lead to violent behavior. Still, the son tries hard to stay close to his father in the name of his love for his family. Though the reality of this is haunting and makes the poem particularly sad to read, it shows that the fathers offense of hurting his child is forgiven by the child himself. Dealing with the offense in such a way lessens the offenses impact and makes it less serious than it should be. The last line shows a dramatic visual of this then waltzed me off to bedStill clinging to your shirt. At the end, the son is still clinging to his father- the man that hurts him- out of love. The son in the poem forgives the father out of love, so the offense of physical harm is present, but weakened by the bond of a son for his father.
A less serious offense in the cannon of human offense is the stealing of plums in William Carlos Williams poem, This is Just To Say. Still, it is treated far more coldly and seriously than My Papas Waltz. The voice in the poem wants the reader to forgive him for eating something that the reader- or whomever the poem is addressed to- presumably saved for themselves. The protagonists think that the plums owner was probably saving them for breakfast. Some scholars liken this honest plum stealing to a kind of rape, a rape that the narrator is not sorry for but relishes in. This is shown at the end of the poem, it reads forgive methey were deliciousso sweet and so cold (Williams). The protagonist asks for forgiveness from the owner of the plums, but this forgiveness is empty. If it were a sincere display of forgiveness, the poem would end with an apology, and not one more dig in about the plums being delicious, their attractive qualities appealing to the reader on a sensory level.
This is just to Say is written in a style that adds to the seriousness of the offense. The poem is brief- rich in economic word choices- and in this there is a sense of tension. The words that go unsaid are present in the poem or can be imagined by the reader. Because the words are so sparse and create tension and richness, the tone of the poem is that of seriousness, mystery and weight. The tone of the poem, unlike Roethkes nostalgic and love-filled poem My Papas Waltz, is cold and filled with tension. This contributes to the weight and offense of the poem. This gives the treatment of the plum stealing more weight, making it more serious and unforgivable.
Both Theodore Roethke and William Carlos Williams are modernist poets who expertly write poetry that is rich in meaning, emotion, perspective and storytelling. Though the poems This is Just to Say and My Papas Waltz are very different, they both describe offenses. The offense in My Papas Waltz is hurting a child, but it is treated with a viewpoint of love and nostalgia. The offense seems less serious in This is Just to Say but it treated with an unapologetic tone and tense language that makes it a far more serious offense. In Roethkes poem My Papas Waltz the offense is treated with love and nostalgia
Roethkes poem My Papas Waltz includes an offense that at best is an accidental bruise, and at worst, a cruel, drunken beating. Based on the perspective of the poem-told from the viewpoint of a son- it is handled in a tone of forgiveness and love. The poems theme is a way to find insight into the treatment of the offense. Thematically, My Papas Waltz talks about the bittersweet relationship between a father and son, and the changes between the romanticism and trauma of a father-son relationship. This is proven through lines like line four in the poem, but I held on like deathsuch waltzing was not easy (Roethke). The experience of family is told through the extended metaphor of the waltz, a dance that shows an interdependent relationship.
The child in the poem will always love his father, no matter how terrible he is or how much he drinks. The whiskey on your breathCould make a small boy dizzyBut I hung on like deathSuch waltzing was not easy (Roethke). The boy knows his father is drinking and this can possibly lead to violent behavior. Still, the son tries hard to stay close to his father in the name of his love for his family. Though the reality of this is haunting and makes the poem particularly sad to read, it shows that the fathers offense of hurting his child is forgiven by the child himself. Dealing with the offense in such a way lessens the offenses impact and makes it less serious than it should be. The last line shows a dramatic visual of this then waltzed me off to bedStill clinging to your shirt. At the end, the son is still clinging to his father- the man that hurts him- out of love. The son in the poem forgives the father out of love, so the offense of physical harm is present, but weakened by the bond of a son for his father.
A less serious offense in the cannon of human offense is the stealing of plums in William Carlos Williams poem, This is Just To Say. Still, it is treated far more coldly and seriously than My Papas Waltz. The voice in the poem wants the reader to forgive him for eating something that the reader- or whomever the poem is addressed to- presumably saved for themselves. The protagonists think that the plums owner was probably saving them for breakfast. Some scholars liken this honest plum stealing to a kind of rape, a rape that the narrator is not sorry for but relishes in. This is shown at the end of the poem, it reads forgive methey were deliciousso sweet and so cold (Williams). The protagonist asks for forgiveness from the owner of the plums, but this forgiveness is empty. If it were a sincere display of forgiveness, the poem would end with an apology, and not one more dig in about the plums being delicious, their attractive qualities appealing to the reader on a sensory level.
This is just to Say is written in a style that adds to the seriousness of the offense. The poem is brief- rich in economic word choices- and in this there is a sense of tension. The words that go unsaid are present in the poem or can be imagined by the reader. Because the words are so sparse and create tension and richness, the tone of the poem is that of seriousness, mystery and weight. The tone of the poem, unlike Roethkes nostalgic and love-filled poem My Papas Waltz, is cold and filled with tension. This contributes to the weight and offense of the poem. This gives the treatment of the plum stealing more weight, making it more serious and unforgivable.
Both Theodore Roethke and William Carlos Williams are modernist poets who expertly write poetry that is rich in meaning, emotion, perspective and storytelling. Though the poems This is Just to Say and My Papas Waltz are very different, they both describe offenses. The offense in My Papas Waltz is hurting a child, but it is treated with a viewpoint of love and nostalgia. The offense seems less serious in This is Just to Say but it treated with an unapologetic tone and tense language that makes it a far more serious offense. In Roethkes poem My Papas Waltz the offense is treated with love and nostalgia
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