Poem:
Analysis of Roethke poem
Read "My Papa's Waltz" of Roethke at least twice and underline at least five of the most vivid words--nouns, verbs, adjectives, etc. If you're not sure what a word means--like countenance--then define it in order to discover its denotations. Then list all of the connotations you can think of for each word. What images, moods, and associations do you have for each word? For example, we might work with the term bald eagle this way:
Bald eagle denotation: a bird of prey native to North America which weighs between 7 and 14 pounds, has an average 30-year life span, and lives primarily on fish.
Bald eagle connotations: strength, courage, bravery, America, loyalty, fierceness, determination, post office, flight, freedom, soaring
Review your lists of connotations and decide what they may suggest to you about this poem. How do they add to--or confuse--its meaning? Write what you've discovered and include your list of connotation