| My Papa's Waltz The whiskey on your breath Could make a small boy dizzy; But I hung on like death: Such waltzing was not easy. We romped until the pans Slid from the kitchen shelf; My mother's countenance Could not unfrown itself. The hand that held my wrist Was battered on one knuckle; At every step you missed My right ear scraped a buckle. You beat time on my head With a palm caked hard by dirt, Then waltzed me off to bed Still clinging to your shirt. |
1. Identify the rhyme scheme of the poem The rhyme scheme of the poem is ABAB CDCD EFEF GHGH. 2. Identify 7 examples of diction and state each word's connotation. like death - dead romped - playing scraped - minor, annoying unfrowned - sad, angry battered - beat up waltzed - enjoyment, fun clinging - stubborness, safety 3. Identify 3 sound devices in the poem "Hand that held my wrist" - Alliteration 4. Identify 3 images in the poem "Palm caked hard by dirt" - visual "Waltzed me off to bed" - Visual/Auditory "I hung on like death" - Visual 5. After examining your evidence, state the speaker's attitude toward his father. Justify your answer. The speaker's tone in this story is happy. His words seem a little depressing, but he is really having a good time and playing around with his dad. He also mentions that he is clinging onto his dad because he loves him. The rhyme and word choices also make this poem have a happy, playful tone. He uses "romped" and "waltzed" to describe things, which means he is really not that depressed. |