My Papa's Waltz, Those Winter Sundays, and Legacies
Children often become so wrapped up in their own tasks and obligations that they take for granted the simple acts of loving support given to them by their family and relatives. Many times this causes families to have problems communicating. Communication between children and relatives doesn't just happen over night; you must learn to establish a connection. Good communication can make or break a relationship. The following poems, "My Papa's Waltz," "Those Winter Sundays," and "Legacies," attempt to touch on the issue of "connection". In "My Papa's Waltz" and "Those Winter Sundays," the narrators reflect back on the memories of their boyhood relationship with their father. The experiences related are very similar because of the father's ability to communicate with his son physically, rather than verbally. The narrator of "Legacies" focuses on her reliance on her grandmother and emphasizes the importance of family traditions. Even though the three poems are composed and read very differently, the underlying message conveyed is the same, and each are valid first-hand accounts of "connections" between families."My Papa's Waltz," by Theodore Roethke, shows a connection between a father and son during a rambunctious dance scene
"Legacies", by Nikki Giovanni, shows a connection between a grandmother and granddaughter. The poem expresses the speaker's value of knowledge passed down from grandmother to granddaughter and from generation to generation. Giovanni does not feel any internal conflict, but she has a problem when her grandmother asks for her company. Even though the grandmother asks the girl to learn from her, all she wants, in reality, is the company of youth, and time to spend with her granddaughter. In "Legacies", we are shown what the granddaughter is thinking behind the words of the refusal: "...even if she couldn't say it that/ that would mean when the old one died she would be less/ dependent on her spirit so..." (Giovanni 7-9). This means that the girl wants to be dependent on her grandmother even after she dies. Many younger children have a fear of being alone and having no one to take care of them. Therefore, her conflict lies in her words and thoughts. Some part of her may want to learn how to make rolls, but the thought of no longer needing her grandmother outweighs her desire of knowledge. So even after the grandmother passes away, Giovanni will always rely on her to make the best rolls. The entire poem stresses the closeness of the grandmother and granddaughter. It shows how they rely on each other for strength and wisdom. The granddaughter wants to forever rely on her grandmother. The grandmother has a strong sense of family and cares deeply for her granddaughter. All the grandmother wants to do is pass on a lifetime of information to her granddaughter by handing down ideas and customs from one generation to another. All older generations strive to pass on their traditions and wisdoms onto people who can still use them, and in the poem, Giovanni pays homage to her grandmother's wisdom and knowledge. "Those Winter Sundays" by Robert Hayden deals with the connection between a father and son. Hayden uses figurative language and other literary devices to show a father's love for his son, as well as the son's realization of that love. Not love as in romance or beauty, but an unmentioned love that can ne
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Approximate Word count = 1435
Approximate Pages = 6 (250 words per page double spaced)
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