My father's song (Poem analysis) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

My father's song (Poem analysis) - Essay Example Their content shows different kinds of father-son relationships, though both are filled with intense bonds of love, while their forms and symbolism suggest the cycle and rhythm of life that can be distinct to every father and cultural group. Ortiz and Roethke both express intense devotions to their father, which is typical of the adoration that boys feel for their fathers, the main plot of the poems and evident in the diction that speak of their livelihoods. Ortiz remembers his father and misses him terribly. The plot of the poem talks about how he misses his father, â€Å"His voice, the slight catch,/the depth from his thin chest† (Ortiz 3-4). He misses him enough that his senses are all awakened, as if he can hear, see, and feel his father. Having the kind of memory that becomes almost physically real signifies a son’s intense devotion to his father. Furthermore, Ortiz uses diction that has rich imagery that is typical of Native American language. The â€Å"tremble of emotion† (5) and his song for his son are elements of Native American identity, where oral histories are part of everyday activities shared through songs and stories. The boy in Roethke’s poem also expresses his strong love fo r his father. He calls him â€Å"Papa,† a term of endearment, and he does not mind that he comes home drunk and dances the waltz with him, for he still â€Å"hung on† (Roethke 3) and clung to his shirt, as his Papa waltzed him roughly to bed (Roethke 16). It does not matter if Papa’s ritual is too rough for the boy; he enjoys it anyway and takes pleasure in being the center of his father’s attention. Lisa Jadwin underlines that the boy must be terrified of his father’s smell, actions, and appearance, but it does not matter. She interprets the plot of poem as one that â€Å"captures some of the fundamental joy a child experiences when playing with a parent and receiving that parents