Poetry questions

My Papa’s Waltz and Those Winter Sundays

My Papa’s Waltz

1.            Summarize in one sentence the main idea of this poem. How a father cares for his daughter.

2.       Characterize the speaker in the poem. How old do you think he is? I think he would be young, about 8 or so.

3.       How does the poet convey the perceptions of a child? As innocent and caring/loving.

4.       What childhood emotions are portrayed? Caring for a parent or innocence.

5.       List the details that create an ambiguous mood in "My Papa's Waltz," and discuss two different interpretations of the poem. The whiskey on the dads breath, the details of the fathers appearance and the boys age.

Those Winter Sundays

1.       Summarize in one sentence the main idea of this poem. The hard work of a father.

2.       How would you describe the speaker's father and the relationship between the poem's speaker and his father? Hard working and strict. I would I say that their relationship is strained.

3.       How do you define the words "offices" and "austere"? Offices is a workplace to me, and I do not know what austere is.

4.       From what point in time does the speaker view the subject of matter of the poem? I would say from a young age, maybe about ten.

5.       Why do you think “no one ever thanked him”? Because they all viewed what he did as what he was supposed to do.