The poem Daddy” by Sylvia Plath is one of her most controversial works due to the message it conveys. The persona in the poem speaks of a person whom they call “daddy” and presents extreme hatred towards them. In contrast, Theodore Roethke’s poem “My Papa’s Waltz” also features a persona who is angry with the subject of the poem, but there is a clear difference between the two poems. The persona in Roethke’s poem speaks of their father, while in “Daddy,” the persona alludes to another man who is considered to be the origin of their race and not their father.
In Plath’s Daddy,” the persona does not seem to be referring to their own father, but rather the patriarch of an entire clan. The persona in the poem appears to be furious at this man who has done something terrible to their clan. As evidenced by lines such as “kill” (6, 71), “stake in your fat, black heart” (76), and “buried” (57) (Plath, 1986, p.110), the words used are almost morbid. They convey a feeling that is not simply anger but utter hatred accompanied by a desire for vengeance.
In Roethke’s “My Papa’s Waltz”, the persona’s anger is conveyed through lines that suggest torture, such as you beat time on my head” (line 13) (Roethke, 2009, n.p.). However, unlike Plath’s work, the persona in this poem does not show a desire for revenge. The hatred towards the subject of the poem is not as extreme as in “Daddy.” The entire poem only conveys to the reader the evil deeds of the subject without any signs of a desire to avenge or forgive.
It can be concluded that the personas in Sylvia Plath’s Daddy” and Theodore Roethke’s “My Papa’s Waltz” are conveying a message about a man who caused them to feel hatred and fury at some point in their lives. However, the persona in Plath’s poem expresses a desire for vengeance, while the hatred felt by the persona in Roethke’s poem is more subdued.
References:
- Roethke, R. (2009). My Papa’s Waltz. The Poetry Archive. Retrieved June 26, 2009, from http://www.poetryarchive.org/poetryarchive/singlePoem.do?poemId=9505.
- Plath, S. (1986). Daddy. In H. Pinter, G.. Godbert, & A. Astbury (Eds.), 100 Poems by 100
- Poets (p. 110). New York: Grove Press.
