Family relationships are both meaningful and complicated. Every relationship is different. A special relationship exists between a father and his child. Poetry is a great way to describe this relationship. Robert Hayden's poem "These Winter Nights" and Theodore Roethke's poem "My Papa's Waltz" both describe different but loving father-child relationships. In Roethke's poem, the relationship the speaker has with his father is complicated. The speaker of Roethke's poem turns out to be a little boy. Before going to bed, the father dances the waltz with the little boy. The waltz could be a metaphor describing his relationship with his father. The speaker describes the waltz as "Such a waltz was not easy", which could mean that their relationship was not always easy. The speaker continues and describes how the father makes a mistake and the boy gets hurt: “With every step you missed / My right ear scratched a curl.” This could also be another metaphor for how the father's mistakes could harm his son. Some of the word choices suggest that there may also be some form of violence in the relationship. The speaker describes the father's hands: "The hand that held my wrist / Was struck on one knuckle." The word “battered” is a strong word to describe his hands. The speaker also mentions, "You beat time on my head," which, again, the word "beat" is a strong word to describe keeping time. The poem focuses almost entirely on the waltz. The poem is written in iambic trimeter and a waltz also has three beats. By transforming the poem into a waltz, we show the importance of the waltz itself. Even though the father's relationship with his son is complicated, the son still loves and admires his father. Even though the waltz is rough, the son clings to his father “Then he waltzed me into bed / Still clinging to your shirt.” The child ignores all the discomfort he feels at continuing to dance with his father. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get an original essay In Hayden's poem, the speaker's relationship with the father was thoughtful. The speaker describes all the responsibilities he would assume for him. The father would get up, light the fire and wait for the fire to warm up before calling his family. He also shined the shoes of his children “who had chased away the cold / and also shined my good shoes”. The speaker speaks with remorse: “What did I know, what did I know / of the austere and solitary offices of love.” Hayden's poem is a basic but common sonnet. The poem is about a different type of love. It's about the love that parents have for their children and the love that their children have for them. Just like the reader was only able to understand his father's love at the end. The reader discovers the sonnet type of the poem until the end. Both poems reflect on a childhood memory but each has a different focus. In Roethke's poem, the speaker focuses more on how his father treated him and how he hurt him: "With every step you missed / My right ear scratched a curl." The reader cannot be sure how the speaker will feel about his father when he grows up. The reader remembers his father as slightly unpredictable. In Hayden's poem, the speaker focuses more on the father and how he mistreated him. The reader also knows that the speaker remembers his father with respect and remorse. The speaker regrets not having been able to see that his father showed his love for him by taking care of him "What did I know, what did I know / of austere and solitary offices.