‘Root Cellar’ by Theodore Roethke describes the plant life living in the dark, dank conditions of a root cellar. In the first lines of this poem, the speaker uses clear and interesting language to compare the plants growing in his dark cellar to tropical snakes.

‘Root Cellar’ by Theodore Roethke is a short eleven-line poem that describes a variety of disgusting and smelly plant life that exists within a speaker’s root cellar.

‘Dolor’ by Theodore Roethke is a thoughtful and relatable poem about the oppressive structures of working life. The speaker spends the lines of this poem emphasizing how mournful and lonely objects like pencils, paper, and paperweights are.

Emma Baldwin, with diverse academic expertise, delves into Confessionalism and feminism in poetry, highlighting passion and emotion.

‘I Knew a Woman’ by Theodore Roethke describes a relationship between a devoted man and his lover, with whom he is completely obsessed. The poem begins with the speaker stating that he “knew” a woman.

‘Elegy for Jane’ by Theodore Roethke uses intense natural images to depict a deceased young woman and the love the speaker has for her. Throughout this poem, Roethke’s speaker uses interesting and memorable images of nature to describe the life of one of his students, Jane.

Theodore Roethke’s ‘The Waking’ was written in 1953, and is part of his Pulitzer Prize winning collection from the same year. The poem was composed shortly after World War II ended and as the world entered the Cold War, so Roethke challenges people in this poem to understand their place in the changing world and to comprehend that they ...

‘My Papa’s Waltz’ by Theodore Roethke describes the complicated relationship between a father and son through the metaphor of a dance. In the first lines of this poem, the speaker describes his father’s whiskey breath, his movements, and how “Such waltzing was not easy”.

‘Night Journey’ by Theodore Roethke is a beautiful poem dedicated to the poet’s love of the American countryside. The poem states that the speaker, likely the poet himself, is on a train journey. He’s traveling west, to an unknown destination, at night.

‘In a Dark Time’ by Theodore Roethke is an unforgettable poem about darkness and the quest to understand one’s personal truth. Throughout the stanzas of ‘In a Dark Time,’ the speaker contends with their own mental health and a “madness” that they’re exploring.