Imagery in My Papa's WaltzDonald Hall describes the use of imagery in poetry as a device that "makes us more sensitive to [literature], as if we acquired eyes that could see through things" (p. 530). Images create vivid details that affect the sense of sight, hearing, touch, smell, or taste. These details can be seen in Theodore Roethke's "My Papa's Waltz" because the senses of touch, sight, hearing, and smell appeal to the reader to better explain the feelings of each character in the poem. Roethke's use of imagery creates a negative image painted by the son of an abusive father. The poem "My Papa's Waltz" uses imagery appealing primarily to the sense of touch. The sense of touch also helps the reader better understand the theme of the abusive father. The third stanza focuses on the actual act of abuse. The author, Roethke, describes the battle wounds inflicted by the father on the father and son. The father's hand "was hit on the knuckle" from hitting his son with a belt (10). This is evident because "the son's right ear was scratched...