Imagery in My Father's Waltz Donald Hall describes the use of imagery in poetry as a device that "makes us more sensitive to [literature], as if we had acquired eyes capable of seeing through things” (p. 530). Imagery creates striking details that relate to the senses of sight, hearing, touch, smell or taste. These details can be seen in "My Papa's Waltz" by Theodore Roethke because the senses of touch, sight, hearing, and smell appeal to the reader in order to better explain the feelings of each character in the poem. Roethke's use of imagery creates a negative image that is painted by the son of an abusive father. The poem “My Daddy’s Waltz” uses imagery, particularly appealing 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 war wounds inflicted on the father and son by the father. The father's hand "was struck on one knuckle" after hitting his son with a belt (10). This is evident because "the son's right ear was scratched...