Theodore Roethke

Lindsay Barber
F Block English
Mr. Dilworth

            Theodore Roethke (1908-1963), was a great American poet who was born and raised in Saginaw, Michigan.  He lived in a close-knit family who emigrated from Germany.  Roethke's father owned and ran a 25-acre greenhouse that Roethke grew to love, as it inspired many of his writings and poetry.  While a teenager in high school, writing became very appealing to him, culminating in the writing of a Red Cross campaign that was translated into 26 different languages. Toward the end of his freshman year, Roethke's father passed away and as a domino effect, his uncle committed suicide.  These events caused him to suffer from severe abandonment issues, depression, and social anxieties.  Ultimately, he had a much deeper and complex understanding of life than most other 14-year-old boys. 

1

            

Once Theodore Roethke graduated high school, he continued his education at the University of Michigan, where he earned Bachelor and Masters of Arts degrees.  During his early college years, he developed a fascination with gangsters and incorporated them into his writings.  Once graduated, he attended Harvard Law School where he studied with a fellow poet, Robert Hillyer.  Here they were able to exchange ideas and writing techniques to further improve both writers and upcoming poets.  Unfortunately, Roethke was forced to drop out of law school due to the economic hardships brought on by the Great Depression. During this time, he was able to concentrate fully on his poetry and began to draft a book.  Open House was finally published in 1941 after ten hard years of work. The great poet, T.S Eliot, inspired this writing.  However, the sales of his book did not fully allow him to escape his great amount of debt.  As time went on, he was able to publish more books and poetry, each time his reputation grew.  In one literary collection, The Waking, he was awarded the Pulitzer Prize in 1954.

            
Today, he is remembered as an exceptional poet and has a house museum created by the Friends of Theodore Roethke Foundation.  This non-profit organization is dedicated to preserving the life and works of Theodore for educational and cultural purposes.  In 2004, The Roethke House was designated as a National Literary Landmark.  Roethke had an astonishing impact on American poetry that was strongly influenced by his home, family dynamics, and nature.  In this museum, they focus on education and expanding the Theodore's unique writing styles.  They hold writing workshops, oral history projects, poetry readings, and lessons on local history.  Due to the hard work of the Friends of Theodore Roethke Foundation, his legacy will carry on and continue to influence American works of literature.  

Reading:

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xs22ct_snake-by-theodore-roethke-poetry-reading_shortfilms

Poem:

I saw a young snake glide

Out of the mottled shade

And hang, limp on a stone:

A thin mouth, and a tongue

Stayed, in the still air.

It turned; it drew away;

Its shadow bent in half;

It quickened and was gone

I felt my slow blood warm.

I longed to be that thing.

The pure, sensuous form.

And I may be, some time. 

Comment:)

            The poet feels a longing to be the snake because it possesses qualities that he wants himself.  Because Roethke suffered from depression and social anxiety; the snake was symbolic of his need to "glide out of the mottled shade" (Roethke, lines 1-2) out of a patch of dark light that the shade represents.  The snake is clearly not afraid when it "hangs, limp on a stone" (Roethke, line 3) making it vulnerable to nature.  The last stanza demonstrates the connection that both beings had. Roethke is able to recognize how he still has the time and capability to shed his outer skin.  It is important for one to feel comfortable in one’s own skin and not fall susceptible to the discouragement of others, as Roethke did.  It may lead to a lifetime of regret, and becoming envious of others for having the courage to not hide in the shadows.