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Eros, Agape, and Philia: Love Philia is a type of unconditional, brotherly love. The related Greek word “koinonia” is very close to philia, which means fellowship. This type of love is usually common in family and friendship relationships. The type of love that is present in a family has a lot to do with loyalty. “My Papa’s Waltz”, written by Theodore Roethke in 1948, is a poem that illustrates philia genuinely. In this poem, the speaker discusses how a certain type of behavior by a fatherly figure hurts a person. It seems as if the father is abusing a small child, yet, the child remains loyal to the father and unconditional love is present. In many families, parents and siblings may be mean, crude, or just down right boastful and hurt one another. In most cases, a family virtue is forgiveness, which in turn will save a family from breaking away from each other, which in turn will save them from much heartache. I believe that the title “My Papa’s Waltz” is a perfect title for the type of situation. A waltz is a simple routine, which includes a certain number of steps and a certain number of ways to perform the dance. The same thing happens in the poem. For example, the speaker may be trying to give the perception that this behavior portrayed by the father is simply a routine. Also, dancing involves motion. The speaker touches base upon the fact that they are constantly romping past the different rooms in the house. The speaker Castellanos 2 states “ You beat time on my head with a palm caked hand by dirt, then waltzed me off to bed, still clinging to your shirt”. The fact that the speaker claims to be clinging to the shirt proves that there is an unconditional type of love that is present. The speaker describes the abusive situation that he is put in.
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