Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

“Father’s St. Vitus’ Dance” is a poem by William DeWitt Snodgrass, first published in 1962 as part of his Pulitzer Prize-winning collection, Heart’s Needle. The poem deals with the speaker's experience of watching his father suffer from St. Vitus' Dance, a neurological disorder that causes involuntary movements of the body. The poem reflects on the father-son relationship, the struggle of coming to terms with a parent's illness, and the complexities of caring for an aging loved one.

Explanation:

The poem opens with the speaker describing his father’s condition, the St. Vitus’ Dance, which causes the father to experience tremors and movements that the son likens to a dance. The speaker reflects on the struggle of witnessing his father's condition and the frustration of not being able to do anything to help him. The son feels helpless and powerless, as he is unable to stop the involuntary movements of his father's body.

The speaker then delves into his relationship with his father, describing how they have grown distant over the years. He feels guilty about his lack of involvement in his father's life and wishes he could have been closer to him. The father's illness becomes a catalyst for the speaker to try to connect with his father and reconcile their relationship.

As the poem progresses, the speaker's frustration turns into acceptance, and he begins to see the beauty in his father's movements. He begins to see the dance as a way for his father to communicate with the world and express himself. The poem ends with the speaker finding solace in the fact that his father is still alive and able to communicate through his movements, even though they are not what he would consider "normal."

Poetic Elements:

• Form: Free verse
• Tone: Reflective, contemplative, and emotional
• Imagery: The poem uses vivid descriptions of the father's movements to create a picture of his condition
• Symbolism: The father's dance is symbolic of his struggle with the illness and his attempts to communicate with the world
• Repetition: The use of repetition in the poem creates a sense of rhythm and emphasizes the father's movements

Conclusion:

“Father’s St. Vitus’ Dance” is a poignant exploration of the complex relationship between a father and son, and the struggle of coming to terms with a parent's illness. Through the use of vivid imagery and symbolism, Snodgrass captures the frustration, guilt, and eventual acceptance that come with caring for a loved one with a neurological disorder. The poem is a moving tribute to the resilience of the human spirit and the power of the body to communicate, even in the face of illness.

Poem Snippet:

"For a minute the limbs

stand still, the shaking's

stopped, and then it starts

slowly, the whole frame, the face

even seeming happy, that can't

stop, that won't stop, that must

dance for as long as it can move."

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