The Sloth - breif ananlysis
Uploaded by LaRozky on Feb 27, 2000
Title: The Sloth by Theodore Roethke
Paraphrase: A lazy sloth is in a tree. Someone asks him something and he acts as if he does not hear, but he is thinking about it. He acts like you heard what his answer was, even though he didn't say anything. Lazily, he goes back to sleep knowing the answer to what you asked him and assuming that you know it too.
Connotation:
1st, 2nd and 3rd lines - wanting the world to go by a little quicker than it is. This is saying that the world is moving as slow as a sloth and the author just wants the world to move by a little quicker.
3rd, 4th and 5th lines - The author is saying that he goes through life without ever getting the answers he wants to know.
7th, 8th and 9th lines - Roethke describes how slowly the world is going by.
10th, 11th and 12th lines - These last lines say that questions are sometimes asked and they never get answered, even though someone knows it.
Attitude: Frustrated and irritated with the slow movements of the sloth. The author's life is going by slowly and he is comparing that to the life of a sloth.
Shifts: The first nine lines show that the author is noticing how his life compares to that of a sloth. The last three lines tell that the world keeps going on even though there are questions that haven't been answered.
Title: The sloth is symbolizing how the author sees the world.
Theme:
People at one time or another feel frustrated or annoyed with how slowly some things go by. Roethke wants the world to move a little faster and for all of his questions to be answered.
"Ex-as-per-at-ing" shows the annoyance that he has with the sluggish movements of the sloth.
"Assuming you have heard" tells that even though a question may be asked, it is not always answered and the one you asked may assume that you have heard.