Selected Poems

Roethke's poetry is deeply influenced by his house, his father's greenhouses, and the landscape of mid-Michigan.  Here is a small selection of his poems that will illustrate the point.  They are:

1. My Papa's Waltz

2. Child on Top of a Greenhouse

3. The Lost Son

Following pages contain the texts of these poems. 

A video clip of Roethke's recital of his poem The Waking is also included in the end.