Theodore Roethke?S ?Root Cellar? Essay, Research Paper

2. Look at Theodore Roethke’s poem, “Root Cellar”(pp.95-96) and discuss it in terms of all the sensory images brought into the play.

This poem entertains all of our senses. It seems as though we are walking through the basement ourselves. Roethke enables us to visualize, smell, hear, and feel the cellar. An image in poetry is defined as a word or sequence of words that refers to any sensory experience. Roethke masters this idea that words can play on our physical senses.

Visual imagery is evident throughout the entire play. While reading the poem it is easy to picture a dark, damp basement.