eros:agape:philia

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 ...