My Papa's Waltz Analysis

In the third stanza of the poem, Roethke points out to the readers that his father was continuously missing steps while they were waltzing. “At every step you missed / my right ear scraped a buckle.” (11-12) . This demonstrates that because of the fact that his father missed steps since he was drunk, resulted in the poet being physically hurt. This part of the poem reveals that the father is now becoming abusive. Roethke’s use of the word “death” in the first stanza, right away implies that the poet was frightened by his father. In the second stanza the poet uses the word “romp” which is associated with playing roughly. This also indicates that it was not very safe for the poet to be waltzing with his father. The mother frowning also demonstrates that she does not approve of this activity. The last stanza of the poem reaffirms that there was violence present. Roethke states “You beat time on my head / With a palm caked hard by dirt.” (13-14) . The father’s hand “caked hard by dirt” demonstrates that the father was a hard labor worker but the use of the word “beat” makes this line

In the third stanza, the narrator is remembering some details like the broken knuckle of his father (line 10), and that his ear was scraping on his father's belt buckle (line 12). As well in the fourth stanza, the narrator mentions the dirt caked on his father's hand (line 14). These images of the son imply a hard working father who had just come home from the plant and was spending time with his little son before putting him to bed. These images also support my point of view that the author still has pleasant memories of the event, which would not be the case if there was abuse,

“My Papa’s Waltz” by Theodore Roethke sparks differing opinions within the minds of many. Roethke was influenced greatly by his experiences as a young boy. For instance, his uncle and father both died when he was the age of fourteen. “My Papa’s Waltz” is written in remembrance of his father after this dreadful occurrence. The author’s use of imagery brings light to the his adoration for his father. Notably, his way of stringing together ideas reinforces the fond memories they shared. Roethke’s captivating choice of words supports his purpose to make known the love he has for this man. While the subject of “My Papa’s Waltz” has spurred passionate academic debate from professors, scholars, and students alike, the imagery, syntax, and diction of the poem clearly support the interpretation that Theodore Roethke writes “My Papa’s Waltz” to bring attention to the loving relationship he had with his father.

In the poem "My Papa's Waltz" written by Theodore Roethke, the interpretation of the poem depends on the readers` perspective. Some people think that this poem is one of a happy exchange between a father and son. Others believe that it has a hidden message of child abuse. In my point of view, the imagery and language, the symbolism, and tone in My Papas Waltz gave me the impression of the abusive relationship between the father and son, but then later realizing the positive side.

At first glance, “My Papa’s Waltz” by Theodore Roethke is very intriguing as the poem is very ambiguous at first. Many people that read the poem at first believe it to be about child abuse, which is very easy for readers of the 21st generation to confuse as we see everything with a dark meaning behind it. The poem is about a boy who dances with his father, hence the name of the poem “My Papa’s Waltz”. Once the poem has been reread several times, we can take a closer look at what Roethke is really implying in the poem. Therefore, it becomes clear to the audience that the poem has a lighter meaning and has a more positive outlook than a negative outlook to the situation occurring in the poem.

In the poem My Papa’s Waltz by Theodore Roethke, he looks back in his memory as a child and explains the love he has for his father despite all the flaws his father holds. Roethke describes his emotions through this poem by using diction, imagery, and the use of tone.

However, parts of this poem show the fear the son has for his father. "We romped until the pans slid from the kitchen shelf" describes that they are having fun as they romped around the house even though they are being wreck less. Roethke describes the caring nature of his father for his son when he said, "The hand that held my wrist”. The holding hand symbolizes the close relationship that they had. This contrasts with the beginning of the poems first lines; "[t]he wiskey on your breath could make a small boy dizzy.” This gives an impression of a father being drunk who has the ability to hurt the child. This ingrains the fear into the child.

In the first stanza of Roethke’s poem the word “death” is referenced. Whenever someone makes any kind of reference to death, it is seen as a sad event with a dark tone. As “My Papas Waltz” progresses, the boy’s tone becomes more playful. Roethke is trying to create a tone of joy as a father and son enjoy having fun with each other. The ‘waltz’ becomes less serious when the boy says, “We romped until the pans Slid from the kitchen shelf”. Using a word like romped is a deliberate attempt to make a serious event lighthearted and fun. If Roethke had chosen to use a word such as “whipped” In addition to romped, Roethke uses the word “waltz” in lieu of a word like stumble. By calling it “My Papa’s Waltz” Roethke ensure the dance between father and son is not misinterpreted as a drunken stumble.

Typically, when people “see” signs of abuse, they reach conclusions; especially, because the word “romped” has a sexual connotation. To clarify, when the “...hung on like death:” is mentioned, an image of forceful physical contact comes to most readers’ minds. When “slid from the kitchen shelf” is mentioned people immediately assume that he beat his son until the pans “slid” off the shelf. As for the positive, it can be assumed that there was simply a father playing roughly with his son. Roethke mentions, “My mother’s countenance/ could not unfrown itself. Could it be that his mother was upset that the father played extremely rough that the pans slid or that she could not do anything about the fact that her son was getting abused. Was there a possibility that she was getting abused too? The reader now begins to ponder whether it is a fond memory, abuse, or both are present.

“My Papa’s Waltz” is a 16 line poem, by Theodore Roethke, that most people read through one of two lenses. Some find the poem to be a completely light hearted memory that a child has of his father, while others can see a more morbid side of an abusive alcoholic father who is beating his child rather than waltzing. Whether you read it through the violent lense ot the innocent one there is no doubt that the poem is about a memory, whether scary or fun is up to the reader themselves.

My Papa’s Waltz is a poem written by Theodore Roethke, published in his collection of poems in 1942. It captures the complex relationship the speaker has with his father. The speaker describes his relationship with his father as difficult and frightening using symbolism, tone, and word choice. The poem reveals that the speaker is afraid of his father although he still loves him. In this essay, I will explain how Roethke portrays their relationship with the aforementioned literary terms.

The controversial poem, “My Papa’s Waltz” by Theodore Roethke has spurred passionate academic debate from professors, scholars, and students alike; the imagery, syntax, and diction of the poem clearly support the interpretation that Roethke writes “My Papa’s Waltz” to reminisce on a bittersweet memory with his father. His unclear commemoration has sparked a divide on what the true purpose of the poem is. Some may argue the poem’s purpose is to shine light on the subject of abuse, whereas others believe the father and son were sharing a moment while “roughly playing.” However, the more one examines this piece of literature, it becomes undeniable that the poem portrays a scene of a toxic father-son relationship. Although there are a

An Explication Essay of "My Papa's Waltz" Poem Theodore Roethke poem, “My Papa’s Waltz,” portrays the fateful memories of the child who is dancing around the kitchen with his/her drunken father, “The whiskey on your breath / such waltzing was not easy” (1-4). However, the dance seems to be very violent to the point of causing destruction in the kitchen as the Roethke indicates, “We romped until the pans / Slid from the kitchen shelf” (5-6). The poem illustrates the hard experience the child was going through although he or she loves his father too much as Roethke wrote, “But I hung on like death / such waltzing was not easy” (3-4). The speaker noted that the dancing of the drunkard man with the child was not pleasing to the mother at all, “

Theodore Roethke suffered from neglect and then depression after he lost his father to cancer at a young age. Later losing his uncle to suicide. Theodore took much interest in his fathers greenhouse. Most of his work reflects nature and the beauty of it. However, the rest of his work reflects his own childhood. The poem “my Papa’s Waltz” is a good example of how he was feeling in his younger days. This particular poem is about a young boy who suffers from abuse by his drunken father.

In “My Papa’s Waltz,” the speaker, a young boy who is presumably the author, Theodore Roethke, recalls an interaction he once had. His father, who is perhaps a farmer, just arrived from a long day at work, had a drink of whisky and then began playfully roughhousing with the boy in the kitchen while his mother frowned at the pots and pans falling down. His vivid portrayal inserts the reader into their home. Roethke describes his father as a rough, hard-working individual: “[the] hand that held my wrist [was] battered on one knuckle…