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Interpretation Of My Papa's Waltz By Roethke

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I believe Roethke decided to use the title “My Papa’s Waltz” instead of “My Father’s Waltz” because the poem is about a memory from his childhood. The simile “hung on like death” gives us a good idea of how hard the speaker tries to keep his balance while “waltzing” with his father (lines 3-4). The facial expression of the speaker’s mother “could not unfrown itself” (8). The speaker’s mother appears to be annoyed because he and his father are making a mess in the kitchen. Even though I believe this poem can be interpreted in different ways, I feel that the speaker is portraying a positive image of his father. In line 16, we see the speaker does not want to let go of his father’s shirt before going to bed.
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