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My Papa's Waltz By Theodore Roethke

755 Words4 Pages

In Theodore Roethke’s poignant poem, “My Papa’s Waltz,” the speaker’s lack of enjoyment during a waltz with his father forms the central theme, unraveling layers of discomfort and tension beneath the seemingly innocuous act. Initially, the speaker’s unease is evident as he describes the waltz as difficult. Though there could be moments of apparent enjoyment, they are overshadowed by tension, notably reflected in the disapproving expression of bystanders. Despite the possibility of finding solace in the rowdy dance, the overall tone, filled with vivid imagery and emotive language, conveys the speaker’s aversion to the experience. The main factors contributing to this claim of lack of enjoyment are: the father’s intoxication, the speaker feeling …show more content…

I envision a father dancing with his child, where the height disparity causes the child’s ear to graze against the father’s belt buckle, explaining the discomfort caused by any missteps. The last quote supporting the father’s intoxicated state is, “We romped until the pans slid from the kitchen shelf” (5-6). This can once again be used to demonstrate the lack of balance and awareness from the father that would result from drinking. While these are the only details within the poem that I believe could be interpreted this way, I think it is safe to say that the boy did not enjoy this waltz due to his father’s careless physical state. One of the salient interpretations of the poem is that the speaker’s lack of enjoyment during the waltz stems from the inadequacy of both participants in performing the dance. This assertion is promptly supported by the speaker’s admission, “But I hung on like death / Such waltzing was not easy” (3-4). The inherent difficulty of the waltz is further proven by multiple instances of clumsiness, exemplified by lines such as: “We romped until the pans / Slid from the kitchen shelf” (5-6) and “At every step you missed”

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Theodore Roethke’s poem, “My Papa’s Waltz,” unfolds the seemingly frequent event of a young boy receiving a beating from his drunken father. The speaker of the poem is a young man, possibly in his early teenage years. This conclusion is based upon line 2, “Could make a small boy dizzy.” This line gives an indication that the main character of the poem has been involved in this type of tussle since he was a small child. There could also be a very strong connection between the author of the poem and the speaker.

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As the reader nears the end of the first quatrain there is a turn of events. For example, in the first quatrain the poet uses negative toned vocabulary: “But I hung on like death: / Such waltzing was not easy” (Roethke, 3-4). Specifically, the word ‘death’ sticks out because dancing is supposed to be fun not scary. Additionally, the poet has, once again,

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My Papa's Waltz By Theodore Roethke

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“The whiskey on your breath/Could make a small boy dizzy,” (lines 1 and 2) portrays the father as having drunk a large amount of alcohol, enough to make his son feel dizzy at the scent of his breath. Alcohol is known to cause abuse issues, proving to be one probable cause of the abuse within the father and son’s relationship. “[h]alf of all domestic abuse involve drinking. The relationship between alcohol and child abuse, specifically, is particularly close, with alcohol abuse being a contributing factor to child abuse and child abuse being a contributing factor to adult alcoholism” (Alcohol Rehab Guide). Roethke’s words, “The hand that held my wrist/Was battered on one knuckle,” (lines 9-10) portrays the father’s hand as worn.

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This portrays emotional abuse that explores the possibilities of a toxic father-son dynamic. The line “But I hung on like death” then continues to imply that the father’s careless attitude is hurting the little boy internally. These images give insightful pictures to an unhealthy relationship caused by psychological violence. The speaker then adds a more positive image of dancing with, “Such waltzing was not easy” and “We romped until the pans slid from the kitchen shelf,”. Although most associate Waltzing as an enjoyable dance, it is in reality a metaphor that represents the relationship he has with his father.

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The title of the poem uses visual imagery by use of the word “waltz.” A waltz is a dance in which 2 people closely dance in fast circles (Waltz). In the last stanza, Roethke also describes the close bond by stating “Then waltzed me off to bed / still clinging to his shirt” (Line 16). The poet continues to use imagery by stating “We romped until the pans / slid from the kitchen shelf”. The word “romped” provides even more detail that the father and son were energetically and roughly dancing (Romp).

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In this poem all the son sees is battered knuckles on his father with “palms caked hard by dirt.” This paints a description of an abusive father that does not love his son because if he did love his son he would not hurt him. The father is first introduced with “whiskey on his breath” (line 1) which can be inferred that he is an alcoholic and this creates a negative image that the reader can see and even smell. The son though seems to notice all this, but still seems to love his father and admire him. The waltz represents a repetitive step and in the poem the waltz is his father’s constant abuse and interrupts the sweet idealistic dance.

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