My Papa’s Waltz
Theodore Roethke has shared a very well written poem with the world. His writing is attention grabbing and very thorough. People have come to two main interpretations of what the poem My Papa's Waltz means. One conclusion is that the waltz is a metaphor for abuse and the second conclusion is that the papa described is literally doing his and his grandchild’s “waltz” together. My Papa’s Waltz, in my belief, is metaphorically speaking about an alcoholic father who abuses his child.
Delivering the reader complete contentment is clearly not a main priority in this poem. Struggle is clearly present in this case where "Such waltzing was not easy"(4). The son "hung on like death” (3) builds a dark, unsettling image in one's mind and creates a feeling of suspense that is hard to ignore. Exultance is obtained in most cases
…show more content…
A joyful dance between a boy and his father that caused the pans to slide "from the kitchen shelf"(6) would at the most create a small sign of disapproval. If the dance was truly bringing happiness to the father and son then the mother's countenance could effortlessly become jovial. In this occasion though the mother showed no sign of enjoyment. In this occasion the mother seemed as if the "waltz" was somewhat of a painful sight.
My Papa's Waltz is a well written poem that forces the reader to think hard about every individual word. Theodore Roethke has written a brain churning piece of art. The two main interpretations are both questionable but the interpretation involving abuse stands out. The large amount of negative words and phrases, the father being under the influence of alcohol, and the mother being so disapproving causes one to strongly conjecture if the poem is meant to be blithe. "Such waltzing was not easy" (4) because abuse is not something anyone should take let alone a