“My Papa’s Waltz” Abuse, Happiness or Both “My Papa’s Waltz” appears on the surface to be about a father abusing his young son, others may believe it's about the happy memories the young boy has with his father. Depends on your interpretation of the poem. Roethke expresses the meaning of “My Papa’s Waltz” through imagery, simile, word choice, and symbolism. The poem is told from the son’s point of view, so it highlight the happy times and the bonds the son has with his father. With this the poem expresses both the abuse and happiness.
The title “My Papa’s Waltz” symbolizes the young boy father’s walk. Him being that young , I believe that he looks at his father's drunk walk as a dance, he enjoys it. It symbolizes that the young boy looks up to him. The young boys watches him and adores him even through the fear. The word “waltz” creates this, when the young …show more content…
Also shows that the father drinks a lot of whiskey. Roethke uses a simile to describe the young boy’s clutch to his father's boots stating “But I hung on like death:” (3) shows that the young boy is always by his father's side, waltzing along with him even through the fear. The father’s waltzing wasn’t always the best memories which Roethke expresses stating “Such waltzing was not easy/ We romped until the pans/ Slid from the kitchen shelf,/ My mother’s countenance/ Could not unfrown itself.” (4-8). This points more towards the abusive end, the mother is very unhappy and knows this isn’t the way to play. Roethke uses his allusion, and imagery well to show this. Even through this the father and son have a great bond. Looking at it from the son’s point of view he enjoys the waltzing around, he looks at it as playing, and the son likes it. Roethke word choice with “romped” helps support this. Papa still makes time for his son, despite the
The title “My Papa’s Waltz” symbolizes the young boy father’s walk. Him being that young , I believe that he looks at his father's drunk walk as a dance, he enjoys it. It symbolizes that the young boy looks up to him. The young boys watches him and adores him even through the fear. The word “waltz” creates this, when the young …show more content…
Also shows that the father drinks a lot of whiskey. Roethke uses a simile to describe the young boy’s clutch to his father's boots stating “But I hung on like death:” (3) shows that the young boy is always by his father's side, waltzing along with him even through the fear. The father’s waltzing wasn’t always the best memories which Roethke expresses stating “Such waltzing was not easy/ We romped until the pans/ Slid from the kitchen shelf,/ My mother’s countenance/ Could not unfrown itself.” (4-8). This points more towards the abusive end, the mother is very unhappy and knows this isn’t the way to play. Roethke uses his allusion, and imagery well to show this. Even through this the father and son have a great bond. Looking at it from the son’s point of view he enjoys the waltzing around, he looks at it as playing, and the son likes it. Roethke word choice with “romped” helps support this. Papa still makes time for his son, despite the