My Papas Waltz By Theodore Roethke

In Theodore Roethke “My Papa’s Waltz” poem, readers will find one of two stories. The story of a hard-working, affectionate father or an abusive one that drinks too much. The interpretation depends solely on the readers’ perspective. The speaker is reflecting on a childhood memory involving his father. The speaker describes a beautiful but dangerous game that he and his father played as a child. Where the father would pick him up, strap him in his boots and dance with him all throughout the house. The speaker describes the dance as an elegant waltz. Some see this poem as a happy one; where the father and speaker have a good relationship. While others might see this as a hidden message of parental abuse. That the speaker is trying to hide the abuse by turning it into a joyous waltz. In my point of view, this poem is about a deeply cherished memory in which the speaker means exactly what he says. …show more content…
“The whiskey on your breath could make a small boy dizzy. But I hung on like death: Such waltzing was not easy.” Some might interpret such quotes as a father who was an abusive drunk. No doubt, the father was intoxicated with whiskey on his breath but to suggest abuse based from this is speculation. There is no real evidence to support this claim. Others might believe that the type of waltzing that occurred was actually where the abuse took place. There is room for interpretation here. I would suggest it’s more of a loving yet clumsy waltz then an abusive one. The speaker is clinging to his father out of love and fear that they might