“My Papa’s Waltz” by Theodore Roethke brings about one of the most controversial topics of power dynamics in the family. This poem clearly shows the physical abuse, and the anger the father possesses, which is directed towards his son. Throughout the poem, the speaker is being physically and mentally abused by his father, where the speaker’s mother cannot interfere. Most prevalent reason behind this is that the male figure has the complete power over his family. The tone of the speaker can be seen as fearful, because of the abusive relationship between the speaker and the father. In this poem, Roethke clearly portrays the dominance of a male figure in the traditional family. Through the usage of simile and metaphor, the speaker clearly portrays
