My Papa's Waltz
A relatable story
The poem “My Papa Waltz” is a childhood memory involving a boy and his father. Some people think this poem portrays a message of abuse from the drunken father, others see the happiness of the relationship. This poem in my opinion shows love between the two rather than hate or abuse, because of the imagery, symbolism, and word choice that Theodore Roethke uses. Roethke starts the poem off talking about the whisky on the father’s breath and how it was so strong it ‘Could make a small boy dizzy’. Immediately the reader may picture a drunken man because if his breath is really that strong then he must have been drinking quite a bit. The reason that some people might to automatically think this situation is bad might be because drinking is not as expectable or common these days as it once was. We stereotype that someone who is drunk must be mean and abusive. In the 1940’s, when this poem was written, whiskey was a popular drink especially for the workingman. Therefor, this memory of the fathers whisky breath may not be all that bad. Because the boy was not affected by the smell he could actually be used to his father coming home this way regularly. As the reader continues on Roethke writes the father and son ‘romped until the pans slid from the kitchen shelf’ this sounds like they may be fighting or running through the kitchen and the pans begin to fall but the only reason the reader may think this is a negative situation is if they are not familiar with the word romped. Romped actually means to play roughly and energetically. The actual meaning of this word is important and turns the attitude completely around. It gives us, the reader, a sense that the father and son are simply rough housing and playing around, accidently making the pans fall. It begins to suggest the idea that they are not fighting they are simply just playing like any other father and son might do. On the other hand the mother, she is upset because the boys are
The poem “My Papa Waltz” is a childhood memory involving a boy and his father. Some people think this poem portrays a message of abuse from the drunken father, others see the happiness of the relationship. This poem in my opinion shows love between the two rather than hate or abuse, because of the imagery, symbolism, and word choice that Theodore Roethke uses. Roethke starts the poem off talking about the whisky on the father’s breath and how it was so strong it ‘Could make a small boy dizzy’. Immediately the reader may picture a drunken man because if his breath is really that strong then he must have been drinking quite a bit. The reason that some people might to automatically think this situation is bad might be because drinking is not as expectable or common these days as it once was. We stereotype that someone who is drunk must be mean and abusive. In the 1940’s, when this poem was written, whiskey was a popular drink especially for the workingman. Therefor, this memory of the fathers whisky breath may not be all that bad. Because the boy was not affected by the smell he could actually be used to his father coming home this way regularly. As the reader continues on Roethke writes the father and son ‘romped until the pans slid from the kitchen shelf’ this sounds like they may be fighting or running through the kitchen and the pans begin to fall but the only reason the reader may think this is a negative situation is if they are not familiar with the word romped. Romped actually means to play roughly and energetically. The actual meaning of this word is important and turns the attitude completely around. It gives us, the reader, a sense that the father and son are simply rough housing and playing around, accidently making the pans fall. It begins to suggest the idea that they are not fighting they are simply just playing like any other father and son might do. On the other hand the mother, she is upset because the boys are