Papa's Waltz By Theodore Roethke Misinterpreted

Various words and phrases in Theodore Roethke’s poem, "My Papa’s Waltz," could be misinterpreted, indicating physical abuse between the father and son. Without a prior knowledge of Roethke’s relationship with his father, Otto Roethke, most readers would only consider abuse after a first glimpse of this poem. A close reading, analysis of the poem and research into Roethke’s life help to avoid such misreading. As said by Karl Malkoff, Roethke had a profound, almost religious respect for his father. This respect was religious, in a Christian sense, because Roethke had an admiration for his father’s ability, yet he was fearful of his strength. To the young Roethke, who had followed his father around the greenhouses that his father owned and worked