An Examination Of And Intepretation Of The Poem (My Papa's Waltz) (Essay Sample)

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My Papa’s Waltz
Theodore Roethke’s poem is a narration of a son of his experience with his intoxicated father. The poem can be understood from two contrasting perspectives. This paper explains the poem the meaning implied by the poet in this piece.
A father has had a little too much to drink and is dancing to a waltz with his son in the kitchen as the mother looks on. The whiskey has definitely had its toll on the father and hence the poor waltzing in the kitchen. The son’s grip to his father can be seen as an act of kindness helping father move around. “We romped until the pans slid from the kitchen shelf.” As the two move, they push pans from the kitchen shelves making their mother visibly unpleased. The father seems to be having fun as he dances with his young. For the son, however, he is constantly hurt by his father’s belt buckle in every dance step they take. After the dance, the father carries his son to bed. In this view, the son can also be seen to enjoy the dance as he never complained even when his ear was “…ear scraped a buckle” whenever his father missed a step. Also, the fact his mother only looked on with a displeased face suggests the two might have been having fun which she did not want to interrupt.
Roethke’s communicates the apparent love the father has for his son and the son's fear of his father. As the father and his son engage in a waltz, the son is tightly clinging. Even when he hits his head on the belt buckle the son seems to be unwilling to let go of his waltzing father. Despite the son noting that his father’s drunken breathe “Could make a small boy dizzy” he is still willing to hold on. One can tell the father is really drunk from the dirt in his hands. The dirt implies he might have fallen over or had to support himself with his hands. At the same time, the texture of his “palm caked hard by dirt” might also suggest the work done by the father might involve touching dirt. Additionally, one of the fathers hand “Was battered on one knuckle” which further shows his drunken state.
The mother looks on in disdain obviously not pleased by either drunken dance or its clumsy nature. Despite the scornful look, she does not intervene as her men dance opting to let them enjoy their moment. The further is evidently very drunk as his son notes “Could make a small boy dizzy” implying the father might have taken a little too much. In this view, the scornful look on the mother’s look can also be seen as displeasure in her man’s drunkenness and the fact he seemed to be having fun with their son in this state. Also, the look could also be because of the pans that are sliding off the shelves as the men engage in the drunken dance.
In the second perspective “My Papa’s Waltz” is interpreted as a narration about a violent drunk father. In this view the son innocently takes his father’s violence unknowing it is unacceptable. The view is based on the view that the narrator explains displeased ...