


Any piece of writing, artwork, or movie can be interoperated in multiple ways. It all depends on who is reading, looking at, or watching it. My Papa’s Waltz by Theodore Roethke touches on the sensitive subject of a father’s drinking habits. It is easy to assume that there is a negative connotation, due to the topic of the poem, however, the style in which it is written suggests a lighter tone. Both negative and positive interpretations can be found through each line of the poem. 

“The whiskey on your breath could make a small boy dizzy” (Roethke, 90). Negatively, this makes the father sound like a drunk. It exaggerates how strong the smell is to prove that it is a real concern. We also know that the author is taking us back to a time when he was, in fact, a small boy. This suggests that his own father’s breath was so overwhelming that it made him dizzy. However, if we interoperate this line in a positive way, it would be easy to say that the smell of whiskey is a staple of the father. It’s a form of identification. The young boy recognizes his father by this smell and it could even be comforting.

“But I hung on like death: such waltzing was not easy” (Roethke, 90). Immediately, words like “death” stand out when reading this line with a negative connotation. “Hung on like death” (Roethke, 90) and “hanging on for dear life” get the same point across. Maybe the little boy is holding on so tightly because he is scared of what will happen if he does not dance with his father. On the other hand, this could be a metaphor expressing that the little boy needs his father’s support, not just with waltzing, but through life. He is hanging on like death because he does not want to leave his father; he has a strong attachment. His father is lifting him up and giving him support. 

“We romped until the pans slid from the kitchen shelf” (Roethke, 91). Looking at this negatively, one could say this line depicts the father as clumsy. Maybe the dance is aggressive and the father is stumbling around due to his drunk state. However, I think this line has a cheerful tone. The pans are falling off the shelf, but all the little boy cares about is the dance with his dad. They are lost in the waltz together and only focused on each other. They are having fun and do not have a care in the world except for their dancing. 

“My mother’s countenance could not unfrown itself” (Roethke, 91). The mother is clearly upset. She is most likely disappointed in her husbands actions but is hesitant to intervene. I get the feeling this is not the first time this has happened. She knows she will be the one cleaning up the mess. However, this leads into the lighter interoperation that the dad is the fun parent. The boy and his father are having fun together and messing with the mom. Again, they are lost in their dance together.

“The hand that held my wrist was battered on one knuckle” (Roethke, 91). The son takes note of his father’s hand. He does not know where these marks came from, but this could be proof that his father is aggressive. Maybe the little boy is frightened by what his dad is capable of. In a positive light, this is another example of how the author identifies his own father. He knows his father “like the back of his hand,” literally. Perhaps he is so intrigued by his dad that every detail is noticed.

“At every step you missed my right ear scraped a buckle” (Roethke, 91). Again, words like “scraped” imply pain. This could be another example of his father’s aggression and stumbling. On the other hand, it could also be another sensory interaction allowing the son to recognize his father and the familiar feeling of the belt buckle on his ear. This line gives us our first real clue at the height and age difference between the father and son. 

“You beat time on my head with a palm caked hard by dirt” (Roethke, 91). Here is another example of the author using aggressive words like “beat” to show his father’s character. Again he takes notice of his father’s hands, this time paying attention to the dirt. This makes me question where his dad has been and what he has been doing. It is harder to find a positive translation of this line, but if you replace the word “beat” with “pat,” it could be seen as a comforting gesture. It is also interesting that the author is writing about his father’s hands again. It seems to be what he remembers most about him.

“Then waltzed me off to bed still clinging to your shirt” (Roethke, 91). In contradiction to the previous line of the poem, it is hard to find a negative translation of this line. Perhaps he is again holding on in fear, but I think it is pretty clear that he does not want to let go of his father at the end of the night. After all, the author wrote a whole poem about the waltz with his papa, so it can be assumed that he enjoyed the dancing. This line also provides us with another example of the sons age and size. He is still young enough to be carried to bed. 

Every line of this poem can be dissected to have any meaning. When I first read the poem I looked at it as a joyful piece that was just about a boy and his dad dancing together. Although there are hints at his father’s drinking habits, I felt like the overall tone was light and happy. However, reading closely, new words and ideas stood out to me. While any piece of literature is up for interpretation, this poem stands out to me because it is not just the meaning that can be changed, it is whether the poem is about a good memory or a bad one.


