In Theodore Roethke’s, My Papa’s Waltz, the relationship of a father and son is described throughout the text. Despite the title’s cheery connotation, the story being told is actually quite dark. As the text develops, the reader is able to identify that the young boy’s father is indeed an alcoholic, and he is reminiscing on a bad experience, however, retells the memory in terms of a waltz in order to beautify the situation and show his unconditional love for his father.

It is obvious from the very beginning of the poem that the young boy’s father is indeed an alcoholic. “The whiskey on your breathe / Could make a small boy dizzy”, Roethke states in the first line of the poem. The father has definitely been drinking a lot for his breathe to have the ability to “make a small boy dizzy”. The smell is obviously thick and very evident to the young boy. As a reader, it is fair to assume that this is not necessarily a onetime ordeal. Why else would one start off a poem with such a statement? The writer gets straight to the point by starting off this way, and later in the poem, he lets the reader know that drinking is fairly routine in the father’s everyday life. He does this by stating, “The hand that held my wrist / Was battered on one knuckle”, perhaps due to the violent raging that comes from being an alcoholic. Having injured knuckles makes it clear that the father does this type of thing often (getting violent due to the consumption of alcohol).

Upon actually reading the poem, it is easy to assume that the story that is to be told is one that is happy and memorable, for all good reasons of course. This is due to the poem’s title. One could easily believe that this is a memory that the young boy really cherishes about his father while growing up. However, the story being told is not one of a healthy relationship between father and son. The story is actually a bit violent, not upfront, but behind all of the “waltzing” going on throughout the poem. The first question that may come to mind while reading this poem is, are they actually dancing? Roethke mentions details about how they dance until the pans slide off the kitchen self, how the father misses various steps, and how the dancing was just difficult. It is easy to assume that they are indeed dancing, but the message being told here is one that is on a whole other level. This is more of a dark experience, just being told in a lighter manner. “But I hung on like death”, Roethke states, giving the impression that nothing about the young boy’s relationship with his father comes easy. The word choice of “death” automatically tells the reader that there is some sort of dark connection to the story being told. This type of word is not often used in a positive manner. The “waltzing” in the poem can actually be thought of as an extended metaphor for the young boy’s relationship with his father. Specifically, Roethke states, “At every step you missed / My right ear scraped a buckle”. What he is actually describing here is how every time something does not go right or the father makes some sort of mistake, it is taken out on the young boy. The father gets very violent, all due to alcoholism. It used to be that belts were often used to beat or punish children. This is what could easily be going on when it is stated that the young boy’s “right ear scraped a buckle”, as oppose to him accidentally being scratched by it when they were dancing. The mother is actually witnessing all of these awful actions as well. The quote, “My mother’s countenance / Could not unfrown itself”, shows that she is completely unhappy with what is happening. Her facial expression consists of a frown and continues to be unchanged. This shows that this is for certain a negative experience being described. 

Despite the horror his father may have put him through, the young boy definitely has an unconditional love for him. If it were any other way, the poem would have been more direct and written in more a darker manner. Also, in the actual title, the father is referred to as “Papa”, which is more friendly than what could have been used, which is “Father”. The decision to use “Papa” in the title makes it more personal and supports the fact that the young boy strives to keep a positive outlook on his relationship with his father. The mood and tone is honestly fairly playful considering the type of experience that is actually being described. The fact that the writer chose to write about his experience with his father in terms of a waltz shows that the young boy prefers to think a little more highly of his father, as oppose to looking down on him. The poem is even written in tri-meter, having three beats per line. This is ironic due to the fact that there are three beats in an actual waltz. This adds on to the idea of writing about the young boy’s experience in terms of a waltz, as well as helps cover up the actual violence and darkness hidden deep within the poem. By the end of the “waltz”, Roethke states, “Then waltzed me off to bed / Still clinging to your shirt”, showing that the young boy refuses to let go of the relationship he does have with his father. Despite the father’s ways, the young boy continues to hold on and be there to support and love him. Frankly, the young boy is just taking what he can get. Every young boy wants to love his father and maintain a good relationship with him. Even though the young boy was unable to experience a complete healthy relationship with his father, it is evident that he cares for his father dearly.

Nothing is ever quite how it seems. What one may think is a happy recollection of a memory could actually be a detailed reflection of a rather dark one. In this instance, what seems to be a description of a father and son waltzing around the house is actually a violent experience between a young boy and his alcoholic father. When the father makes mistakes or does not get something right, alcohol and violence comes from it. His triggered anger comes out on the young boy, putting him through horrible experiences. Once again, like most young boys, the one telling the story definitely wants nothing more than a healthy relationship with his father. Because of this, he continues to stick with his father no matter how hard it may be. 