
 Poems have differing meanings due to how readers interpret the text. When we look at the metaphor of waltzing in Theodore Roethke’s “My Papa’s Waltz” we can see that it alludes to childhood abuse, which most people do not see. This is important because the poem is a way of narrator expressing what had happened to him in his childhood when he was unable to communicate the pain. In “My Papa’s Waltz,” the rhythm and dance steps show the childhood abuse, suggesting that the abuse has had lasting effects for the narrator as he speaks out later on in his life. Using the waltz as a metaphor for the abuse is an indirect way of showing how the abuse occurred on many occasions through a step by step process.

When people read “My Papa’s Waltz” without much thought, they will read it as a poem about doing the waltz. As the reader analyzes, the poem they see it is actually about the speaker’s abuse from their childhood.  Characteristics of the waltz hold similarities with violence. The repetition of step by step movements in the waltz are contrasted with the stereotypical rough movements of abuse. Through desperate diction like “hung on like death” (Roethke 3), the author reveals that despite the “whiskey on [his father’s] breath” (Roethke 1) the son holds onto to his father until he is “waltzed off to bed” (Roethke 15). The acceptance of his father’s abuse is demonstrated by “clinging” (Roethke14) on until his father took him to bed and not resisting or fighting back. Some reasons kids do not speak up about a parent abusing them are because “they may feel trapped by the affection they feel for their abusers or fearful of the power the abusers have over them, so they stay silent” (Child Abuse). The son does not try to stop the abuse because he loves and looks up to his father and does not want to think his father is doing something wrong. 

Roethke uses many words to described and show that abuse is occurring. He uses the words “romped” (Roethke 5), “death” (Roethke 3), “held” (Roethke 9), “battered” (Roethke 10), and “scraped” (Roethke 12). The word choice gives the reader an idea of the pain the boy went through and what occurred during the abuse. “You beat time on my head” (Roethke 13) shows that the abuse was given a certain time just like the waltz has a certain count for each step. Further developing the theme of waltzing, Roethke gives the next step to the father and child interaction: “then waltzed me off to bed” (Roethke 15). The word “then” creates the step by step set of actions that are in a similar fashion to those followed in the waltz. “At every step you missed” (Roethke 11) extends the metaphor between waltzing and the abuse; the speaker shows that certain steps are meant to be taken but get “missed” most likely due to the drunkenness of his father. “Alcohol interferes with eye coordination and makes muscle movements slower and less accurate” (Lewis). This explains why the father would have missed a step, his movements were impaired from the alcohol. “Missed” wouldn’t have been used if there wasn’t a step by step process that took place because there can’t be a mistake if there are no “rules.” When performing the waltz, if a step is missed by one partner, it is noticeable by the other. When the father misses a step, the boy’s right ear is scraped by a buckle making the mistake noticeable. 

The son in the poem recalls his negative childhood memories and shows how he viewed his father and mother during that time. “My mother’s countenance/could not unfrown itself” (Roethke 7-8) is the only thing said about the mother in the poem, which is significant because in 1942 men and women were not viewed equally. Males were the dominant figure in this time and they had all the power in most households. The son in this poem sees his mother’s facial expression and how she was always frowning. From this, the son could tell that the father’s abuse was not normal. Since women did not have that much power, the mother does not speak out because she feels she can’t voice her opinion and fears the power of her husband. But, her facial expression shows that she does not accept her husband’s behavior. The last lines of the poem are, “Then waltzed me off to bed/still clinging to your shirt” (Roethke 15-16). The son states that he still clings to his father’s shirt as he takes him to bed. This shows that through the abuse the son still loves his father and does not want to be separated from him. He doesn’t push his father away for causing him pain, but instead he holds onto him in the way one would cling to their most treasured possession. 

The age of the boy speaking can impact why he did not view his abusive dad as a terrible person. When a person is young they think everything their parents do is right and they look up to them as role models. The ABAB rhyming creates a childish setting and demonstrates that the boy was young when the incidents were repeatedly occurring. At a young age the boy most likely did not know how to express what was happening in his home life. The text established the abuse as normal, since it occurred regularly for him so, the child knew no different. He did not speak out when he was younger but, now that he is older, he feels okay to open up about it through a metaphorical poem.

By taking a closer look at the poem, the metaphor comparing the waltz to the abuse becomes evident. To express the repetitive and step by step actions of the abuse, the waltz is used to create a comparison between the two. The diction used throughout the poem brings light to the abusive relationship. By creating a metaphorical poem, the abuse becomes evident in a subtle way.
