In his poem, “My Papa’s Waltz”, Theodore Roethke uses specific elements that stand out to the audience and prove to have a significant impact on the poem as a whole. The use and repetition of the word “waltz” throughout the poem connects the stanzas from beginning of the poem all the way until the closing. This word proves be able to be used in many different contexts, and have double meanings that have a strong effect on the audience. The tone of the poem is dark and includes many lines that indicate an abusive father-son relationship; the use of waltz within this type of text stands out to readers. Other words that were chosen by Roethke contribute to the dark message of abuse. Words such as “whiskey”, “dizzy”, and “death” are used and also play a role in the overall message of abuse throughout the poem.  These dark words and repeated words integrated into the poem appeal to emotions from the audience, and the message of abuse and family violence is even more prevalent than it would be without these elements. 

The repeated word, waltz, also stands out due to the title of the poem, “My Papa’s Waltz”. Roethke uses waltz in the title of the poem to establish the word repetition that is later expanded upon throughout the poem. This allows for the reader to notice when this word is repeated, and take note as to what the repetition means and the purpose for which the author intended. Within the text, the use of the word waltzed in the first and last stanza is used to describe the young boy and father’s movements in this awful situation. Although it is the same word, both uses of the word differ, not only in meaning, but also in regards to who is doing the waltzing. The first stanza refers to the young son’s movements as a waltz, a dance with fluid and constant movements (1-4). This can be understood that the son is working in a way to avoid the lashing out of his drunken father in a way to escape the pain that may be inflicted upon him. The use of the word waltz is very effective in the way it allows the reader to picture the scene that is taking place. It creates imagery in the audiences’ mind and paints a picture of the engagement between son and father. 

The type of waltzing the son is doing is in no way a cheerful act, instead it is a strategic movement of a frightened child somewhat dancing away from the risk of being abused. The closing line of the first stanza, “Such waltzing was not easy”, shows the struggle the son endures to get away from his father; it tells of the intimidation his father has and how escaping his grasp is not an easy thing to do (4). The use of the repeated word, waltz is also effective in the description of not only the son’s movements, but also the movements of the drunken father. The word “waltz” is used in different ways depicting the actions of the son and the father: Although the uses of the word are different dependent on who they are describing, they both prove to be effective to the poem as a whole, due to this repetition and the way in which an image is created through the text. In the context of the last stanza, Roethke uses the word waltzed to describe the way in which the father acts, opposed to the first stanza, which describes the son and the way that he hesitantly moves around his father upon his arrival.  

Within the context of the last stanza of the poem, this repeated word is used in a way to depict the sloppy movements the drunken father makes as he walks his son up to bed, after abusing him and causing much pain. The known movement of the dance the Waltz, depicts swaying back and forth which can be compared to the drunken swaying of the father once he enters the home. The author used this word in the closing stanza to further and better the depiction of the harshness and abuse from the drunken father. This, such as the use in the first stanza, creates for imagery that can be seen by the audience and allows them to picture the way in which the father is moving back and forth, unable to control his movements. By creating the imagery, the author is assisting the audience in not only viewing what is taking place in this household, but also creating an emotional appeal to the unfortunate situation this child is being faced with. This causes for much sadness from the readers, as they sympathize with the son.

Closing the stanza again with the word waltz, Roethke connects the movements and actions of the son and the father together by using the line after this repeated word. The following line, “Still clinging to your shirt”, represents the child’s hope he is still holding on to; he has hope that his father will change and become a better person (16). The word usage shows the significance of the father’s state and the severity of the situation this child has been placed in. These lines, are again, placed in order to appeal to the emotions of the audience, just as many other lines within the poem. This causes the reader’s to feel sympathetic toward the son and the relationship he has with his father, yet again.

Among the use of such dark language such as whiskey, dizzy, and death, the use of the word waltz in the title and the opening stanza causes the audience to immediately take note of this odd word choice. Specific dark words involving death and alcohol seem to fit with the message of abuse within the poem, and the sudden change in word choice with the addition of the word waltz proves to have an effect on the reader and raises questions as to why Roethke chooses them. “The whiskey on your breath, Could make a small boy dizzy” (Roethke 90) opens the poem with such a dark scene projected in the minds of the readers. Closing the stanza with waltzing is a dramatic shift in tone, and adds much to the poem overall.

The word placement of the word waltz by Roethke has a large effect on the way this poem is read. He has the word in the title, opening and closing stanzas, which causes for a greater impact of the reader. This causes the poem to be read more fluently, and allows the audience to take much more notice to the word repetition that Roethke strategically placed in this poem. This connects the many uses of word, and the poem as a whole. The word directly relates to the thematic concerns of the poem because it paints a picture in the audience’s mind of what is taking place and the way in which the father and the child are interacting.

The use of repetition within a poem creates for a specific message to be seen throughout; it shows the author’s intent of the word and causes for the reader to pay much more attention to the meaning of that word. Roethke’s use of repetition in “My Papa’s Waltz” using the word waltz, creates a deeper effect on the reader as a whole in regards to the message of the poem. The use of this word in contrast with the dark words and the theme of abuse, show that the word has somewhat of a double meaning and has a much larger impact on the writing. The use of the word waltz causes readers to be able to picture each scene the author is describing perfectly, because of this universally known dance. The contrast between the dark words and the word, waltz, which usually means a beautiful dance, also brings more light to the theme of a father’s abuse and drunken habits around his son. These uses show that the beautiful word and it’s meaning, can still be used with a dark intent to further a message. 
