The poem I have chosen to analyze is “My Papa’s Waltz,” by Theodore Roethke. Upon reading the title, the reader may assume that this piece is lighthearted in nature. This assumption ceases when you begin to read. It is apparent upon reading that this is not as upbeat as previously assumed. This poem will take the reader through a frightening journey, or “waltz,” and let them view a darker side of life that not too many people get to see. According to a study done in 2012, more than 10% of children suffer from the results of alcoholism. With that stated, this is a sad poem which represents the all too real effects of alcoholism and its link to physical, and sometimes mental, abuse. 

The first line, “The whiskey on your breath,” (Roethke) implies possible alcoholism, which starts the poem off on a negative note. This is further indicated within the next statement, “Could make a small boy dizzy” (Roethke) because the boy is expressing his discomfort for his father’s drinking problem by saying it makes him dizzy. The narrator goes on to say, “But I hung on like death,” (Roethke) which makes it obvious that because he is a child, he needs someone to love and hold onto. The word “death” implies that this is not a healthy relationship, and the result of clinging onto it can’t be good. The narrator says after this, that “such waltzing wasn’t easy,” (Roethke) so this is obviously hard on the boy, but he chooses to hang onto it anyway because he has no other choice and has never known anything other than this.

In the next stanza, it is written that “We romped until the pans/ Slid from the kitchen shelf” (Roethke). The fact that the pans slid from the shelf show that this is a very unnerving, if not violent, dance. This further reinforces the idea that the man is abusive and careless. In the next line the narrator states that “My mother’s countenance/ Could not unfrown itself” (Roethke). Although the abuse is upsetting to the mother, she isn’t doing anything to stop it. The reader can infer from this that the husband has abused his wife in the past and she is too afraid to intervene. The fact that the mother chooses not to intervene on behalf of her own son proves that the father is a dangerous person.

In the following stanza, the first line reads “The hand that held my wrist” (Roethke). When dancing it is uncommon to grab your partner by the wrist. The act of grabbing one’s wrist is very authoritative and aggressive. The next line states that his hand “Was battered on one knuckle” (Roethke). A battered knuckle is a strong sign of violence. There are very few instances where this statement could be taken in a positive way. “At every step you missed/ My right ear scraped a buckle” (Roethke). The narrator is saying that when the father missed a step, or did something wrong, he would take it out on his son. He would blame his son for his own shortcomings by punishing him. It can be inferred that the boy was beaten with a belt, because his “right ear scraped a buckle.” The fact that the father takes a violent approach towards others in order to take out his anger shows that he is a lousy excuse for a man. 

In the last stanza, the first line is “You beat time on my head” (Roethke). Which means that the child was forced to mature quickly. To elaborate on this, I would say that because the reader chose the word “time”, it represents time passing, or growing up. The choice of the word “beat” is also important because in music it is usually referred to as “keeping” time. The narrator continues to say, “With a palm caked hard by dirt” (Roethke). This line is the only part of the poem represented in a positive light. The fact that his palm is caked in dirt means that he is a hard worker trying to provide for his family. This contradicts the rest of the poem, by shining a small amount of positivity on the father. 

The final lines of the poem read, “Then waltzed me off to bed/ Still clinging to your shirt” (Roethke). Although the father treats the boy so badly, he’s still hanging on to the love that he has for his father. It is sad, but the boy doesn’t really know any other way of life. In this time period, the boy had no access to a television or media to portray other ways of life. I’ve based this off the fact that the television didn’t become widely available until 1939. The setting occurs sometime before 1940, so in my best guess I’m assuming that they did not have a television set. So with his in mind, the boy cannot view other ways of living like we can in today’s society. He had no concrete definition of how his family should function. This line leaves the poem off on a depressing note, while also metaphorically ending the dance. 

Structurally, this poem is very unique. Since this poem is written in iambic trimeter, it is not just called a waltz, it is literally a waltz. The poem is hard to pinpoint in a certain category. It is written in such a way that allows readers to have vastly different interpretations, although, generally speaking, most readers will understand the negative tone that the narrator is attempting to convey. 

The tone displayed throughout the poem can be described as fairly dismal. The negative word choice gives the reader a clear idea of the emotions that are being expressed, and the situation that the people mentioned throughout the poem are having to deal with on a daily basis. It can be inferred that this dance is not an abnormal occurrence in this household. The abuse is affecting everyone, even if the father is a hardworking man who previously had good intentions for himself and his family.   

In conclusion, the poem gives the reader a sense of desolation and sorrow for the child. The contrast between the harrowing act of child abuse and a beautiful waltz is astounding. The way the narrator chooses to lighten the events lets the reader know that the boy was naïve and didn’t know much about the way the outside world is supposed to function. The fact that he accepted this abuse as normal is upsetting and it’s concerning that no one attempted to intervene, not even his mother. This poem clearly shows how alcohol abuse can affect the people around you, even if you believe you want the best for them. Alcoholism can ruin your life, and the lives of those closest to you. It is sad that the boy mentioned in the poem, and so many others, have to deal with this. 
