In the poem “My Papa’s Waltz”, Theodore Roethke illustrates himself as a child, “waltzing” with his father around their home. The author repeats the word waltz, even using it in the title, empowering readers to infer that the heart of this poem will deal with what this waltz truly entails. Waltzing is known to be elegant, yet in this poem the waltz is anything but graceful. Roethke’s dreary tone throughout this work, creates the idea that this waltz is a traumatizing occurrence he experienced during his childhood. Roethke’s language in the surrounding text hints at the value of specific words, bringing them new meaning. The surrounding text, and the negative language used throughout the poem, makes it evident that the waltz represents an abusive episode Roethke had with his Father early in life.

Though it is repeated constantly throughout the poem, “waltz” carries the most meaning within the title. The structure of the title makes it clear that Roethke is not describing a dance between father and son. Instead of referring to a dance in which they shared, he only states the waltz as something his father is partaking in. By definition, a waltz is an elegant, yet fast paced dance routine completed with a partner. Therefore, referring to the waltz as something only his father is doing, inclines readers to be suspicious, before the poem even starts. In a subtle approach, Theodore Roethke develops the idea that the majority of this waltz will consist of the father’s actions.

From the initial stanza, it is clear that the father is an alcoholic, and currently intoxicated. The audience becomes aware of the father’s level of intoxication, when the author states how the whiskey on his father’s breath, could make a child “dizzy.” (Roethke 90) For the son to be able to smell his Father’s breath, he must have been extremely close to his father. The poem’s tone causes readers to infer that the father was in the sons face, taunting him over what is about to transpire. This also means the father’s breath was potent with whiskey, concluding he was under the under the influence of alcohol, and therefore more apt to make poor decisions.

Roethke’s initial gloomy mood creates a permanent negative outlook on the entire text. By starting the poem with such negative a connotation, the author plants the seed that the mood of this text is dark, and his father is a dangerous parental figure. With such little information, Roethke is able to convey the nature of this poem, without revealing what this waltz truly involves.  In the next line, the author relates to the way he held onto the father with the word, “death.” (Roethke 90) The way in which he describes how he held on, shows that nothing good was coming from the current situation. If the waltz was truly a dance, Roethke would’ve used a more joyous word to describe the way in which he was holding his father. The negative language used by Roethke, is linked to the suffering he withstood while partaking in this “waltz”. His despondent word choice signifies the trauma caused by his father, and depicts each incident to be a different form of abuse.

The Mother’s dreaded emotion is shown within the text, as a way of reassuring the waltz was truly the abuse between father and son. While she sat in despair, his Mother’s countenance, “could not unfrown itself.” (Roethke 91) This frown, deals with an expression much deeper than the one on her face. The Mother’s frown could not heal itself because after seeing this abuse, she was scarred permanently with the fact that she could not protect her son from this waltzing monster. While the son was battered and bruised, his mother was looking on, knowing there was nothing she could do to help her child. When all is said and done, bruises go away, but the mother’s agony will live forever. If the father truly cared about his family, he would never do anything that would intentionally hurt them. Yet, he is pounding on his son, knowing that his wife is viewing the atrocity, and distraught from the situation. If the waltz was really a joyous dance, the mother would have been watching with laughter and love. It can be concluded that the Mother’s wretched emotions are implemented in the text, to confirm that this waltz was truly a metaphor for the father physically abusing his son.

The poem concludes, talking about the father waltzing his son to “bed.” (Roethke 91) At this point in the night, the son was beaten, and the father was exhausted from a combination of liquor, and the physical work of pounding on his son. He waltzes his son to bed, by beating him unconscious. In the previous stanza, Roethke states how the father, “beat time on my head.” (Roethke 91) Roethke uses this line to lead to the climax of this horrid night. As he beat time on his son’s head, it was only a matter of time before his son was knocked out.  The waltz was almost over, the son was beaten, and the father was exhausted. Roethke’s Father realized it was time to finish what he started, by putting his son to bed. After so many times of beating his head, he loads up for one last punch, and indeed puts his son to sleep. 

As a result of the constant negative tone throughout the poem, readers are drawn to look at ordinary words with a completely different mindset. This melancholy mood, causes basic words to carry an entirely new meaning. A prime example is seen when Roethke refers to the father putting his son to bed. While a father putting his son to bed is nothing out of the ordinary, this different perceptive arises from the perpetual glum throughout the poem. Since this poem was written in the perspective of a child, Roethke needed a way to attract his audience using basic terminology. Brilliantly, by Roethke using such negative language throughout the poem, he is able to describe the abuse, without having to go into immense detail. 
