Dancing is usually an act preformed on joyous moments and occasions. The waltzing preformed in Theodore Roethke’s “My Papa’s Waltz” is not such a case. The waltz is a routine the boy experiences before bed and is physically harming to the him. The boy in the poem experiences constant abuse from his alcoholic father. This abuse eventually becomes like a routine or choreographed dance. The undeniable theme of “My Papa’s Waltz” is abuse become so routine that it becomes a terrifying dance.   

A waltz is a dance with a secretin steps and rhythm.  “My Papa’s Waltz” expresses constantly that the abuse that the boy’s experiences is steps to his routine. The words that Roethke uses to describe the abuse are words associated with dance. Romped in the second stanza is a synonym of dance, yet because of the romping pans are flying off the shelves and the mother has a miserable expression on her face. To the reader the Romping can easily be identified as the father hitting the child. This shows how the abuse the child goes through is a routine comparable to dancing. 

The wording in the third stanza is still related to dance. In almost all formal dances partners hold hands the wording here still remains true to dance, but instead of holding hands the father is gripping the child’s wrist. When a parent holds a child by the wrist its usual a sign of impending punishment, in the case of this poem abuse. The stanza continues the dance but here the father missed steps the routine. In dancing a missed step leads to toes being stepped on here a missed step leads to scraped ears. 

Any dance requires a beat. The last stanza continues the dance theme by keeping the beat of the waltz on the boy’s head. The drunk father hits the boy in the head repetitively like a beat. But like a dances, the abuse ends and the father takes the child to bed to end the waltz with the child still holding on to his father. 

All the words related to dancing in “My Papa’s Waltz” have a double meaning. Words such as waltzed, romped, and stepped all still refer to dancing and routine. The second meaning to these words is an expectation of abuse that the father causes. The word choice that Roethke uses, is used to show how the abuse and suffering that the boy faces is second nature to him. Much like dancing becomes second nature to someone who practices and constantly dances. The abuse the child face comes frequently and repeatedly become much like dancing to him and his father. The father in the poem is the lead to the dance and the child is effected physically by how his father leads. For example, when the father miss steps in the waltz the child’s ears get scrapped. The examples of abuse in the poem and the help create a special style. 

The style of the poem is artistically elaborate. The style makes and a horrific comparison to dancing and abuse. Dancing is all ways preformed on joyous occasions. But here its used to describe how the abuse that the child has to confront is like a dance. The audience of this poem are those who have in their past been abused. They have the most potential to relate to the passage. People who have not experienced an abusive relationship are excluded from the poem. But Roethke tries to bring the gap by comparing it to dance. One way or another everyone has experienced dance. Most familiar with dance know that it is achieved through repetition and practice, through this Roethke tries to show how abuse can become a dance of its own. 

The passage only uses one form of writing, narration. This helps the poem become more personal. Because of the narrative writing the boy becomes visible to the reader along with the abusive father. It becomes easier to see how the boy is abused and how the relationship to the theme of  abuse is similar to a dance. The narration helps readers connect with the boy and almost be placed in the position. The reader feels as if they are part of the dance and waltz with the alcoholic father. 

“My Papas Waltz” is a tragic poem of the relationship between an abusive father and a defenseless child. The main theme of the poem is how abuse can become so routine that it becomes its own form of waltzing. All the words Theodore Roethke’s uses in the poem work with this theme. The narrative of the poem also helps the theme by allowing the reader experience the dance along with the boy. The style of the poem also helps to deeply incorporate the theme of abuse and dance.  
