
In the poem “My Papas Waltz” by Theodore Roethke a vision of a childhood memory is relayed through the eyes of a little boy, telling his story of an experience he shared with his father. In the poem the boy retells the instance of him and his father “waltzing” in the kitchen.  This literary work leaves room for interpretation by the readers, in order to determine the tone, and the true meaning of the poem. This allows for deeper thinking and a more controversy over the connotation, which is why I chose this poem. I believe the tone of the poem is negative due to the insinuating evidence of alcoholism and child abuse, that can be seen through lines such as “the whiskey on his breath could make a small boy dizzy”, “My mother’s countenance could not unfrown itself,” and “you beat time on my head ,with a palm caked hard by dirt.

The poem opens off with a negative line in the opening stanza, when Roethke writes “the whiskey on his breath could make a small boy dizzy”(Roethke 1). This is the first instance where alcohol abuse is hinted. Drinking in moderation is understandable, but from the tone portrayed by Roethke, it makes it seem like a lot was consumed. In addition, the boy is very young, and it is not all too common that young boys know the smell of a specific alcoholic beverage. Therefore, he must have smelled it multiple tines before, insinuating that his father is constantly drinking it. Alcohol itself can cause problems, so that is an immediate indicator that something wrong is happening in this memory. The way Roethke presents it by saying “it could make a small boy dizzy” also clearly insists that his father had consumed an excessive amount of it. This then leads into the idea that the “waltz” was not dance at all, yet just a drunken march from the kitchen to his room, where he happened to stumble upon his family, and proceeded to cause problems. 

It’s safe to say that it is never a good sign when your mother is unhappy, and the boys father caused just that. “My mother’s countenance could not unfrown itself,” (Roethke, line 7-8). This is an immediate indicator that something is off. This shifts the reader’s idea of this playful “waltz” into something much darker and more negative. The mother’s reaction also indicates that something like this has happened before. She cannot hide her disgust because she knows what this normally leads to, and she knows the impact this will have on her family. She could also be frowning because she could think she’s next to get the “waltz”. Dreading what this might lead to she can no longer hide her disgust and anxiety, as it appears in the form of  a frown. The alcohol abuse drains her, she can no longer pretend to be happy, or pretend to be okay in front of her son, it wears on her as she faces the reality of the situation. 

Alcohol abuse and physical abuse go hand in hand. Alcohol abuse is a gateway to physical abuse, and can eventually tear families apart. “You beat time on my head ,with a palm caked hard by dirt,  ”(Roethke 13).  Initially, the words, beat and hard stand out as direct indicators of a negative connotation.  When putting them all together one can realize that the father was beating his son with the hand he wore his watch on. His knuckles were also battered as if this were a reoccurring thing, that he often beats his son and his wife. The son doesn’t know what to do anymore and is scared to do anything, so all he can do is witness, and participate in his father’s “waltz”. His palms were caked hard by dirt possibly symbolizing that he works a difficult blue collard job that consumes a lot of his time and energy. It could also be a factor leading to many stresses in his life, leading him to beat his family. His job could push him to his breaking point, and when he comes home the smallest action could set him off.  He could be using alcohol as a coping method to  deal with these many stresses that eventually consume his life, furthermore, turning him into something that he’s not. 

Alcohol and stress can turn someone into something they are not. A once happy family can face obstacles and many problems due to it. This is prevalent in “My Papa’s Waltz”, it can easily be seen that the story the little boy tells is a dark one. It is not a happy memory, it is a memory laced with negativity and regrets. Alcohol consumed the father’s life and hurt the rest of his family forcing them to live in turmoil, and a life filled with anxiety hoping their father will stop. The overwhelming tone of negativity is seen in the following lines, “the whiskey on his breath could make a small boy dizzy”, “My mother’s countenance could not unfrown itself,” and “you beat time on my head ,with a palm caked hard by dirt. Crystalizing the theory that this poem is negative. 