Throughout literature the interpretation of pieces has depended on the individual and have been heavily debated.  In the poem “My Papa’s Waltz” by Theodore Roethke, a young boy describes the situation that unfolds when his father comes home drunk. This piece takes a light elegant topic such as waltzing and contrasts it with the very dark topic of abuse. The poem talks about the waltz the boy and his father complete before bed. Throughout the entire poem Roethke uses both light and dark words to hide an abusive relationship as well as contrasts abuse with the. The interpretation of this poem is that the young boy is comparing a waltz to the abuse he gets from his father. Although some may initially view this poem as positive the words, imagery, and specific phrases bring the reader to the understanding that the young boy is abused by his father yet still desperately wants his attention. 

Roethke uses very specific words that help the reader to develop the rest of the story. He uses “battered”, “scraped” and “beat”, all giving the reader a negative outlook on the situation. The diction can easily be drawn to the idea of abuse. Knowing that this story is narrated by a child, the immediate idea of child abuse pops into one’s head. The single word “beat” gives the impression the child has an abusive relationship with the father.  However, he does combat that with the use of “waltzed” and “romped”, words with a much lighter connotation. This only brings a sense of innocence to the piece. The child may not understand completely what is going on, which explains why the wording is contrasting. The poet purposely utilizes specific diction so the reader can have a glimpse into the young child’s mind and the way in which he perceives the situation. 

One of the first things that people think about when talking about abuse is alcohol, and its influence on the abuser. Roethke opens the poem with “the whiskey on your breath” this alone gives the reader a negative image of the father. The next line confirms exactly what is going on, “could make a small boy dizzy.” These are the first two lines of the poem and already he is letting us know that the father is drunk and reeks of liquor, so much so the young boy can smell it.  Knowing this in the beginning sets the stage for the rest of the poem. From here a logical thought is that the father abuses his son. 

The whole poem is about a waltz, which is normally viewed as graceful and elegant.  In the poem the waltz is anything but delicate. The use of the line “we romped” displays the waltz as rambunctious and destructive. By saying, “At every step you missed” the young narrator portrays the father as being clumsy and falling all over himself. Already knowing the father is drunk makes this sound like the recipe for a horrible waltz. The author's uses the dance as a metaphor for the father and son's relationship. Therefore, when analyzing, the waltz and the abuse, the thought is they are complete opposites. This allows the poet to highlight the situation that is going on without explicitly saying it. Also, when thinking about it from the young boy's perspective, it displays how naïve one is a young age.

Another interesting point is even though the young boy is afraid and going through this horrible situation, he still wants to be with his parents. This is best shown in “still clinging to your shirt." Even after what had happened the young boy still loves his father. Although a child is treated poorly, they still want to be with the loved ones because there is a connection. The line “but I hung on like death” also brings up the same idea of still wanting to be connected with his father even though he is abusive. In this poem specifically there are only two lines out of all 16 that mentions the mother. This proves that his father is more important to him, which goes along with the idea that the boy still looks up to his father and wants to have that connection with him.

In the poem “My Papa’s Waltz” by Theodore Roethke, he uses specific diction, certain lines, and useful imagery to portray an abusive relationship to the reader.  Although, there are positive aspects of the relationship, it is an overall negative dependency due to the gravity of the abuse that takes place.  The young boy, the narrator, is abused by his father and while it only lasts for a short time, it impacts the boy a lot. The poem should be interpreted as a scary, abusive situation narrated by a young boy who is tossed around in his kitchen by his father. Even as his father’s return home results in repulsive actions the young boy is still desperate to spend time with the father who “waltzes” with him. 
