My Papas Waltz By Theodore Roethke

A carefree and warm moment between a father and his son, or is something more sinister happening behind the curtains? “My Papa’s Waltz” by Theodore Roethke is, at first glance, a poem about a tender father dancing with his son. However, using literary elements such as symbols, allusion, imagery, metaphor, tone, rhyme, and simile, it is revealed that the relationship between them is more complex and darker than we imagine. Despite the seemingly playful moment, the poem portrays the theme of violence and abuse. I will unveil the hidden underlying interpretation of domestic abuse through the analysis of this poem. To begin, Roethke uses allusion to refer to the abuse taking place between the father and son. In particular, the “waltz” is a reference
The pans are supposed to display the mundane and everyday life of a normal family, yet the sliding off the shelves signifies their disrupted relationship. The fact that this occurs during the “dance”, indirectly refers to the destruction and harm caused by the abuse. Thirdly, the tone of the poem plays a crucial part in evoking the tension felt by the son. Roethke intentionally uses an ambiguous tone to invoke a sense of unease in the reader. It creates a sense of something that is just not quite right without outright saying it. The ambiguity reflects the relationship between the father-son, where moments of affection are interwoven with moments of aggression and violence. The tone creates a feeling of unease and discomfort, inviting readers to grapple with the conflicting emotions and moral ambiguities that lie in the poem. Moreover, the rhyme scheme of the poem heightens the theme of abuse and violence. The poem follows a rhyme scheme of ABAB, this structure establishes a view of lightheartedness and a sing-song tune. This mimics the momentum of a lively dance, such as the waltz. It also provides a contrast as the imagery and use of words take on a darker