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Comment 56 of 56, added on April 1st, 2007 at 4:21 PM.
With ‘My Papa’s Waltz’ you are personally left to unlock to the abuse between the father and son. What seems as a fun playful poem is quickly dissolved by the underlying child neglect.
With the “The whiskey on your breath”, “hung on like death”, “the pans,
Slid from the kitchen shelf”, “hand that held my wrist, Was battered on one knuckle”, “My right ear scraped a buckle”, “beat time” lines I came to the resolved deduction that this was not all fun.
I had the impression the last line of the poem, "waltzed me off to bed still clinging to your shirt" infers the boy’s dependency on his father. I still had the impression that the relationship was still partially based on love, but more of a reluctant, irresolute love.
This is one of my all time favorite poems. It depicts the abuse ‘behind closed doors’ it gives anyone who’s familiar with a love/hate relationship enthralled with the maltreatment as a child. It perfectly illustrates the story of a father and son, a son who powerlessly put up with his father.
Alysha Smith from Canada
Comment 55 of 56, added on March 22nd, 2007 at 5:04 AM.
In my first 'speed' read of the poem "My Papa's Waltz' I negatively percieved and interpreted this piece of poetry to have been written on the basis of child abuse. I thought to myself, now, this just can't be right so, I reread the poem the way it must be read, at a 'slower pace in feeling the literary works' -- then to interpret a positive 'blissful' time shared between father and son. The father and son had spent much time 'daily' together in the greenhouse in which reveals to me that the two had a close and bonded relationship. Also I have thoroughly researched Theodore Roethke's Life, Career, Poetry and Timeline in which there are no words that reveal any form of domestic violence and/or child abuse in Roethke's life. Plus, Theodore was extremely close to his father and terribly jarred by his father's death. In addition, I percieve a tired papa coming into the home, after a hard days work out in his greenhouse, 'with palm caked hard by dirt' hands; after dark. I think 'whiskey on his breath could make a small boy dizzy' is merely the act of papa taking a shot of whiskey to relax after work in which does not mean the father is a drunken sot. The odor of whiskey would be strong to a non drinker and a small child. Also, In male rough-housed play the father and son danced 'Papa's Waltz' around the room in papa giving his son maculine 'quality time' prior to getting him off to bed. The Mother frowned with disapproval by the rough play and noise, however, she said nothing to disturb the father and son's joyful dance; for boys will be boys. Finally, the 'beat time on my head' is basically a pat of a strong man's hand on a small boy's head -- telling his son playtime is over and it's time for bed. Futhermore, the child would not be 'clinging' to his papa's shirt if he were being abused. He would urgently be trying to 'get away' from his papa.
Poet Ambassador, Trish from United States
Comment 54 of 56, added on January 11th, 2007 at 5:27 PM.
I do not believe that the boy's father is abusive. Although he is portrayed as a drunkard, I believe that he is very loving. I also believe that the little boy enjoyed the waltx because although he is enduring bodily harm he does not say anything. The mesage in this poem is that the simple things in life can bring joy to someone. Also, it is my opinion that lines 11-12 do not speak of abuse but it is put in literary terms that the father'd drinking and his actions affected the little boy negatively.
Chadia Mathurin
Comment 53 of 56, added on December 10th, 2006 at 4:21 PM.
I would just like to add a comment to those who try to connect a poem to a poet's life. Poets usually write poetry that is not nessesarily autobiographical, so to try to read a poem that way (unless the poet said it was autobiographical) could distort your understanding of the meaning.
I do like that this poem is unclear with its meaning. It is easy to see either side of the debate about if the father was abusive. That's all I have to add for the moment. Bye!
Sarah from United States
Comment 52 of 56, added on July 24th, 2006 at 2:15 PM.
"My Papa's Waltz" is the dance of shame imposed on a young boy by his alcoholic father.
Randal from United States
Comment 51 of 56, added on July 24th, 2006 at 1:03 PM.
I love this poem because it can be taken very literally, and at the same time figuratively or symbolically. You can really picture the kid holding on to his father for dear life, being slung around the room. And if that's the only thing you got out of the poem it would be enough. Almost everyone has had the experience of being danced around by a parent, grandparent, or older sibling. It's a nice bit of nostalgia. On the opther hand, life is a dance, it's what and who you are in relation to other people. Your father (or whoever) takes a step, you make a counter move. He misses a step, you didn't predcit it and you get stepped on or "scraped." And there are people in the background watching and judging. Your life , your waltz, your relationships will certainly not be all smooth- there will be bumps and rough spots, but in the end, you wouldn't want to miss it. So the scariness and the scrapes are tolerable because the dance itself is so darn fun! I think it's about taking the good with the bad. Or maybe even showing how much we will tolerate because of love.
annie from United States
Comment 50 of 56, added on May 19th, 2006 at 8:21 AM.
this poem depicts an abusive relationship between father and son. in the first stanza the imagery uses death as a similie instead of like a teddy bear. giving the gloomy feel to the poem. another is within the title itself "MY PAPA'S WALTZ" its not our waltz with papa or waltzing with papa showing this boys resentment in remembering this "dance" with his father.
nikkie from United States
Comment 49 of 56, added on April 27th, 2006 at 11:11 PM.
I like htis peom becase it is very very goode. my english isnote vrey goode becase i also comew form Azerbaijan. wat is tis peom abort? sum one told me it was too doo with the great wars 1 and 2. i cant thnk why it is too do with great battles 1 and 2 but it is abort the people. Is is about the mening off lifes and a dad and son relasonship? could sumbodye email me and tell me me!
dad anf \the son.
Kahlid from Azerbaijan
Comment 48 of 56, added on April 23rd, 2006 at 6:23 AM.
How typical that those searching for 'meaning' in the poem would decide it's about abuse. Of course! All poetry MUST be autobiographical and MUST be about some emotional anguish in the poet's past! And the poem represents the poet's striving for "closure"!!
I'm particularly amused by Maxine's comment: "It's common knowledge that an abused child will often draw pictures of men with huge hands." Er, no, this is most certainly NOT common knowledge - but I will be certain from now on to look out for it among my own students' etchings, and will confront parents accordingly.
James Morgan from United Kingdom
Comment 47 of 56, added on April 22nd, 2006 at 7:46 AM.
I think it has nothing to do with a abusive or loving relationship between father and son, but rather an adult Roethke struggling with the trauma he experiance when his father died. He wants to surpass the his predecessor and earn the acceptance that was never formed. The "waltz" is symbolic of his conflicting emotions over his father's memory and inability of let go.
Kristen from United States
This poem has been commented on more than 10 times. Click below to see the other comments.
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Copyright © 2003-2008 Gunnar Bengtsson, Poetry Connection. All Rights Reserved.
With ‘My Papa’s Waltz’ you are personally left to unlock to the abuse between the father and son. What seems as a fun playful poem is quickly dissolved by the underlying child neglect.
With the “The whiskey on your breath”, “hung on like death”, “the pans,
Slid from the kitchen shelf”, “hand that held my wrist, Was battered on one knuckle”, “My right ear scraped a buckle”, “beat time” lines I came to the resolved deduction that this was not all fun.
I had the impression the last line of the poem, "waltzed me off to bed still clinging to your shirt" infers the boy’s dependency on his father. I still had the impression that the relationship was still partially based on love, but more of a reluctant, irresolute love.
This is one of my all time favorite poems. It depicts the abuse ‘behind closed doors’ it gives anyone who’s familiar with a love/hate relationship enthralled with the maltreatment as a child. It perfectly illustrates the story of a father and son, a son who powerlessly put up with his father.
Alysha Smith from Canada