A Closer Read Of My Papa'a Waltz

A Closer Read Of My Papa'a Waltz

A Close Reading
Cortnie Edwards
ENG/125
April 18, 2011
Heather Carlopio

A Close Reading
My Papa’s Waltz by Theodore Roethke was written in the 1940’s which brings two interpretations.   As I originally read this poem, my interpretation was of violence, hurt, and sadness.   Reading it over and over again I developed another analysis, one of love and good times. After researching the poem I did leave with two very different views on the poem.   While I believe my initial interpretation the strongest, there are two very song opinions on the meaning on both sides.
My first view was that of violence and abuse.   The dance was somewhat of a dark dance and the boy is in some danger.   The first two lines of the poem bring the presence of drunkenness.   I believed the so called dance was really a brawl between the drunken father and son.   The son then goes on to say that he hung on like death because it was not easy.   I believe the boy thought that death may have been his only chance of escape from the abuse.   The fight took place in the kitchen with pans sliding off the counter tops which make me envision the father dragging the young boy around and possible across the countertops knocking pans to the floor.   The mother is watching from a distance in disgust not knowing what to do because I think if she were to step in she would be the next victim.   Another line in the poem says “The hand that held my wrist was battered on one knuckle.”   This lead me to believe the father had previously been in a brawl which battered his hand up.   It could have been from a different beating the boy had or possible a fight in the bar where the man had been drinking.   The poem then states, “At every step you missed my right ear scraped a buckle.”   This told me two different things.   Either the boy is very young, and his ear is at the level of his father’s waist, or the father was using a belt to possible abuse his son.   With every swing of the belt that he missed, the...