Theodore Roethke’s poetry “My Papa’s Waltz”, is about a young child who looks up his father regardless of his actions or character. It is not uncommon for young boys to look up to their fathers, who are the heads of their households. They grow up wanting be like them. Theodore Roethke’s story “My Papa’s Waltz”, tells the story of a boy who loves his father blindly, despite what he has done.
Roethke’s introduction to the poem, “The whisky on your breath Could cause a small child dizzy,” (1-2), does not directly introduce the narrator. While the use of “could” prevents Roethke proving that the speaker is a boy, his ambiguous suggestion to the speaker allows for a better understanding of their character. The narrator is not identifying himself as a young boy, but what boy would? The society teaches most small boys, and especially those who are male, to grow up as big as possible. Degrading, and even insulting to be a little boy. As he looks at his father, the narrator attempts to separate himself from his personal identity and adopt that of the father.
The narrator is unaware of what is happening throughout the entire poem. This is best illustrated in the metaphor for waltz. The narrator, while his drunken father destroys everything in his way, explains this strange situation by using his understanding of the waltz. To help him accept the fantasy, he holds on to his dad. The waltz is a dance that he sees in all its aspects, including the pans breaking, the bruises on his face, and even the cut. The narrator shows his innocence and willingness to let go of the past in order to see the father he wishes to have.
The poem has a melancholy feel to it, as the narrator longs for his father in a way that is both sweet and sad. The poem gives a positive perspective to a situation which is usually viewed negatively. The situation can be seen in a completely different light. The boy hopes that his dad is just waltzing. The boy continues to refuse to accept the reality of his situation and blindly admires his father, who is “still clinging on your shirt.”