FREE ESSAY ON MY PAPA'S WALTZ

MY PAPA'S WALTZ

The father and son in the poem My Papa's Waltz by Theodore Roethke have a complex
relationship mixed with fear, joy, and love. The boy says that he hung on like death when
his father was dancing. This implies a sense of fear between the boy, because he does not
quite trust his father to catch him. He then describes their dancing as romping, which is
typically a joyful action which you do with your friends. The boy is obviously having
fun. When the father finally stops dancing he carries his son off to bed. The traditional
image of a father carrying his son to bed at night is one of true affection. Clearly Papa
and the speaker have a relationship sprinkled with fear, joy, and love.