My Papa’s Waltz By Theodore Roethke

My Papa’s Waltz By Theodore Roethke Literal Comprehension: The narrator felt the whiskey on his father's breath. He felt unpleasant but continued dancing. They would play in the kitchen and when the pans fell down the mother would be angry. His finger joint was damaged and when he missed his step, the boy's right ear would hurt. He would beat time on the boy's head with his hard palm and took him to bed. But the boy still held on to his father's shirt. Interpretation: This poem states playful interactions between the father and son, the majority of the poem focuses on the father's drunken aggression toward the boy. The poem is the story of a young boy revealing the hardships he has lived through with his alcoholic father, while still possessing a great love for his dad. Critical Thinking: Though this poem projects an uplifting story of father and son sharing a precious moment together, waltzing around the house. I am not going to agree totally with the poet about some of t…