Analyse the poem and give themes
My Papa’s Waltz
BY THEODORE ROETHKE
The whiskey on your breath
Could make a small boy dizzy;
But I hung on like death:
Such waltzing was not easy.
We romped until the pans
Slid from the kitchen shelf;
My mother’s countenance
Could not unfrown itself.
The hand that held my wrist
Was battered on one knuckle;
At every step you missed
My right ear scraped a buckle.
You beat time on my head
With a palm caked hard by dirt,
Then waltzed me off to bed
Still clinging to your shirt.
Themes:
1. Father-son relationship: The poem explores the complicated relationship between a father and his son. While there are moments of playfulness and bonding, there is also a sense of unease and fear, as evidenced by the boy clinging on "like death" and his mother's disapproving look.
2. Alcoholism: The presence of whiskey on the father's breath suggests that he may be struggling with alcoholism. The imagery of the whiskey making the boy dizzy and the father's rough handling of him may hint at the negative effects of the father's drinking on his family.
3. Childhood innocence and vulnerability: The poem captures the vulnerability and innocence of childhood, as seen through the eyes of the young boy who is at the mercy of his father's rough handling and unpredictable behavior.
4. Domestic tension: The mention of the mother's disapproving look and the pans sliding from the kitchen shelf suggest underlying tension and dysfunction within the family. The poem hints at the impact of the father's drinking on the family dynamic.
5. Nostalgia and memory: The poem evokes a sense of nostalgia for the past, as the speaker looks back on a childhood memory of dancing with his father. The conflicting emotions of fear, nostalgia, and tenderness create a complex and bittersweet portrayal of the past.