“My Papa’s Waltz” by Theodore Roethke is a poem overstuffed with many mixed interpretations. Some (other students) say the poem is about a man looking back on happy times. Some (other students) people even say the poem is a story about a little girl dancing with her father. Although there are many different ways to interpret “My Papa’s Waltz”, there are various lines in each stanza to indicate there is an incident of …showed first 75 words of 643 total…

…showed last 75 words of 643 total…The boy describes his father’s hands, as being “battered on one knuckle”(10), and “caked hard by dirt”(14), this shows how big and very strong this father seemed and was compared to his son. The boy associates his father’s hands as weapons and something he is afraid of. This child is only ill fated to be beaten again and again. Many examples prove this point, that this boy is a victim of child abuse.