Depending on personality, background, mindset, etc. of one person, they may see certain things in a completely opposite way to another. A great example of this is Theodore Roethke’s poem “My Papas Waltz.” The poem, depending on how one can interpret the situation, can be a sweet story of a child dancing with his father. This could also be seen as a child being abused by his father. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get the original essay The poem takes us on the journey of a child “waltzing” with his father around the house, while his mother observes the upset situation. That being said, there is textual evidence that concludes that this is a fun and happy story of a child having a good time with his father. Roethke uses the first line to conclude that the little child is a young boy whose father is drunk, but as the poem continues we learn that he is not a violent drunk. The reader may conclude that he is young later in the story. He spends quality time with his child creating memories at home. Some people associate the term “drunk” with a bad thing. But being drunk doesn't automatically mean you're the kind of drunk who comes home to bother your child. Many people can be drunk and still understand right from wrong. In the last lines of the first stanza, the reader can get a glimpse of what is happening. The narrator recalls: “I held on like death / such a waltz was not easy.” All children, at one time or another, have stood on their father's shoes and held tightly to his shirt while he danced them. The boy in the poem was just trying not to fall from his drunken father's clumsy waltz steps. Another clue is in the title. If someone was constantly beaten and abused, they wouldn't call their father "daddy." “We would call them father, or other clear, unsentimental words. “Papa” is an affectionate word similar to papa, daddy or daddy, used mainly by children who adore their fathers. “Father” is a bland and generic word. People who are abused and do not associate with their fathers often remember that the man is their father and not their father. Using sentimental words shows him love and understanding. In the middle two stanzas, the reader is drawn deeper into the current situation. Dancing awkwardly, they wreak havoc in the kitchen and rush onto the shelves. “My mother’s face / couldn’t free itself from the eyebrows” is a phrase that explains that the mother was upset, but didn’t respond to them. Facial is a term used to describe facial expression. She was clearly upset that her kitchen was ruined and destroyed, but she couldn't stop her boys from having fun. In the next middle stanza, things start to get even more confusing. The narrator states, “The hand that held my wrist / Was struck on a knuckle / With every step you missed / My right ear scratched a curl.” The reader can take this in two ways, seeing how he interpreted the rest of the poem. This is how many people decide the story is dark and abusive. Many jobs require sweat and tears. Anyone who knows someone who works outside in a certain type of job will know that they don't have the most flawless, prettiest hands. They are discarded, cut up and beaten into filth. His dad just didn't get a chance to clean himself up after a long day at work and..