There are several illustrations throughout the poem that show the author's use of ambiguous words. For example, the reader may interpret the vague word choice in an optimistic manner; thus establishing the author's adolescence to be a positive experience. The title "My Papa's Waltz" implies that Roethke is reminiscing of the joyous time he and his father had dancing together. In the first stanza, the young boy says, "Such waltzing was not easy," the author implies that he is having a difficult time keeping up with his fathers dance steps (4). Later, the mother is

becoming upset because the boy and his father "romped until the pans/ Slid from the kitchen shelf" which causes a ruckus in her house (5-6). Hence the reader may perceive that the boy and his father are having fun. Furthermore, the dancing scene becomes intense, and the boy is unable to keep up with his father and begins to trip as his "right ear scrape[s] a buckle" (12). When the father "waltz[s] [the boy] off to bed / Still clinging to [his] shirt," the boy views this "waltzing" episode as one of his fondest memories of his father. Thus, the boy appears to have a close and pleasurable relationship with his dad.

Some common words found in the essay are:
Papa's Waltz, Throughout Roethke's, Hents Roethke, boy father, Theodore Roethke's, rhyme scheme, Bedford/St Martin1999, buckle 12, relationship father, word choice, indistinct tone, author relates, waltzing easy, author's adolescence, papa's waltz,
Approximate Word count = 811
Approximate Pages = 3 (250 words per page double spaced)