In "My Papa's Waltz" by Theodore Roethke, the interpretation of the poem depends on the reader's perspective. It is a great poem that can mean many different things a many different people. Some people think that this poem represents a happy exchange between a father and a son. Other people believe that this poem contains a hidden message of abuse from parents. It gave me the impression of love between father and son. , not of an abusive relationship. To me I think he was just a guy who just wanted to spend time with his father before going to bed to spend so much time with his father. Say no to plagiarism. Why should violent video games not be banned"? Get an original essay. First, the poetic tone is a perfect reflection of the emotion the poet feels. towards his father. Typically, readers think the tone is joking or irritated. The poem is made up of many sides of tone. In life, growing up means realizing how childhood experiences have affected us as adults. Since this is written in the role of an adult, mature rather than childish thoughts and feelings are displayed. Second, the most open poetic form in "My Papa's Waltz" is that of sound: rhyme and rhythm, which can be misleading elements. Roethke created the nice rhythm that makes the poem short and sweet. The rhyme further leads the reader to believe that the tone of the poem is light and playful. However, this rhyme and rhythm are deceiving. In the poem there is something not quite sonorous with a pleasant memory in harsh sounds. The rhyme scheme uses repetition where the rhyming words are not completely identical such as "dizzy" and "easy" (Roethke 2.4). These slight limitations reflect the speaker's feelings towards his father. While he has unconditional love for his father, that love cannot mask those limitations. Third, the poetic language in "My Papa's Waltz" is so precise that it can actually open up further debate about the meaning of the poem. Basically, it has controversial interpretations because the words alone have different meanings. Starting with the title, "My Papa's Waltz" reveals what the poem is about. The waltz signifies ease and grace, and the word Pope is used which connotes extreme closeness and admiration. As the popular phrase goes: “Don't judge a book by its cover,” one should not judge this poem by its title. Although the title conveys lightness, the content attracts darkness and perversion. Another form of poetic language is metaphor which can be a useful tool for revealing the emotion in this poem, especially since it is difficult to pinpoint. The only symbol, a kind of metaphor, in the poem suggests the most disturbing idea with: “I resisted like death” (3). This introduces the reader to a darker thought, further confirming that there is an emotional tone. In the scope of things, "My Papa's Waltz" is an image of the father-son relationship in poetry. The waltz represents the dance between love and resentment between father and son. Please note: this is just an example. Get a custom paper from our expert writers now. Get a Custom Essay In short, one's personal experiences with one's father or father figures may influence one to interpret "My Daddy's Waltz" as a strictly happy or traumatic memory. Just like in many relationships, people may only see the bright side on the outside, but the relationship may be breaking down on the inside. Each literary element helps build the illusion that the memory is in admiration of the father, but seeing through that illusion allows the reader to see the abuse suffered..