“My Papa's Waltz” by Theodore Roethke is a poem that tells the story of a young boy who admires his father despite his actions and character. This is a common situation in society, as boys grow up with a father as the breadwinner and grow up aspiring to be just like their father. The narrator of Theodore Roethke's “My Papa's Waltz” is a young boy who blindly admires his father despite the horrible actions he does. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay Roethke never overtly introduces the reader to the narrator, but he evokes the image of a little boy by introducing the poem with “The whiskey on your breath could make a little boy dizzy;” (1-2) While the word “might” in the quote above prevents us from proving that the narrator is a young boy, Roethke's ambiguous reference to the narrator allows for greater understanding of the character. Obviously, from this line, the narrator does not identifies as a little boy; then again, what does the little boy do? Most young children, especially boys, are trained by society to become big and strong as soon as possible. Therefore, being a little boy is degrading and offensive. As the narrator looks at his father, he separates himself from his own identity in an attempt to adopt his father's identity. Throughout the poem, the narrator's language shows that he is not fully aware of the exact situation that is occurring. The whole waltz metaphor exemplifies this perfectly. While his father is drunk and destroys everything in his path, the narrator explains the strange situation with his interpretation of a waltz. He clings to his father to help his mind accept this fantasy . Consider all aspects of the situation, the falling pots, the bruises and the cut, as part of the waltz. This shows how innocent the narrator is and how willing he is to look beyond to see his father as the man he wants him to be. Please note: this is just an example. Get Custom Paper Now From Our Expert Writers Get Custom Essay Overall, the poem develops a melancholic tone as the narrator's longing for his father is so sweet, yet desperately sad at the same time. The poem takes a situation that is so often seen in a negative light and places it through the perspective of a hopeful child. This allows you to understand the situation completely differently than you normally do. It adds a whole new level of desperation as the little boy desperately hopes that his father is simply waltzing. Ultimately, the boy refuses to accept reality and continues to blindly admire his father while "still holding on to your shirt”..”