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My Papa's Waltz By Theodore Roethke: Poem Analysis

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My Papa's Waltz By Theodore Roethke: Poem Analysis
The poem “My Papa’s Waltz” is a short poem written by Theodore Roethke in 1948. Roethke had a very complex relationship with his father. The poem is about a moment in life of a father and a son, but what seems like a sweet dance is not so sweet after all. Roethke explores the concept of abuse through his use of whiskey breath, the romping, the roughness of the father’s hands, and the way he writes the

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