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Kim Larsen Professor Locke English 110 21 November 20XX Word Choice, Tone, and Point of View in Roethke’s “My Papa’s Waltz” Some readers may find Theodore Roethke’s “My Papa’s Waltz” a reminiscence of a happy childhood scene. I believe, however, that the poem depicts a more painful and complicated series of emotions. By examining the choice of words that Roethke uses to convey the tone of his scene, I will demonstrate that beneath the seemingly comic situation of the poem is a darker story. The true point of view of “My Papa’s Waltz” is that of a resentful adult reliving his fear of a domineering parent. The first clue that the dance may not have been a mutually enjoyable experience is in the title itself. The author did not title the poem “Our Waltz” or “Waltzing with My Papa,” either of which would set an initial tone for readers to expect a shared, loving sentiment. It does not even have a neutral title, such as “The Waltz.” The title specifically implies that the waltz was exclusively the father’s. Since the waltz normally involves two people, it can be reasoned that the father dances his waltz without regard for his young partner. Examining each stanza of the poem offers numerous examples where the choice of words sustains the tone implied in the title. The first line, “The whiskey on your breath,” conjures up an olfactory image that most would find unpleasant. The small boy finds it so overpowering he is made “dizzy.” This stanza contains the only simile in the poem, “I hung on like death” (3), which creates a ghastly and stark visual image. There are innumerable choices of similes to portray hanging on: a vine, an infant, an animal cub, all of which would have illustrated a lighthearted romp. The choice of “death” was purposefully used to convey an intended image. The first stanza ends by stating that the “waltzing was not easy.” The definitions of easy, as found in Webster’s New Collegiate Dictionary, include “free from pain, annoyance, or an