https://padlet.com/abbiekitchner/jmc96dj8je1a en-us 2020-02-09 21:12:53 UTC 2024-08-13 01:07:40 UTC hello@padlet.com abbiekitchner https://padlet.com/abbiekitchner/jmc96dj8je1a/wish/442764727 2020-02-09 21:26:29 UTC https://padlet.com/abbiekitchner/jmc96dj8je1a/wish/442764727 abbiekitchner https://padlet.com/abbiekitchner/jmc96dj8je1a/wish/442764848 After reading this poem, my initial response is that Roethke is trying to illustrate the complicated relationship he has with his father by using dance as a metaphor. It can be inferred based on the first two lines of the poem "The whiskey on your breath Could make a small boy dizzy", that is father was drunk for this specific occurrence. Based on the title being "My Papa's Waltz" I think that the "waltz" he speaks of was a common occurrence, implying his father may have been an alcoholic. Based on the words highlighted in purple in my annotation,  "hanging on like death such waltzing was not easy" to me implies he was trying to defend or brace himself for the physical violence his father may have displayed. 
The words annotated in blue "we romped until the plans flew from the kitchen shelf" implies more violence. However, it is interesting to note the use of the word "romp". The word romp usually has a playful connotation, but in this instance, it is used to describe violence. 
The lines in green also have a violent implication, the father's knuckle was battered, which is noted while holding the son's wrist. While in a traditional waltz, the wrist may be held while dancing. The line "you beat time on my head" connects to the overarching theme of dancing by the way of "keeping time" but again implies violence towards the child. 
The final lines annotated in orange again mention the waltz, in this sense I do not believe "waltz" to mean the domestic abuse rather the child was brought to bed. The author states he was "still clinging to your shirt" this line has a different tone as a child who was being abused might not be clinging to his father. This to me drives home the overall ideal that the waltz between the boy and his father illustrates a complicated relationship they may have. The "waltz" includes alcoholic violence shown towards the son, but also may include the notion that despite that, the boy still wants to be loved by his dad. ]]> 2020-02-09 21:27:14 UTC https://padlet.com/abbiekitchner/jmc96dj8je1a/wish/442764848 abbiekitchner https://padlet.com/abbiekitchner/jmc96dj8je1a/wish/442767796 This video lends itself to a completely different waltz than illustrated in the poem. Both feature the relationship dynamics between father and child but this video has a more positive view on the "Waltz". The music playing in this video is very upbeat and cheerful. You can see that the father's driver's side door is still open when the video first starts as if he almost can't wait to see his daughter. The camera moves to show the little girl, who is excitedly dancing and jumping as her father comes closer. Everybody in the video is smiling, and you can her who I assume to be the mother laughing while filming. The dad doesn't care how he looks, he's sharing a special moment with his daughter and seems to be genuinely enjoying it. When he picks her up she begins to mimic his movements, and is laughing with him, she seems like she trusts him. Just the overall joy on both the father and daughters faces show a much more positive interpretation of the "waltz". ]]> 2020-02-09 21:47:02 UTC https://padlet.com/abbiekitchner/jmc96dj8je1a/wish/442767796 abbiekitchner https://padlet.com/abbiekitchner/jmc96dj8je1a/wish/442769317 If we consider the two texts presented as being the same father, it certainly complicates the dynamic of the poem and video. The poem has a violent connotation of the father and child's dynamic, it is to be assumed that the father abuses the child. From this analysis one just assumes there are no positives of that relationship. However, if we were to also consider the video the relationship is completely remediated. There is video evidence of positive and loving interaction between the father and child. After reading the poem and before watching the video I assumed it was a broken and unhappy family, but if I consider the video as well the familial relationship is remediated. If the father could be so loving in the video, how is it possible to act as he did in the poem? The "waltz" I like to consider to be the dynamics of this relationship. There is a give and take on both sides. The child wants what he had with his father in the video, even while he is being beaten in the poem, I interpret the "still clinging to your shirt" line from to poem to mean that the child is still looking for emotional connection from his father despite his behavior in the rest of the poem. We also do not know if the events of the poem happened before, after or in conjunction with the events of the video. The relationship between the father and child could have changed between the texts, allowing the child to reflect on two completely different waltzes they did with their father. ]]> 2020-02-09 21:57:11 UTC https://padlet.com/abbiekitchner/jmc96dj8je1a/wish/442769317