My Papa’s Waltz, Article Review Example

The poem “My Papa’s Waltz” has a positive tone in it, demonstrating that the boy in the poem clearly has affection for his father.  In the title, he refers to his father as “Papa”, which is more of a term of endearment than the more formal “father”.  Although the movements of the man who is drunk are not easy for the boy to cling to, he “hangs on like death”, indicating that it is important for him to have the physical connection with his father.  The man is drunk, but the boy still longs to be close to him in a physical way, meeting him on his terms, albeit drunk.  The two of them are frolicking in a playful manner, as the use of the word “romped” implies.  His father is holding onto his hand, and even though the son’s ear is scraped by a buckle every now and then, he hangs onto his father.  The use of the term “waltzed” when the father takes the boy to bed also indicates that the two of them are engaged in a playful activity.  Finally, the boy’s love for his father is evident as he describes himself as “clinging to your shirt,” unwilling to let go of the moment or the person.