Question

Questions for the poem

My Papa’s Waltz
BY THEODORE ROETHKE
The whiskey on your breath
Could make a small boy dizzy;
But I hung on like death:
Such waltzing was not easy.

We romped until the pans
Slid from the kitchen shelf;
My mother’s countenance
Could not unfrown itself.

The hand that held my wrist
Was battered on one knuckle;
At every step you missed
My right ear scraped a buckle.

You beat time on my head
With a palm caked hard by dirt,
Then waltzed me off to bed
Still clinging to your shirt.

Answer 1

[AI-generated answer — Bot GPT 3.5]

1. How does the whiskey on the father's breath affect the speaker in the poem?

2. What is the significance of the mother's unfrowning countenance while the father and the speaker waltz?
3. Why is the father's hand battered on one knuckle?
4. What does the image of the speaker's right ear scraping a buckle suggest?
5. How does the father show affection towards the speaker in the poem?
6. What is the tone of the poem? Is it positive or negative?
7. How does the waltz between the father and the speaker symbolize their relationship?
8. What do you think the speaker's emotions towards their father are in the poem?
9. How does the use of imagery enhance the reader's understanding of the poem?
10. What do you think the poem is trying to convey about father-son relationships?