A Simpler Lesson in Prosody -- Roethke's "My Papa's Waltz"

Theodore Roethke -- "My Papa's Waltz" 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 scrapped 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. “My Papa’s Waltz” is written in iambic trimeter with sporadic variations; the poem’s structure evokes the sound of a waltz. A waltz is written in 3/4 time and has three steps; “Papa” is drunk – so this waltz is sloppy with its feet. The poem utilizes spondees, anapests, pyrrhics, and extra unstressed feminine syllables. These variations are misplaced steps in the waltz – a pun, because they are metrically deviant feet. Scansion: the WHISK | ey ON | your BREATH could MAKE | a SMALL | BOY DIZzy; || but I | hung ON | like DEATH: || such WALTZ | ing was | NOT EASY. || we ROM | ped UN | til the PANS slid FROM | the KITCH | en SHELF; || my mo | THER'S COUNT | eNANCE could NOT | unFROWN | itSELF. || the HAND | that HELD | my WRIST was BATT | ered on | one KNUCKle; || AT every | STEP you | MISSed my RIGHT | EAR SCRAP | ped a BUCKle. || you BEAT | time ON | my HEAD with a PALM | CAKED HARD | by DIRT, || then WALTZ| ed ME | off to BED still CLING | ing TO | your SHIRT. ||