Karl Malkoff asserts that the musical meter of "My Papa's Waltz" conveys the boy's combined admiration and fear, and the father's affection and violence.
McKenna notes that the first change was most likely made so that Roethke could maintain the frightening feel that was initially intended in the poem by making the parent and child the same gender while keeping a loving tone throughout the dance.
McKenna suggests that Roethke's revision of "unscrew" could be due to an unwanted sexual undertone regarding the mother, whereas its focus is structured around the father's imposing ruggedness.
This scene could be interpreted in one of two ways: either a heartfelt ending after and arguably negative climax or that the intense violence will be carried over into the bedroom with an implied sexual connotation, especially considering the implication that the father is drunk.
[10] Some critics have argued that the violence displayed in the poem is psychological rather than physical, given that in his adulthood, Roethke recites an event that remains unclear as to whether he was abused or not.
These devices include the poem's slightly fabricated prosody that allows readers to connect with the boy on a personal level as he dances with his father into the kitchen under frightening and loving circumstances.
[14] Some critics believe that Roethke's struggle with his mental health allowed for him to have a profound outlook on reality, in which he sought to find his place in the world and was granted a "mythical insight" through the highs and lows of his episodic depression.
With this insight, it is said that in his writing, Roethke implements the most basic elements of one having lived through divine maturity: "outward journey", "inward growth", and a "loving relationship".
Comparing the consistency of the two dominant tones, John Ciardi argues that "My Papa's Waltz" is a "poem of terror" because of the boy's unresponsive unease and the fact that during a supposed good-natured dance he is hurt by his father.
[18] Because of the ongoing debate between those who view the thematic elements of "My Papa's Waltz" in a positive light and those who deem it a traumatic memory, the poem has been both praised and denigrated by critics.
"[19] In analytical psychology, "My Papa's Waltz" and other pieces published in The Lost Son and Other Poems are used as a means of psychotherapy to treat those suffering from alcohol dependence.