my papas waltz

My Papa’s Waltz
My Papa’s Waltz is a very nostalgic poem bringing back memories of an old country and old traditions. It gives a good visualization of Ireland in the 1900’s. It also gives a visualization of low or working class. The poem has a lot of content for its small size, and although the details are vague it still gives a good sense of what is going on.
This poem is about a boy dancing with his father before bed. In the first stanza we learn that the father has been drinking because “ the smell of whiskey on your breath / could make a small boy dizzy”(1). This is one of the clues that this story might take place in Ireland. Irish are known to be heavy drinkers, and spend a lot of time in pubs after work until late at night. But the boy “ hung on like death / such waltzing was not easy” another clue towards Irish background, dancing and singing are part of Irish traditions at least that is how it is in my family and the stories of my relatives. T...