Question

What do these lines from Theodore Roethke’s “My Papa's Waltz” suggest?

“My mother's countenance
Could not unfrown itself."
A.
The mother is unhappy because "papa" is a lousy husband and a careless father.
B.
The mother is upset at the rough nature of the father's "waltz" with their son.
C.
The mother is jealous because her husband is closer to their son than she is.

Answer 1

B. The mother is upset at the rough nature of the father's "waltz" with their son.

Step-by-step explanation:

Theodore Roethke's poem "My Papa’s Waltz" presents the speaker's image of his father by describing the relationship and memory he has of his father through the things they would do. But at the same time, the poem also presents the 'rough' nature of the father through his actions.

In the given lines, the speaker recalls how their dance in the kitchen made his mother unhappy. He reveals how 'horrific' and 'violent' their father-son dance was, and continues, saying "My mother's countenance Could not unfrown itself." This line suggests that the mother did not like the rough nature of the father's dance with their son, for in the continuing lines, the speaker reveals "At every step you missed My right ear scraped a buckle." He also revealed how "the pans Slid from the kitchen shelf" during their father-son dance.

Thus, the correct answer is option B.