Since the time of Adam and Eve, parents have played a major role in the education of children and the reproduction of several generations. In most societies, the father forms the backbone of the family and plays a major role in providing support and stability to the family. However, the role of the father differs from one family to another. While some fathers focus solely on feeding and raising their children, others focus on all aspects of their children's lives. Father's leadership often pushes children to have a close relationship with their father. Sons often see the father as their role model and build a father-son relationship. However, the father-son relationship can be weak or strong, depending on the father's conception of parenthood. The American poet Theodore Roethke (1908-1963) describes the relationship between him and his father through his poem "My Papa's Waltz". Theodore reveals his painful memories of his difficult childhood at a critical time when many children wanted nothing more than the love of their parents. Professor Grant T. Smith's "Theodore Roethke's 'My Daddy Waltz': A Reader's Response" explains how his students appreciate the father-son relationship in Theodore's poem. He believes that "their main argument that this poem depicts a harsh father-son relationship was that the description of the dance was violent. Conversely, some readers disagree with this statement and believe that the father-son relationship in Theodore's poem actually releases a cohesive bond between father and son. Theodor's poem "My Daddy's Waltz" vividly reflects an image of child abuse through the voice of the child. Theodor's poem has attracted the attention of a remarkable number of scholars, researchers, and individual readers who have participated...... middle of article.... ..this question has more an answer. I firmly believe that Theodor's poem certainly reflects a painful childhood experience of physical and physiological abuse. Theodore's poem is a clear definition of violence and child abuse. Works Cited Fong, Bobby. “My Daddy’s Waltz by Roethke.” Collegiate Literature 17.1 (1990): 78. MasterFILE Premier. EBSCO. Internet. April 9, 2011. Grant T. Smith. "My Daddy's Waltz" by Theodore Roethke: Reader Response January 30, 2007McKenna, John J. "Roethke's Revisions and the Tone of 'My Daddy's Waltz'." ANQ: A quarterly journal of short articles, notes and reviews 11.2 (1998): 34-38. MLA International Bibliography. EBSCO. Internet. April 8, 2011. Roethke, Theodore. “My Daddy’s Waltz.” The Collected Poems of Theodore Roethke. New York: Anchor Books, 1975. 43.