"My Papa's Waltz" is a poem that depicts an altercation by a father and son. Readers may question impressions of child abuse in the poem, but Roethke took precautions to avoid this interpretation. He avoided his traditional free verse, using iambic (alternating unstressed, then stressed syllables) trimetrical (three sets of unstressed and stressed syllables per line) quatrains (four lines in which the first and third line rhyme and the second and fourth line rhyme) throughout the poem. This stylistic choice gives the poem a playful, positive feeling, emphasizing that the altercation between the father and son is a joyous event, where the two are bonding.
In "The Meadow Mouse," Theodore Roethke uses a pure free verse form to construct a story in which a boy captures a baby mouse and tries to keep it as a pet. The mouse escapes and has to fend for itself in the wild. Roethke's choice to use free verse gives the poem a more serious feeling, alerting the reader that the poem is very serious. He uses this free verse to discuss the nature of a safe life of captivity or the independence of dangerous freedom. While the tone transitions from positive to dark, the verse keeps a meaningful feeling throughout the work and keeps the reader alert to the meaning behind the story, while invoking images of nature and the potential cruelty of nature.
Roethke's "The Lost Son" series was his first attempt at integrating stream-of-consciousness techniques into his poetry. The stream-of-consciousness technique became popular in literature during the modern period as a technique for examining the psychological construct of individuals and the randomness of thought. Thought becomes the focus, and action is discreet or implied. Roethke's poem demonstrates a boy engaged in spiritual questioning, trying to find meaning for himself and meaning in his spiritual life. The stream-of-consciousness technique creates a feeling of gradual progress and spiritual conflict.
Roethke wrote his first book, "Open House," in 1941, which diverged from other writers of his time by exploring deeply personal reflections and emotional parts of Roethke's life. Previously, authors like T. S. Eliot set the standard of authorial disconnect, in which authors separated themselves from the subject. Roethke demonstrated that the opposite was possible, and that a personal connection to your subject can present a unique view and provide a personal perspective on your own work.