An Analysis Of 'Those Winter Sundays' By Robert Hayden

Its dreadful what little things lead people to misunderstand each other. “Those Winter Sundays” is a poem written by Robert Hayden in 1962. In the poem, the speaker remembers his past experiences with this father as it describes the typical winter Sundays for the protagonist . The poem illustrates the broken relationship between the speaker and the father, without saying it directly, but instead through the way the poem is formatted. In the poem “Those Winter Sundays”, Robert Hayden exposes a broken relationship due to understanding between the father and the child, through grim diction, apologetic tone,conflicting imagery.

His mother treats him like a slave, giving him daily chores and unbelievably ruthless punishments. He has become inhuman to her as she refers to him as “It.” The only hope of survival relies on his dad, in God, or in a miracle. His story promotes the courageous human spirit and the determinate to survive.

Family relations are complex, but none may be as difficult to navigate as the bond that exists between a father and his son. Even though the son becomes angry and displeased with his father, he is always able to come back to him, revealing the cyclic nature and the impacts of

A father-child relationship can be a good thing for some people, and problematic for others. There are different types of fathers. There are fathers who are always around their children, who give unconditional love and guidance. Then there are hard-to-please fathers who drain their children with extremely high expectations, leading to a strained relationship. Moreover, there are fathers who cannot handle the responsibilities that come with fatherhood, this type of fathers walk out on the family when the situation gets tough. Many people see their fathers in one way as a child and grow to see them in a whole different light as adults. The richness and complexity of the child and father relationship are the reason many poets write about fatherhood and fathers.

The relationship between the boy and his father is very profound throughout the whole book. It is mainly based off the key concept of trust

The estranged relationships between father and son tend to start from lack of communication. Fathers express their love through actions rather than words. When conflicts occur, they are unlikely to explain themselves, which leads to greater complications. In addition, fathers are often absent in the child’s youth for reasons such as work. However, absent fathers can have great influence on the child.

In Robert Hayden’s poem “Those Winter Sundays” a relationship between the speaker and the speaker’s father is expressed in short but descriptive detail, revealing a kind of love that had gone unnoticed for so long. Throughout the poem, Hayden’s use of connotative diction keeps the poem short and sweet yet packed with significant meaning. The evocative sound patterns play just as great a role setting the harsh and reflective tone of the poem. Together, these devices are used to effectively deliver the poem.

My father’s disappointments are still the same as they were a decade ago… I see him now and then, but when I do, he typically has a hangover or is too tired to get up and do something with me.

“Those Winter Sundays,” by Robert Hayden describes a father relationship during the cold mornings. The poem focuses on a child’s memory where they’re looking back at a certain point in life that they regret. The speaker starts off the poem reflecting on his past, more importantly his relationship with his father.

In the poem, “Those Winter Sundays”, the author realizes he failed to appreciate the kind acts of his father. In the poem he states, “Sundays too my father got up early and put his clothes on in the blueblack cold, then with cracked hands that ached from labor in the weekday weather made banked fires blaze.” (Hayden, Online). This quote explains that daily, and even on Sundays, his father woke up early in order to warm the house for the family. Furthermore, the author states, “What did I know, what did I know of love’s austere and lonely offices?” (Hayden, Online). In this quote, the author is stating that as a child he was unaware of the fact that love and care were more than just hugs but about the sacrifices people made in order to provide happiness and comfort for others. He ultimately failed to understand the sacrifices his father made to keep young, Robert Hayden, happy.

The father shows a leadership role in the household to teach the speaker, that his “grind” is to enhance his son success in the future. The speaker takes into account the wisdom and respect his father has instilled in him, by the progression of his future. Looking back at his childhood, the speaker describes his father as an unappreciated hardworking man. The speaker’s father illustrates “chronic angers” from stress, extensive hours and lack of appreciation in the workplace.

Robert Hayden uses various elements in his poem, “Those Winter Sundays”, including diction and imagery, to show how the speaker matures in regards to feelings towards his home-life and his father. The speaker’s feelings of remorse for not showing gratitude for his father’s efforts serve as a message to all generations. This message is that one should look past the unpleasant aspects of life and appreciate the love and care that is received. Hayden demonstrates that focusing on the negative aspects of one’s life will lead to heartache and remorse.

In composing of the father-child relationship and of the child's quest for his relatedness there was a completion of feeling I had never known previously.

Robert Hayden’s poem “Those Winter Sundays” is a tribute to his foster father. It provides a glimpse of a memory of fatherly love and loneliness. He presents a father who shows love through work and sacrifice with no thoughts for his own comforts. He does whatever is necessary to make his family comfortable. Hayden uses imagery throughout his poem to describe his foster father.

In the story “those winter Sunday” by Robert Hayden, He tells about an adult who looks back on his childhood relationship with his father. Reading the poem there is separation between the father n son, a lack of communication. As a child it seem as if he feared his father but now as an adult he reminisce about his father with love. The young boy who is now an adult appreciate his father hard work in and out of the home. Hayden's poem consist of only 14 lines but each line is filled with amazing power and meaning. Hayden brings out in this poem the lack of appreciation of youth , self sacrifice and Regret.