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8.7
/10
(143
votes)
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Sundays too my father got up early
And put his clothes on in the blueback cold,
then with cracked hands that ached
from labor in the weekday weather made
banked fires blaze. No one ever thanked him.
I'd wake and hear the cold splintering, breaking.
When the rooms were warm, he'd call,
and slowly I would rise and dress,
fearing the chronic angers of that house,
Speaking indifferently to him,
who had driven out the cold
and polished my good shoes as well.
What did I know, what did I know
of love's austere and lonely offices?
Robert Hayden
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Read poems about / on: weather, lonely, father, house, winter, fire, thanks, fear, rose
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Comments about this poem (Those Winter Sundays
by
Robert Hayden
) |
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comments about this poem (Those Winter Sundays by
Robert Hayden
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Hea Chicklacko
(1/20/2010 1:31:00 PM) |
stanza 1; establishes the subject; the speakers father.
it is focussing upon the fathers suffering and how the father is sacrificing everything, and how he got up early to heat the house up, and work for his family. also the last line is saying is saying that the speaker never acknowleged his fathers actions.
stanza 2; once warmth is achieved the father calls his son to rise and get dressed, it is also mentioning the chronic angers of the house.
3rd stanza; begins with an image of the fathers rough hands, as a hard working man, but the speaker never really respected his father. speaker also admits his ignorance over the simple love for his father.
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Larry Laush
(12/7/2009 8:13:00 AM) |
Tom: I think you have good general ideas for what you think the theme of the poem is but you need to have support for why you think that those may be the themes. I think the theme of the poem is that the poet didn’t appreciate his father as a kid and now realizes that he should’ve thanked him. In line five, it says “No one ever thanked him.” The father made the house warm and polished the poet’s shoes. Lines 13 and 14 show that he knows that he should’ve thanked his father. As you see I gave support for my general idea of what I think the theme is and that’s what you should do next time too. -Devin
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Larry Laush
(12/7/2009 8:05:00 AM) |
Jim: you really need to start to write at a more intelligent level than you did in your response. You completely did not have any points of support for your response. Also, they were not even real sentences, and the response is more of a poem. In addition, if you were trying to make it like a poem that is just mocking the poetry which makes no sense. Moreover, this poem is not a disgust it is a true poem. Finally, “Those Winter Sundays” really makes me think about what my dad did for me. This is a great and educational poem about life. So next time before you write get a little more insight on the topic. - Mr. L
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Larry Laush
(12/7/2009 7:51:00 AM) |
Sparkle: I have to disagree with you. This poem is not a very nice poem for many reasons. For example, this is not the best poem that I have ever read because it talks about regret of his choices when the author was young. This is showing no respect for the father polishing the child’s shoes and getting them ready. Also as a child, he was “speaking indifferent to him” (his father) . Here the reader can see that there is not much compassion or love from the boy to the father. Finally this poem is written nicely, but it is hard to understand, and it almost is depressing to think that someone would not appreciate their father for who he is and what he does for his family. This is why I disagree with you, and that “Those Winter Sundays” deals with much regret. - Jacob
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Larry Laush
(12/7/2009 7:19:00 AM) |
Miss Brunette: I agree with your statement about the poem “Those Winter Sundays” for many reasons. First, I also agree with your saying with how the reader doesn’t have enough information to determine whether the father is widowed or single. I also agree that the son didn’t appreciate the father’s work until line 13 and 14. Finally, I think the poem could have been better if in the end of the story the poet could have added that the son went up to his father and thanked him for all the hard work his father had been doing. Loren
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Larry Laush
(12/7/2009 7:15:00 AM) |
Miss Brunette: I have to say that I do agree with you for most of your reasons. I agree because when you say he worked every Sunday, but no one ever thanked him because in the real poem it said, “No one ever thanked him” of what he did. I also agree with you because it does show that the child never knew what the father’s work ethic was. I also agree with you because the father dedicated his life to his family. Denzel: I do disagree when you say that the father is single or widowed because it has nothing to do with the poem. In conclusion, I believe that the son didn’t appreciate his father. Maddy
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Larry Laush
(12/7/2009 7:09:00 AM) |
Denzel: I don’t believe that you are not right about this poem for many reasons. The first reason, why I think you are wrong is in the poem there is not enough information to prove that the father is a widow or single. It says “What did I know, what did I know.” This is saying how he regrets not thanking his dad when he did things for him. The second reason, why you are incorrect is on the last line it says “Of love’s austere and lonely offices.” This means that the father did things for the boy and the boy didn’t appreciate what his father was doing for him. The final reason why you are incorrect is on line 10 it says “Speaking indifferently to him.” This means he talked to his father without any concern. In conclusion, the boy did not respect what his father did for him or appreciate the consequences he made for the boy until he got older. Brock
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Francine Brady
(8/15/2009 11:51:00 AM) |
Life is hard, anger past on for generations.
Love does triumph in actions not words
Except for this beautiful poem
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Miss Brunette
(4/2/2009 9:34:00 PM) |
Denzel: I have to say that I do not believe in your analysis. There is not enough information given to the reader to determine if the father is single or widowed. It is about a man who on 'Sundays too', worked everyday to support his family but, 'No one ever thanked him'. This just shows the child's perspective of never noticing the father's work ethic. Also, in lines 13 and 14, the child is stating that he knows not of love's strict or moral lonely work. The father gets up to do this everyday out of sacrifice and devotion to his family. The word office just symbolizes the meaning of a divine duty or service to others. I believe it is a great poem that shows meaning for what a father does for his family.
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