This quote shows that the father is a hard-working man who helps raise his child. He is willing to get up early to help provide for his family. The speaker of the poem remembers their father; “cracked hands that ached / from labor on the weekday./ no one ever thanked him” (Hayden 3-5). The poet describes the father with cracked hands, which shows that he is a hard worker who works very hard to support his family. However, in the final line, it is seen that his efforts do not satisfy the other members of the family. This shows that the father works hard to help raise his children, even if it means the father suffers from having rough hands. The final lines of the poem read “What did I know, what did I know / of austere and lonely offices” (Hayden 13-14). These lines are the children reflecting on their childhood, showing remorse about how they acted toward their father, and they are showing that they should have treated their father better. They realize that while their father was not always the best, he was trying his hardest to help the child grow
This quote shows that the father is a hard-working man who helps raise his child. He is willing to get up early to help provide for his family. The speaker of the poem remembers their father; “cracked hands that ached / from labor on the weekday./ no one ever thanked him” (Hayden 3-5). The poet describes the father with cracked hands, which shows that he is a hard worker who works very hard to support his family. However, in the final line, it is seen that his efforts do not satisfy the other members of the family. This shows that the father works hard to help raise his children, even if it means the father suffers from having rough hands. The final lines of the poem read “What did I know, what did I know / of austere and lonely offices” (Hayden 13-14). These lines are the children reflecting on their childhood, showing remorse about how they acted toward their father, and they are showing that they should have treated their father better. They realize that while their father was not always the best, he was trying his hardest to help the child grow