Life In Those Winter Sundays, By Robert Hayden

Parents and guardians have arguably the most important job on their hands. Not only does their actions affect their children while they live in the same house, but also into adulthood. The Urban Child Institute states, “A positive home environment is the foundation for healthy brain development.” Situations in the home such as divorce, poverty, abuse, etc can all lead to negative long-term effects. Author of “Those Winter Sundays,” Robert Hayden, experienced many tribulations of his own at a young age, such as separation from his birth parents, living in a tough foster home, and poverty. Robert Hayden’s disfigured childhood inspired him to share personal experiences and emotions in the poem, “Those Winter Sundays.” Robert Hayden was born on August 4, 1913 in Detriot, Michigan with the name Asa Bundy Sheffey. His parents, Asa and Ruth Sheffey separated when Hayden was an infant. This separation sent him into a foster home under the care of Sue Ellen Westerfield Hayden and William Hayden’s care. Young Hayden was their only child together. As a teenager, Hayden’s birth mother moved in next door and at one point actually lived with the Haydens. Life in the Hayden household was unhappy for many reasons.Often times in arguments it was
So the economic struggle was not any help to William and Sue Hayden who already had their own relationship problems. As said before, William Hayden was a hardworking man. He worked hard on the weekdays and weekends but, “No one ever thanked him” (line 5). The women in the house and Robert Hayden often allied against William Hayden (Jones). Robert Hayden refers to an example of this treatment in the poem, “Speaking indifferently to him” and not showing any respect after his father had warmed the house and polished his shoes (line 10). It was not until an older age that Hayden realized this disrespect and he shows his remorse in the poem by his