Sociological Aspects In James Wright's Two Postures Beside A Fire

As an individual reads the poem written, “Two Postures beside a Fire”, by James Wright, they can identify the close representation of several sociological aspects that were taking place during the time the poem was written. The reader will notice that there are many references to the writer trying to learn from his father. As the writer had learned a great deal from his father, James Wright discusses how his father looks to him as a product of himself. This poem is ultimately a piece discussing how he does not want to disappoint the man he looks up to. Throughout the poem the author shows how he is trying to learn from his father in all facets of life. As an individual reads James Wright’s poem they will see many moments that relate to how he is trying to learn from his father. A specific instance of this can be identified in the first line of the poem where he states, “Tonight I
At the completion of his poem, he writes “My face, and my hands twitch nervously” (Wright, 1971). This can be seen as an era when the poem was written because children would always do things to get the satisfaction from their parents. According to Carl Pickhardt, children will do activities that they believe will make their parents proud and have confidence in them (2015). All of these aspects in Wright’s poem show how there is a sociological connection to his writing. The sociological presence in James Wright’s poem, “Two Postures beside a Fire”, shows how he the author felt while watching his father as he grew up. This can be seen when he talks about learning life lessons from his father; in addition, he talks about how his father looks at him as a product of himself and how the author specifically does not want to disappoint his father. Each of these unique aspects has a very close relation to the father-son dynamic and can be seen in how sociology plays a part in his