Those Winter Sundays Tone
1, The poem’s title The title “Those Winter Sundays”, winter obviously means cold, contrast between cold and warm is one of the important thing in this poem. Sundays mean weekend, the day that people stay at home with family. Sundays and labor which mention in the poem is another contrast.
2, The speaker and the speaker tone of voice In this poem, the speaker is the poet himself.
3, The structure and the form of the poem 4, The poet’s use of language and diction In the beginning of the poem, the poet use “father” instead of “dad” or “daddy”, it shows he respect for his father and not in close touch. “too” means even though it is Sunday, father still need to get up early. The first two lines make reader further realize the winter
cold. The poet use “blueback” describe how cold the winter is. The cold is not only from the physical feeling, but also from the psychology. After World War I, the economics of black people develop, but they are still separated. Racism makes the black people in the lowest level. In this surroundings, how cold in their feeling shown between the lines. “cracked”, “ached” and “no one ever thanked him” shows father always work hard and look after his child, but other people think it as a matter of course. Cold is a feeling, however, the poet use “splintering” and “breaking” to describe cold like ice break up and rooms get warm. “indifferently” is the same meaning of “no one ever thanked him.” In the end “what did I know, what didi I know of love’s austere and lonely offices?” has a little bit sadness. In the one hand, when the poet grow up, he realized how his poor father went through, and he feel guilty about he did when he was young. Father’s love is austere and simply. When he expend, he also bear lonely which other people cannot identification with him. In the other hand, the poet wants readers through the poem to realize attack on the society and some black writer.
5, The poet’s use of rhyme, rhythm, sound of effects, and figures of speech Although the poem contains no end rhyme, it does contain internal rhyme, as in the following line. And put his clothes on in the blueback cold, From labor in the weekday weather made Banked fires blaze. No one ever thanked him. I’d wake and hear the cold splintering, breaking. And slowly I would rise and dress, Speaking indifferently to him.
Following are examples of figures of speech in the poem, Alliteration: those and then Anaphora: what did I know, what did I know Assonance: From labor in the weekday weather made Metaphor: I’d wake and hear the cold splintering, breaking.
Comparison of the cold to a solid object than can splinter and break. Synaesthesia: And put his clothes on in the blueback cold,
Use of color to describe a feeling.
6, The poet’s use of symbolism “When the rooms were warm, he’s call” symbolize a father’s love. “fearing the chronic angers of that house” superficially, it seems the house is too old and ruined. But refer to the poet’s family and the society background, at that time, the position of the black people is the lowest, they couldn’t get a great job, even though his father work hard, they still live in a poor life. In the point of society view, the poet’s family could be regarded as the America society, the poet wanna through his poem to inspire the black people. “polished my good shoes”. “Good shoes” is the shoes that the speaker wears to the church. It shows the speaker is follower of Bahá'í. He thinks the standard of politics and race is not depending on the judgment of good poem or bad poem. The judgment of his poem is never stop, so it’s the chronic angers.
7, The poem’s theme Those Winter Sundays shows a austere love that father to his son and a lonely responsibility. Also, as a black writer, Robert Hayden wanna through this poem to express his anger about the unequally social position and look forward for freedom and democracy
8, My reaction to the poem and the reason I chose it After I read the poem, I realized how great the father’s love is and Robert Hayden express his anger, fight for his rights in a civilized and reason way. The reason I chose this poem is because the father to his son’s austere love touch me and make me remind of my father.
2, The speaker and the speaker tone of voice In this poem, the speaker is the poet himself.
3, The structure and the form of the poem 4, The poet’s use of language and diction In the beginning of the poem, the poet use “father” instead of “dad” or “daddy”, it shows he respect for his father and not in close touch. “too” means even though it is Sunday, father still need to get up early. The first two lines make reader further realize the winter
cold. The poet use “blueback” describe how cold the winter is. The cold is not only from the physical feeling, but also from the psychology. After World War I, the economics of black people develop, but they are still separated. Racism makes the black people in the lowest level. In this surroundings, how cold in their feeling shown between the lines. “cracked”, “ached” and “no one ever thanked him” shows father always work hard and look after his child, but other people think it as a matter of course. Cold is a feeling, however, the poet use “splintering” and “breaking” to describe cold like ice break up and rooms get warm. “indifferently” is the same meaning of “no one ever thanked him.” In the end “what did I know, what didi I know of love’s austere and lonely offices?” has a little bit sadness. In the one hand, when the poet grow up, he realized how his poor father went through, and he feel guilty about he did when he was young. Father’s love is austere and simply. When he expend, he also bear lonely which other people cannot identification with him. In the other hand, the poet wants readers through the poem to realize attack on the society and some black writer.
5, The poet’s use of rhyme, rhythm, sound of effects, and figures of speech Although the poem contains no end rhyme, it does contain internal rhyme, as in the following line. And put his clothes on in the blueback cold, From labor in the weekday weather made Banked fires blaze. No one ever thanked him. I’d wake and hear the cold splintering, breaking. And slowly I would rise and dress, Speaking indifferently to him.
Following are examples of figures of speech in the poem, Alliteration: those and then Anaphora: what did I know, what did I know Assonance: From labor in the weekday weather made Metaphor: I’d wake and hear the cold splintering, breaking.
Comparison of the cold to a solid object than can splinter and break. Synaesthesia: And put his clothes on in the blueback cold,
Use of color to describe a feeling.
6, The poet’s use of symbolism “When the rooms were warm, he’s call” symbolize a father’s love. “fearing the chronic angers of that house” superficially, it seems the house is too old and ruined. But refer to the poet’s family and the society background, at that time, the position of the black people is the lowest, they couldn’t get a great job, even though his father work hard, they still live in a poor life. In the point of society view, the poet’s family could be regarded as the America society, the poet wanna through his poem to inspire the black people. “polished my good shoes”. “Good shoes” is the shoes that the speaker wears to the church. It shows the speaker is follower of Bahá'í. He thinks the standard of politics and race is not depending on the judgment of good poem or bad poem. The judgment of his poem is never stop, so it’s the chronic angers.
7, The poem’s theme Those Winter Sundays shows a austere love that father to his son and a lonely responsibility. Also, as a black writer, Robert Hayden wanna through this poem to express his anger about the unequally social position and look forward for freedom and democracy
8, My reaction to the poem and the reason I chose it After I read the poem, I realized how great the father’s love is and Robert Hayden express his anger, fight for his rights in a civilized and reason way. The reason I chose this poem is because the father to his son’s austere love touch me and make me remind of my father.