Those Winter Sundays Essay

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In the poem, “Those Winter Sundays,” written by Robert Hayden, the speaker reflects from the present back to his cold childhood. The poem describes the tense yet caring relationship between a father and his son. Hayden used dark connotation and vivid imagery to describe their relationship. The son began the morning with annoyance towards his father which caused him to be ignorant and not realize all the sacrifices his father made. The speaker’s father was a hard-working man at home and in the workforce, but the speaker never thanked him. It is difficult to appreciate “stern and reserved” parents when we are young because we have the mentality that parents do not know what’s best or they do not care about how it affects the child.
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Strict parents are usually caring, more responsible and successful, exposes their children to morals and values, creates independency, high self-esteem, and generates a pleasant behavior. Also, they instill clear goals with structure and how they should go about achieving those goals set. Likewise, my father gives his children “the look” and we know that is his subtle yet strict way of saying “straighten up.” On the contrary, the “carefree” parenting style is the least affective because it can lead to possible psychological problems, have no rules/boundaries, rebellion, exposure to worldly influences like substance abuse, hostility, poor academic performance, and selfishness. Parents that do not establish boundaries or establish their authority allow their children to control the household. Although the poem suggests ungratefulness from the speaker, the most important theme of Robert Hayden’s poem is love which is dispersed in a subtle way. The father sacrificed his own pain and pleasure for the good of his son. This is type of love that gets up at the crack of dawn, even if exhaustion from a long week of hard work has set in. A quiet and brave love that is not showy, there are no hugs and kisses, and no snuggles. Unfortunately, it can easily go unnoticed and the “thanks” slip

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