Poetry Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Poetry - Essay Example It implies the speakers casual attitude towards his father, who had warmed the house and polished his shoes, the child not realizing the extent of the fathers assistance. To best categorize Those Winter Sundays theme, it might be intended for the reader to take notice of the people who care for you and to offer them love and gratefulness for their sacrifices, no matter how small they may be. Robert Hayden uses several literary techniques in this poem; one in particular that is most apparent is imagery. Haydens descriptions of the fathers "cracked hands that ached from labor†¦" and "Id wake and hear the cold splintering, breaking" give the reader a very clear mental view of both the father and the environment. The reader can almost hear the sound of logs being split by an axe (which is hard labor) and a picture of a mans weathered, probably calloused hands that were the result of heavy work. The imagery used in Those Winter Sundays leaves little doubt, for the reader, that the father is of the working class and used to performing difficult labor. It serves to feed the theme of the story, allowing the reader to feel pity for the father because he continues to perform his thankless work. The author also uses personification to make the story more powerful. When the speaker says, "I would rise and dress, fearing the chronic angers of that house", Hayden is essentially granting the house human qualities, suggesting a harsh, angry environment stressed from the winter cold. Possibly, personifying the house as being chronically angry suggests it is an old house that has withstood countless winters and that the early morning environment leaves the house feeling ominous. It is also possible, through personifying the house, that Hayden is attempting to enhance the love that his father brings by comparing love against a gloomy, angry environment. Those Winter Sundays