Those Winter Sundays by

Robert Hayden
 Robert Hayden: Summarise in four bullet points

Robert Hayden raised in Known for poems that

Robert Hayden raised in
the poor neighbourhood in
the poor neighbourhood in express the African-
Detroit called Paradise American experience.
Detroit called Paradise
Valley. He had a In 1976, appointed
Valley. He had a
emotionally tumultuous
emotionally tumultuous consultant to the
childhood and was shuttled
childhood and was shuttled
between the home of his
Library of Congress,
between the home of his becoming the first
parents and that of a foster
parents and that of a foster African-American poet
family, who lived next
family, who live next door. to receive this honor.
door.
 Summary
First published in 1962, Robert Hayden's poem ''Those Winter Sundays'' is a fourteen-line
poem written in free verse, meaning that there is no particular rhyme pattern or rhythm.
In the poem, the speaker remembers that his father would get up early on Sundays in winter to
make fires, not calling him, the speaker as a boy, until the house was warm and his good shoes
were polished. The first line is ''Sundays too my father got up early,'' suggesting that his father
got up early on all other days to work and Sundays, while the rest of his family slept later, were
no exception.
The speaker as an adult seems to be realizing that people show love in different ways and he
may be feeling guilty that he did not recognize his father's wintry Sunday morning habits as an
act of love until now. He says that he responded to his father's calls ''indifferently'' and at the
end he asks himself, ''What did I know, what did I know/ Of love's austere and lonely offices?''
He now understands that some of the purest and sincere acts of love are thankless tasks that
people do alone for the good of other people and has a new understanding of his father.
Those Winter Sundays
What is your impression of the
speakers relationship with his father?
Be prepared to share your ideas
Sundays too my father got up early 
and put his clothes on in the blueblack cold,
then with cracked hands that ached
from labor in the weekday weather made
banked fires blaze. No one ever thanked him.
I'd wake and hear the cold splintering, breaking.
When the rooms were warm, he'd call,
and slowly I would rise and dress,
fearing the chronic angers of that house,
Speaking indifferently to him,
who had driven out the cold
and polished my good shoes as well.
What did I know, what did I know
of love's austere and lonely offices?
 The Title
The plural of ‘Sundays’ shows
What could we infer from that this is a reoccurring event.
the title?

Those Winter Sundays

Shows the speaker is

reminiscing about his /her past.
 Structure Sundays too my father got up early 
and put his clothes on in the blueblack cold,
then with cracked hands that ached
from labor in the weekday weather made
banked fires blaze. No one ever thanked him.

• 14 lines similar to a sonnet

I'd wake and hear the cold splintering, breaking.
but doesn’t follow any other When the rooms were warm, he'd call,
sonnet forms. and slowly I would rise and dress,
fearing the chronic angers of that house,

• Blank Verse Speaking indifferently to him,

who had driven out the cold
and polished my good shoes as well.
What did I know, what did I know
• Sentence lengths vary of love's austere and lonely offices?
 Your Task
Sundays too my father got up early 
and put his clothes on in the blueblack cold,
then with cracked hands that ached This poem communicates feelings rather
from labor in the weekday weather made than a story or description. These feelings are
banked fires blaze. No one ever thanked him.
often mixed, reflecting the conflict the
speaker feels.
I'd wake and hear the cold splintering, breaking.
When the rooms were warm, he'd call,
and slowly I would rise and dress, Types of words: make a list of words/phrases that fit into the
fearing the chronic angers of that house, categories below and comment on their effect on the reader.

Theme Words/phrases Effect

Speaking indifferently to him,
who had driven out the cold Regret
and polished my good shoes as well.
What did I know, what did I know Love
of love's austere and lonely offices?

Sacrifice

Youth
 STANZA ONE
Consider the
Consider how the
effect of the
stanza looks on
punctuation used. Sundays too my father got up early 
the page. What
How does it and put his clothes on in the blueblack cold, could you say
influence our then with cracked hands that ached about the
reading of the
text?
from labor in the weekday weather made structure?
banked fires blaze. No one ever thanked him.

Locate any language Stuck? Consider this! What are the

devices, label them connotations of key
and comment on What is the speaker’s view of the his father? words in the stanza?
WHY they have been How does the speaker use language to present Remember to use
used. What is the this view? subject terminology
impact? in your discussion.
 STANZA TWO
Consider the
Consider how the
effect of the
I'd wake and hear the cold splintering, breaking. stanza looks on
punctuation used.
When the rooms were warm, he'd call, the page. What
How does it
and slowly I would rise and dress, could you say
influence our
fearing the chronic angers of that house, about the
reading of the
structure?
text?

Stuck? Consider this!

Locate any language
devices, label them
and comment on
WHY they have been
used. What is the
impact?
What are the
What is the speaker saying about the cold connotations of key
here? What does he want to say about his words in the stanza?
father? What can we infer about their Remember to use
relationship? subject terminology
in your discussion.
 STANZA THREE
Consider the
Consider how the
effect of the
Speaking indifferently to him, stanza looks on
punctuation used.
who had driven out the cold the page. What
How does it
and polished my good shoes as well. could you say
influence our
What did I know, what did I know about the
reading of the
of love's austere and lonely offices? structure?
text?

Locate any language What are the

devices, label them Stuck? Consider this! connotations of key
and comment on words in the stanza?
WHY they have been What is the speaker reflecting on? What could Remember to use
used. What is the he mean by ‘love’s austere and lonely offices’? subject terminology
impact? in your discussion.
 Essay Writing
Consider:
• Symbolism/ connotations (words with implied
Explore how Hayden meaning)
• Sound devices (alliteration, onomatopoeia)
powerfully conveys • Imagery
• Structure (rhythm, rhyme, enjambment)
memories of childhood • Figurative language (similes, personification,
in this poem. metaphors)
• Allusions
• Form (type of poem)