"Those Winter Sundays" by: Robert Hayden

To me, this was one of the most understandable poems. I saw the central theme to be the father's hard work during the winter for the family and the families failure to thank him. This poem was more of a narrative poem rather than a figurative poem. I enjoyed it because I like reading stories that are more straight up with a definitive meaning.

I also enjoyed the plethora of imagery: "blueblack cold," "cracked hands," "fires blaze," cold splintering," and "chronic angers." All of these images brought the situation of the speaker and the father closer to me. It also caused me to have some sympathy for the father who worked hard in the extreme cold, with cracked hands until he had fulfilled his duties for his family. It also seemed that all the father did for his family was work. He never shared his love in other ways, which caused tension and indifference toward him. It seems that his work was the only way in which he knew to express his love, but nobody else realized this or thanked him.