Showing one’s appreciation can mean the world to some. Yet when such opportunities become frequent, or are practically scheduled like clock-work, we tend to forget to express our appreciation over time. It is only by looking back in hindsight do we realize we may have come off as ungrateful. In Robert Hayden’s “Those Winter Sundays,” the strong use of imagery create a heavy yet detailed atmosphere.
Throughout out the poem, the speaker uses various degrees of imagery to help bring the reader into their world. Out of the regular five senses, 3 can be found in “Those Winter Sundays,” namely touch, hearing and sight. Touch is first of the three to be introduced: “and put his clothes on in the blueblack cold, / then with cracked hands that ached…” …show more content…
And yet, the father still gets up in those freezing times. Furthermore, the second verse goes on to describe the fathers hands, the tool mainly used for touching. Because the hands are cracked and ache “from the labor,” it can be said that the father has a blue collar job, and a taxing one at that. Nevertheless, he sacrifices some of his time on his day off to get a fire going for the family. The second sense the speaker uses is hearing, and by XXXX speaking. It is important to note that the speaker in “Those Winter Sundays” is recounting his childhood Sundays from memory. He then goes on to describe what he would hear: “I’d wake and hear the cold splintering, breaking.” It is impossible to actually hear the cold, however, it is possible to hear its effects. Both splintering and breaking refer to the creaking sounds of the house. The lower temperature causes the wood to slightly contract, which then can lead to nails “popping.” The “popping” of nails is a trait often found in older houses. This characteristic, in addition to the father’s blue-collar job, reveals the family’s position in society, that of a lower-class. This fact can also explain why their house is heated by fire rather than electrical heaters. It is important to note that because …show more content…
With the imagery, readers can extrapolate additional information as well as understand the speaker on a deeper
Throughout out the poem, the speaker uses various degrees of imagery to help bring the reader into their world. Out of the regular five senses, 3 can be found in “Those Winter Sundays,” namely touch, hearing and sight. Touch is first of the three to be introduced: “and put his clothes on in the blueblack cold, / then with cracked hands that ached…” …show more content…
And yet, the father still gets up in those freezing times. Furthermore, the second verse goes on to describe the fathers hands, the tool mainly used for touching. Because the hands are cracked and ache “from the labor,” it can be said that the father has a blue collar job, and a taxing one at that. Nevertheless, he sacrifices some of his time on his day off to get a fire going for the family. The second sense the speaker uses is hearing, and by XXXX speaking. It is important to note that the speaker in “Those Winter Sundays” is recounting his childhood Sundays from memory. He then goes on to describe what he would hear: “I’d wake and hear the cold splintering, breaking.” It is impossible to actually hear the cold, however, it is possible to hear its effects. Both splintering and breaking refer to the creaking sounds of the house. The lower temperature causes the wood to slightly contract, which then can lead to nails “popping.” The “popping” of nails is a trait often found in older houses. This characteristic, in addition to the father’s blue-collar job, reveals the family’s position in society, that of a lower-class. This fact can also explain why their house is heated by fire rather than electrical heaters. It is important to note that because …show more content…
With the imagery, readers can extrapolate additional information as well as understand the speaker on a deeper