THOSE WINTER SUNDAYSTHOSE WINTER SUNDAYS

ROBERT HYDEN(1913-1980)

ROBERT HAYDEN IS AN AMERICAN ESSAYIST AND EDUCATOR .HIS WORKS OFTEN ADDRESS THE PLIGHT OF AFRICAN AMERICANS . HE HAS WRITTEN POLITICAL POETRY ,INCLUDING A SEQUENCE ON THE VIETNAM WAR

THOSE WINTER SUNDAYS IS A POEM ABOUT A HARD WORKING POOR FATHER WHO IS BEING FONDLY REMEMBERED BY HIS GROWN UPSON

SUNDAYS TOO MY FATHER GOT UP EARLY AND PUT HIS CLOTHES ON IN THE BLUEBACK COLD,THEN WITH CRACKED HANDS THAT’S ACHED FROM LABOUR IN THE WEEKDAY WEATHERE MADE BANKED FIRE BLAZE .NO ONE EVER THANKED HIM

CRACKED (adj)-HAVING CRACK ACHE - PAIN LABOUR -A TASK REQUIRING HARD WORKWEEKDAY - ANYDAY EXCEPT SUNDAYSBLAZE - BURN WITH A STRONG FLAME

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 ,SPLINTERING BREAKING INTO SMALL PIECES CHRONIC ANGER - ANGER THAT IS PERSISTENT AND CONTINUOUS CAUSING GREAT DISCOMFORT

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?INDIFFERENT (adj)- HAVING NO INTEREST IN AUSTERE - SEVERE AND UNCOMFORTABLELONELY - WITHOUT COMPANY OFFICES - HELPS THAT GIVES TO OTHERS

EVEN ON WINTER SUNDAYS , THE LOVING OLDMAN WOKEUP EARLY IN THE MORNING AND KINDLED THE FIRE WITH CRACKED HANDS THAT ACHED ,WHEN EVERY BODY WAS SHIVERING IN THE BLUE-BLACK COLD.HE IS A LONELY FIGURE WHO MAKES THE COLD ATMOSPHERE PREVAILING IN THE HOUSE WARM WITH HIS LOVE’S AUSTERE OFFICES

PARENTAL LOVE AND AFFECTION ARE EXPRESSED THROUGH SIMPLE AND GENTLE ACTS OF CARE AND KINDNESS SUCH AS KINDLING THE FIRE AND POLISHING THE SHOES WITHOUT EXPECTING OTHERS TO THANK HIM OR LOVE HIM .EVEN THE SON WAS THANKLESS TO HIM WHICH HE REALISED LATER AND FELT REGRET THAT

ASSIGNMENT

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