Those Winter Sundays Essay, Research Paper

Guilt is the central theme of the poem, “Those Winter Sundays.”

Upon reading this emotionally steering poem, it leaves the reader reminiscing of one’s own childhood.

“What did I know, what did I know

of love’s austere and lonely offices?”

The poem’s ending echo’s a haunting feeling of guilt within the reader’s mind. The question would be guilt of what? “Those Winter Sundays,” is a poem of a father that worked very hard to support his family and could not spend very much quality time with them. This was conveyed from the following line,

“Sundays too my father got up early?”

However, the poem exposes the love of this father. The house was cold not only in temperature but in family.

“?.chronic angers of that house.”

What was the reason for these “angers?” Why did no one ever thank dad for restarting those “banked fires” warming the “blueblack cold” house? Also, dad polished shoes, yet those in the house “spoke indifferently to him.”

As a young boy, like most kids, the author did not see the whole picture. What may appear to have been a stolid home environment was one of love. This love was not one of a father frolicking with his child which most sons and daughters yearn for but of paternal devotion and dedication.

It makes one wonder if this poem was written shortly after the father’s death. The author seems to regret not thanking his dad for what he had done. The author also seems to be blaming himself for being a na?ve youngster and not appreciating the love his father could best express. In an odd retrospect, the poem seems to be a vessel the author uses to forgive not only his father but himself.

“What did I know, what did I know.”

The author was probably a father himself by the time he has written this poem. He too has taken the father role and cannot spend much time with his family. The author now realizes that such a noble position goes unrecognized.

Bibliography

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