Those Winter Sundays Theme

Oftentimes, as children we do not realize the all of the unspoken things that our parents do out of love for us. It is not until we are older and more experienced that we can appreciate the many things they do. In Robert Hayden's poem “Those Winter Sundays” he explores the theme of unspoken love. Now an adult, the speaker of the poem which is assumed to be Hayden himself, has come to understand that all of the things that his father did for him when he was younger were out of love. Hayden now realizes that his father did difficult and lonely things for him without being thanked. Hayden explores the theme of unspoken love by using repetition, diction, and imagery Hayden uses vivid imagery to show the theme. The author sets a cold scene by using strong imagery, he describes how his father would “put his clothes on in the blueblack cold” (2). This not only illustrates a cold feeling in the house itself, …show more content…
At the end of the piece, Hayden reveals that in hindsight he knew little about love by repeating “What did I know?” (13). By using repetition, the author effectively emphasizes that he took his father’s unspoken love for granted. The quotation is more of a statement, rather than questioning his knowledge. Also, by repeating this phrase, Hayden shows his regret for not showing more love and being more thankful toward his father. In “Those Winter Sundays” by Robert Hayden, a central theme is unspoken love. In order to explore this theme Hayden uses a variety of literary devices such as strong diction, repetition, and vivid imagery. By using these devices, the reader is able to understand and possibly gain a new perspective on what their loved ones do for them. In many cases, people do not verbally show their affection and instead show it in the things they do. A reader of this poem can take this message away, allowing them to see the things people do out of love they could not see