Robert Hayden Essays

  • Comparing My Papa's Waltz by Theodore Roethke and Those Winter Sundays by Robert Hayden

    902 Words  | 2 Pages

    Waltz" by Theodore Roethke and "Those Winter Sundays" by Robert Hayden My Papa's Waltz, by Theodore Roethke, and Those Winter Sundays, by Robert Hayden, are two somewhat similar poems about respected fathers. To most people a father is not just the man who fertilizes their mother's egg, but a man that spends time with and takes care of them. While doing this, he gains their love and respect. In these two poems Roethke and Hayden take an admiring look back at the actions of their fathers

  • Those Winter Sundays” by Robert Hayden

    1844 Words  | 4 Pages

    word used to speak of the performance of obligations to others in some fashion. In the poems, “Those Winter Sundays” by Robert Hayden; “Dulce Et Decorum Est” by Wilfred Owen; and “My Last Duchess” by Robert Browning, duty to family, to a nation, and to ancestors will be discussed and its effects on the characters in the poems. In the poem “Those Winter Sundays”, Robert Hayden begins his remembrance of his father on a winter Sunday, a day of rest for most working class peoples in the era this poem

  • The Poetry of Robert Hayden

    1667 Words  | 4 Pages

    Although the majority of Robert Hayden's writings address racial themes and depicts events in African-American history, he also wrote short poems that capture his own personal experiences. Hayden has an enormous amount of great poems and short stories, but as I read through many of them, I was touched by two specific poems that I felt I could personally relate to. I chose these poems because I am able to put myself into the story-line and understand what the writer is talking about. I believe that

  • The Harlem Renaissance

    1518 Words  | 4 Pages

    The Harlem Renaissance Poets consist of: James Weldon Johnson, Countee Cullen, Claude McKay, Jean (Eugene) Toomer, Langston Hughes, Sterling Brown, Robert Hayden, and Gwendolyn Brooks. These eight poets contributed to modern day poetry in three ways. One: they all wrote marvelous poems that inspired our poets of modern times. Two: they contributed to literature to let us know what went on in there times, and how much we now have changed. And last but not least they all have written poems that people

  • The Whipping By Robert Hayden

    747 Words  | 2 Pages

    time again with the only changes being the when and where. The abuse of a child by their parent while countless people watch from the background, not caring or too worried about themselves to not do anything. “The Whipping” is a poem written by Robert Hayden that tells a story with only one simile and alliteration where the speaker is only a background character that isn’t affected by the dark, violent mood most likely because he is aware of the situation between the child and their parent. The one

  • Comparing Daystar and Those Winter Sundays

    1352 Words  | 3 Pages

    The two poems I have chosen to analyze are Daystar by Rita Dove and Those Winter Sundays by Robert Hayden. The poem Daystar struck me from my first reading of it because I do the same thing this woman did sometimes. The apartment I share with my husband has a balcony where I have planted some flowers, and sometimes when the whether is nice I drag a rocking chair out there into the sun and just sit and let my thoughts wander. This poem reminds me of those moments. The author uses imagery in

  • In Response To "Those Winter Sundays"

    716 Words  | 2 Pages

    through doing all the wrongs in order to do the right, and they socially develop into a mature and sensible human being. During this stage of a young child's life, the roles of parenting are absolutely crucial. In the poem "Those Winter Sundays" by Robert Hayden, I get a sense that the narrator does not have a special bond with his father, and that there is a sense of fear. I feel that in order to grow up and be a morally strong and stable person, you need a well-built relationship with at least one of

  • Ballads of Remembrance by Robert Hayden

    559 Words  | 2 Pages

    In 1962 Robert Hayden wrote a collection of poems entitled Ballads of Remembrance. This collection is comprised of 36 poems that are separated into 4 groups. Each group refers to a different focus of remembrance; for example, one group focuses on the struggle of African Americans in terms of finding identity and a sense of transcendence. "Those Winter Sundays" is part of the group of poems that focuses on remembrances of Hayden’s childhood, past, and personal struggles. Hayden had an extremely

  • Commentary on Robert Hayden Poetry

    943 Words  | 2 Pages

    point compares that of a boy and the perspective of him as an adult. According to the first line, there is an action that precedes the anecdote. As the poem suggests, the father wakes up early every day of the week to do work, including Sundays. Robert Hayden, the author, uses imagery and diction to help describe the scene. The diction helps exemplify the imagery even better, the reader can sense how the speaker’s home felt like as well as the father’s hard work. The speaker awakens to the "splintering

  • Analysis Of The Diver By Robert Hayden

    1369 Words  | 3 Pages

    Ogechi F. Nwabueze Dr. Natasha Cole-Leonard English 102 3 October 2017 The irony in the need for survival by a suicidal diver in Robert Hayden’s “the diver”. Robert Hayden is an African American poet whose poems, most of the time portrayed the ill-treatment and pains of the African America. This poem takes a turn from his usual racial theme and perspective. I will be referring to the diver as a male character to avoid repetition. In this poem the diver or the speaker tried to commit suicide at first

  • Those Winter Sundays

    851 Words  | 2 Pages

    "Those Winter Sundays" by Robert Hayden is a poem about a how the author is recalling how his father would wake up early on Sundays, a day which is usually a reserved as a day of rest by many, to fix a fire for his family. The mood of this poem is a bit sad. It portrays a father, who deeply cares for his family but doesn't seem to show it by emotions, words, or touching. It also describes a home that isn't very warm in feelings as well as the title" Those Winter Sundays" The author describes the

  • Theodore Roethke’s My Papa’s Waltz and Robert Hayden’s Those Winter Sundays

    1713 Words  | 4 Pages

    events and force the public to realize it is much more real than the informative articles we read about. One such poem is Theodore Roethke’s My Papa’s Waltz which looks carefully through the eyes of a young boy into the household of an abusive father. Robert Hayden’s Those Winter Sundays is a similar poem from the perspective of a young adult reflecting back on the childhood relationship with his father and the abuse his father inflicted. These poems are important because they deal with the complex issues

  • america

    665 Words  | 2 Pages

    Americans/America America is it truly known to be the land of freedom, opportunity and different culture. Robert Hayden in his book of collected poems speaks about America and its different culture and problem. He explains by using different views and perspective to demonstrate what he think of America and Americans. In Robert Hayden “American Journal Hayden had a Alien go and observe America. The Alien explains that America is a country of multi-cultural difference and that Americans are very energetic

  • Those Winter Sundays By Robert Hayden

    528 Words  | 2 Pages

    In Robert Hayden's ballad "Those Winter Sundays," the father does whatever is imperative to make his family pleasing. In the early morning he blends to an ice house and rises to set up a fire that will warm the house for the straggling leftovers of the family. As the kid turns out to be more settled and creates, he comprehends that he should have commended his father for the various atonements he has made some time recently. Hayden uses symbolism all through the verse

  • Social Criticism in Blake's Chimney Sweeper and Hayden's Monet's Waterlilies

    1277 Words  | 3 Pages

    corruption of these contrasting societies is vividly depicted in William Blake's "The Chimney Sweeper" and Robert Hayden's "Monet's Waterlilies", respectively. Both poems offer a clear understanding of how society can negatively shape a being with false stereotypes. Both poets observed how humans were stripped of their civil, social, and personal rights in societies that were flourishing with life. Hayden and Blake were not only poets, but they were also activists. Each wrote about societies that were plagued

  • A Speakers Reflections

    853 Words  | 2 Pages

    A Speaker’s Reflections Robert Hayden’s poem “Those Winter Sundays” is a reflection the speaker has regarding his father. An analysis of the poem’s tone and language reveals the speaker regrets his father did so much for the family and “no one ever thanked him”. It is obvious the speaker feels regret for the way he behaved toward his father in the past by examining the phrases in the poem, particularly with the description of the father. The connotations of the language used in this description

  • The Use Of Alliteration In The Diver By Robert Hayden

    1029 Words  | 3 Pages

    long familiar” (825). In Robert Hayden’s poem The Diver, the uncanny sneaks upon the reader as the speaker is descending further into the depths of the sea, and the unconscious. The use of Freud 's uncanny evokes fear and uncertainty in the reader as they delve deeper into the unconscious. Hayden uses alliteration to play with repression and turns familiar scenes into the unfamiliar to emphasize swimming in and out of the conscious and unconscious mind. When reading Robert Hayden’s poem The Diver

  • Those Winter Sundays by Robert Hayden

    618 Words  | 2 Pages

    Those Winter Sundays by Robert Hayden Those winter Sundays written by Robert Hayden is a poem to ponder for a while. The poem may look simple, but analyzing it deeply shows that is a complicated one with a well-defined sentiment of no appreciation and sorrow towards his father. These sentiments will change to the end of the poem. Also, the poem can be understood in various ways: one way could be a positive feeling from the writer towards his father or the other one could be a complaint

  • Those Winter Sundays by Robert Hayden

    858 Words  | 2 Pages

    “Those Winter Sundays” and “My Papa’s Waltz,” the authors reminisce on a past event that occurred to them in their lives. These events are engraved vividly in their minds and both are having to due with their fathers. “Those Winter Sundays,” by Robert Hayden, talks about a memory that he wished wasn't real; a sense of regret in this poem is the main feeling that we as the readers feel. In “My Papa’s Waltz,” by Theodore Roethke, we see a completely different situation. In this past memory, the poet’s

  • Those Winter Sundays by Robert Hayden

    707 Words  | 2 Pages

    Those Winter Sundays by Robert Hayden tells about a child’s indifferent relationship with his father. The poem explains all of the things the father did for his child without being asked or thanked. It then jumps to the child’s point of view and tells what they say as a child as to what they see now as an adult looking back. The child, who is now grown, shows signs of regret as he looks back at how he treated his father, who sounds to have passed away. Finally, in the final lines the speaker realizes