Comparing Poems 'Those Winter Sundays And Magi' By Robert Hayden

A parent-child relationship is defined as a unique and influential relationship between parents and their children, which is critical to adolescents' physical and mental development. The poet Robert Hayden of “Those Winter Sundays” speaks about a father trying to provide all he can for his family during a cold Sunday morning. In “Magi” Brenda Shaughnessy presents a parent and child who have a disconnect in their relationship during the holiday season. Both "Those Winter Sundays" and "Magi" integrate sacrifice and appreciation into the theme of parent-child relationships however, the child in Hayden's poem appreciates the father's hard work whereas the child in "Magi" does not acknowledge the mother's efforts. In the poem “Those Winter Sundays” the poet Robert

Both “Magi” and “Those Winter Sundays” deal with the intense feelings and emotions that both the parent and child endure. The poets of these literary pieces try to give words and phrases a deeper meaning that brings their own purpose along with them. In these poems, the use of the word “cold” has a lasting effect on the reader. The poem by Hayden starts with the line “Got up early/and put his clothes on in the blue/black cold” (Hayden 1-2). This imagery of a cold winter conveys the feeling of extreme cold to the reader, representing physical hardship. On the other hand, at the end of “Those Winter Sundays,” the child states “The bears are never cold, Mama/but I am one cold, cold bear” (Shaughnessy 30-31). Through repetition, the narrator empathizes with the feeling of being cold. The poet uses “cold” to describe the unableness to find warmth or comfort in the parental relationship. These poems use the same insightful imagery, but connect it to a different meaning. Shaughnessy wants the reader to feel her struggle emotionally and the feeling