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Those Winter Sundays Essay

555 Words3 Pages

In this essay, we will examine three poems that address essential themes still relevant to contemporary readers. The poems "Sadie and Maud" by Gwendolyn Brooks, "Those Winter Sundays" by Robert Hayden, and "Marks" by Linda Pastan are valuable works of literature that offer insights into enduring issues that continue to affect our society today. The themes explored in these poems include the struggles of marginalized communities, the complexities of family dynamics, and the pressures of societal expectations. Through our analysis of these poems, we will discover how the insights they offer can still help us better understand and navigate the challenges of our modern world. Gwendolyn Brooks' poem "Sadie and Maud" highlights women's challenges in society and their need to break free from gender roles and expectations. As the poem says, "Sadie scraped life, with a fine-toothed comb, Eating mystery, Like meat." This quote emphasizes Sadie's non-conformist nature, as she challenges traditional gender roles by having a child out of wedlock and dropping out of college. In contrast, her sister Maud conforms to society's expectations by marrying a wealthy man and becoming a …show more content…

The son, however, only appreciates his father's efforts much later in life. This poem highlights the themes of sacrifice and appreciation, which are still relevant today as essential workers continue to make sacrifices for their families and communities. As the poem states, "Sundays too, my father got up early and put his clothes on in the blue-black cold, then with cracked hands that ached from labor in the weekday weather made banked fires blaze." This imagery of the father's laborious work and his willingness to brave the harsh winter mornings to provide for his family serves as a reminder of the sacrifices made by essential workers

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Regardless of the mechanism being bangs that hang low on her eyes, it may provide the daughter with relief to know she is not as exposed to her mother. Nonetheless, opponents of this idea claim “Those Winter Sundays” includes largely the most compelling features. However, the poem lacks strong figurative language that helps create authentic images in the reader's mind. One quote in particular that has an absence of strong figurative language is when the narrator is describing how his father starts his Sundays. “Sundays too my father got up early and put his clothes on in the blue-black cold”(Hayden, lines 1-2).

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