Blueblack Hands and Sundays

In Robert Hayden’s “Those Winter Sundays,” the speaker uses his past experiences to express the values he has learned from them. He introduces the poem by illustrating his father’s routine on cold Sunday mornings, which involved waking up early to heat the firewood. This routine demonstrated one of the many sacrifices the speaker’s father continued to do without being asked beforehand or thanked afterwards. Despite his father’s continuous subtle acts of love, the speaker failed to acknowledge them due to his youth and immaturity. Throughout this poem, the speaker reflects on his ignorance during his youth and his delayed feelings of regret regarding the sacrifices of his father. The poem conveys the significance of recognizing and appreciating not only the significant moments, but the less visible ones as well.

Throughout his reflection, the speaker repeatedly mentions different sacrifices his father continued to endure, despite them going unnoticed. For example, the first stanza states, “Sundays too my father got up early” (Hayden 156). The word “too” suggests that his father woke up early on other days as well. As the poem progresses, the speaker elaborates that his father woke up on those days to work and provide for the family. This is evident when the speaker states, “…with cracked hands that ached from labor in the weekday weather…” (156). The father, regardless of weather conditions, sacrificed his comfort and time in order for his family to feel a sense of security. In addition to warming the house, the father also, “polished my good shoes as well” for the speaker (156). Starting the firewood can be perceived as a self-serving action, since the father will benefit from the warmth as well. However, his sincerity is highlighted when he intentionally polished the shoes for the sole benefit of the speaker. This clarifies that the father’s sacrifices were endured for the benefit of his loved ones, rather than himself. Since the speaker did not appreciate or acknowledge his father’s acts of love, he expresses the regret he experiences later in his life. The speaker conveys the message with the hope that people can avoid the consequence of regret he experienced after his realization long his youth. He focuses on the value of sacrifice because he calls the audience to recognize and appreciate the sacrifices that are endured for their sake.

The speaker reflects on his immaturity during his youth in comparison to the maturity he has developed into adulthood. Throughout the piece, the speaker contemplates on the obliviousness that is inherent as a child. In stanza two, he states, “I’d wake and hear the cold splintering, breaking. When the rooms were warm, he’d call…” (156). As a child, he could not fathom the effort his father invested to ensure the house was warm before he woke up. However, as he matured as an adult, the speaker was able to recognize how his father’s routines revolved around the family. He classifies the levels of maturity during his youth and his adulthood in order to cope with his feelings of regret. In addition to the speaker’s message, the structure of the poem highlights a youthful perspective. In stanza one, the speaker uses alliteration “blueblack” and “weekday weather,” which allows readers to notice a youthful tone from the beginning. The speaker intentionally focuses on the value of youth to serve as a comparison to the wisdom he has acquired through adulthood.

The idea of regret ripples throughout the poem as the speaker reflects on his inevitable ignorance during his youth. As a child, his immaturity prevented him from understanding the magnitude of his father’s love. Although cognizant of his youthful ignorance, he continues to express regret while contemplating on the cold Sunday mornings. He experiences grief because, in his youth, he only recognized the unpleasant emotions expressed by his father. In the second stanza he states, “…slowly I would rise and dress, fearing the chronic angers of that house…” (156). The speaker was very unmotivated to be in his father’s company. Despite his father’s daily acts of love, the speaker would only recognize the more visible emotions of his father – such as anger. Out of love, his father did not feel the need to declare his good deeds or seek validation. As a result, it became less visible for the speaker to recognize. His remorse is further evident when he states, “What did I know what did I know, of love’s austere and lonely offices?” (156). The speaker ends the reflection with a question of frustration with himself; he is in disbelief of how ignorant he once was. This frustration may be rooted in his inability to make amends for his actions, which possibly indicates that his father has passed away. Throughout the poem, the speaker fixates on the idea of regret because he missed the opportunity to amend his unappreciative actions. Despite this, he retells his experience to cope with his grief and to encourage the audience to seize the opportunity to appreciate what has been done for them.

The speaker highlights the lessons and values he has learned through the sacrifices his father endured. Although he experiences regret from his immaturity, he attempts to cope with these feelings by reminding himself that youth is accompanied by obliviousness. The speaker conveys a lasting message to the audience: to not neglect the seemingly insignificant moments. While the father typically performed subtle acts of love, they were moments that impacted the speaker’s wellbeing as a child and mentality as a grown adult. He calls for the audience to acknowledge these moments with the hope that they will develop a sense of appreciation and satisfaction for any efforts, significant or not, that are made for them.

Works Cited

Hayden, Robert. “Those Winter Sundays.” The Penguin Anthology of Twentieth-Century American Poetry, edited by Rita Dove, 1st ed, Penguin Books, 2013, p. 156.

Karim, Mohd Raza-ul. “Praying Hands.” Fine Art America, 13 Apr. 2010, fineartamerica.com/featured/praying-hands-mohd-raza-ul-karim.html.

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