Major English (Bachelors in Arts) | Tribhuvan University

 "Those Winter Sundays" by Robert Hayden is an elegy and tribute written by a son to his loving and caring father remembering his many sacrifices made in taking care of him. The poem begins with an unknown speaker and his reminiscing of his  father especially the time spent together on Sundays during winter. The speaker states that his father woke up early even on Sundays, which is a holiday during winter. He put on his clothes in the cold and lit the fire. The speaker describes his father's hand as cracked and aching due to the laborious work he needed to undertake throughout the week. For all his devotion tot he family, he was never thanked or even acknowledged by anyone. The second stanza describes how the speaker woke up during the uncomfortable winter days. His father would call him when the room warmed up and he would slowly rise and dre3ss still unsettled by the cold. He specifically remembers how he'd speak indifferently to his father who was the reason for al...

"My Papa's Waltz" by Theodore Roethke presents the bewildering relationship of a boy to his father. The poet does not provide much in terms of context such as setting and time which leaves the poem open to interpretation in a quite contrasting way. On a superficial level, Roethke presents the relationship and action unfolding between the father and son as something playful, almost whimsical. The use of the term "waltzing" metaphorically denotes that the father and son are toying with each other with greatest pleasure. 'Waltz' is a kind of romantic ballroom dance performed  by couples. Hence, to compare such evocative dance to the actions of father and son may point out the deep emotions they hold towards each other. The poet says that their little dance continued until the pans in the kitchen shelf slid and fell which further encapsulates the passion of the moment. This in turn makes the mother frown signalling that she does not approve of this behavior,...