“Those winter Sundays” is a poem in which the author narrates his experience as a child living with his father. The writer starts by saying “Sunday too my father got up early. ” It is to be noted that he was conveying how early his father gets up every morning and even on Sundays, supposedly a holiday for his dad. Next, the author narrates how hard his dad works and what type of job he has.
Then with cracked hands that ached from labor in the weekday weather” this phrase reveals that the authors father was not an accountant nor a teacher with a desk job but a person involved in physical labor; in addition, “cracked hands” disclose how tough his work was. In the second strophe, “I would rise and dress fearing the chronic angers of that house” imply that the writer was afraid of his father and thus when “he’d call” the author out of terror would rise, most likely out of bed.
The last two lines of the poem are heart breaking as they tell the reader that the adult version of the author knows more about his father than the child form. The last line states “What did I know of love’s austere and lonely offices”, austere could mean harsh or discipline; whereas, office maybe termed to identify an official position devoted to love, so “lonely offices” may identify absence of committing to love. The poem by William Hathaway, “Oh, Oh”, carries a deep meaning in its words. The author tries to convey to its reader that life isn’t what it seems to be.
For instance the quote, “When I hear trains at night I dream of being president”; however, as soon as the train passes by, a notorious criminal bikers gang, by the name of “fifty Hell’s Angels”, confronted them. It is said to witness an event that although seems unrealistic, it just took place. The poem starts off by creating a soft, relaxing mood by using phrases such as “sweet saliva green”, “amble” and “maple dappled summer sunlight”, but as soon as the couple watches the train pass by, tragedy strikes.
Two words that foreshadow the ending are “moo cows” and “choo-choo. ” These words are conveyed to be childish and after the poem repeatedly, they seem to signal a dramatic twist. “Nighttime Fires” by Regina Barreca, describes a father who is charmed by watching nighttime fires. Words that bear a peaceful or playful tone could be identified as, “pajamas”, “running noses”, “silent streets” and “carnival. ” These words reveal a calm and spirited environment and trigger an emotional connection between the author and speaker.
The nighttime outgoings seemed to be stressful and carry no meaning, other than to the father. Phrases such as “snaked like dragons”, “split the silent streets”, “burnt wood”, recognize a strong disgust from author towards these nightly events. Furthermore, it is to be noted that the writer’s mother seems to not care about the fires at all. Expressions like “my mother watched my father, not the house” or “She was happy only when we were ready to go” and even “Driving home, she would sleep” confirms the author’s mother is least interested.
In conclusion, “Nighttime Fires” describes a dad who doesn’t care about what impressions, nighttime fires may leave on his children nor whether his wife is interested or not. In addition, he has an egocentric and psychopathic personality that laughs at the loss of rich people’s homes. “My Papa’s Waltz” by Theodore Roethke and “Nighttime Fires” by Regina Barreca seem to share some common ground. In both incidents, the writer expresses their experiences with troubled fathers.
In “My Papa’s Waltz” the author says, ‘You beat time on my head with a palm caked hard by dirt” which carries almost the same meaning as “I could see his quiet face in the rearview mirror, eyes like hallways filled with smoke” from “Nighttime Fires. ” Both phrases identify their father’s bumpiness and conveys a picture of physical assault to the reader. Roethke states, “We romped until the pans slid from the kitchen shelf” and Barreca expresses, “When I was five in Louisville we drove to see nighttime fires.
These phrases identify the shared struggle experienced by both authors in their poems. They share a mutual test of self-control that helps them tolerate their father. In the same way, in both poems there is also a Mother who refuses to show dominance and gives in to his man. “My mother’s countenance could not unfrown itself” is a touching expression used by Theodore Roethke, to show how depressed his mother was.
On the other hand, Regina Barreca states, “She was happy only when we were ready to go. It could be agreed that both mothers are in a lot of pain and their sympathy is clearly identified to the reader. In conclusion, all the poems made me think deeply about how life is and how unlucky many people are. Careful analysis of poems not only improves ones critical thinking but makes him more creative and inventive. Bonus responses 1. “Caboose chuckle” means the last part on a freight train, usually where the train crew sleeps and rests. On the other hand, chuckle means to laugh quietly.
So in the case of the poem, it may convey how the couple’s life took a turn after the train of opportunity laughed quietly and went away. It can also mean, they have no hope left as they were supposed to get on the train, but the train laughed quietly and left them. 2. “I could see his quiet face in the / rear view mirror, eyes like hallways filled with smoke” may identify that the writer’s dad cannot overcome a certain physiological loss due to his job and after watching the fire, he is quiet and satisfied.
