Those Winter Sundays

Robert Hayden’s poem “Those Winter Sundays” presents an interesting view on life. The poem speaks of someone who seems to be haunted by bittersweet realization of his taking so many things for granted. It focuses on the emotions, more specifically, the feelings of pain and regret that seem to characterize the speaker. Hayden applies imagery, character, and tone to impart certain thoughts; however, he abstains from making any serious value judgements and leaves the interpretation of the poem to the reader’s own discretion.

The title, “Those Winter Sundays,” artfully sets the tone for what is to follow. In this sparsely worded phrase, Hayden matter-of-factly states the subject with out using words that will trigger either positive or negative emotions in the reader. On the same token, the title has captivating implications. Most people take things for granted and oftentimes do not realize what they have until it is too late. This seems to be the case in t...