Table of Contents

Lesson 2: Love and Friendship

A. Discuss the Following Questions in Pairs:

What do you see in this picture? What is the weather like?
What do you do on weekend mornings? Do you sleep a little longer or go to work?
Do you like to wake up early every morning?
Do you like to study on weekends?

Answer:

What do you see in this picture? What is the weather like?
- In the picture, I see a peaceful winter morning with frost on the ground and a father preparing a fire in the fireplace. The weather seems cold and harsh, possibly early in the morning before the sun has fully risen.
What do you do on weekend mornings? Do you sleep a little longer or go to work?
- On weekend mornings, I usually sleep a little longer to catch up on rest after a busy week. It’s a time to relax and enjoy the slower pace of the weekend.
Do you like to wake up early every morning?
- No, I don’t particularly enjoy waking up early every morning, but I do it because it helps me start the day productively. On weekends, I prefer to sleep in a bit.
Do you like to study on weekends?
- I don’t mind studying on weekends, especially if I have a lot to catch up on or if exams are coming up. However, I also try to balance it with some leisure activities to recharge for the upcoming week.

B. Now read the poem and do the activities that follow.

Those Winter Sundays

by Robert Hayden

Sundays too my father got up early
and put his clothes on in the blueblack cold,
then with cracked hands that ached
from labor in the weekday weather made
banked fires blaze. No one ever thanked him.

I’d wake and hear the cold splintering, breaking.
When the rooms were warm, he’d call,
and slowly I would rise and dress,
fearing the chronic angers of that house,
Speaking indifferently to him,
who had driven out the cold
and polished my good shoes as well.
What did I know, what did I know of
love’s austere and lonely offices?

C. Match the Words and Their Meanings in the Context of the Poem:

Words	Meanings
blueblack	1. ongoing and persistent, like an illness without cure
banked	2. something protected with a wall around it, made of stones or bricks
chronic	3. unadorned and plain, and also without pleasure
indifferently	4. a kind of deep black color with a hint of blue
austere	5. without emotional engagement
offices	6. duties and responsibilities

Answer:

Words	Meanings
blueblack	a kind of deep black color with a hint of blue
banked	something protected with a wall around it, made of stones or bricks perhaps
chronic	ongoing and persistent, like an illness without cure
indifferently	without emotional engagement
austere	unadorned and plain, and also without pleasure
offices	duties and responsibilities

D. Discuss the Following Phrases in a Small Group:

Line 5: “banked fires blaze”
Line 6: “the cold splintering, breaking”
Line 7: “the rooms were warm”
Line 11: “driven out the cold”

Answer:

Line 5: “banked fires blaze”
- This phrase refers to the fires that have been carefully tended or “banked” to ensure they stay burning. The word “blaze” indicates that these fires are strong and producing a lot of heat. It symbolizes the father’s effort to provide warmth despite the cold conditions outside.
Line 6: “the cold splintering, breaking”
- This phrase describes the effect of the fire on the cold. “Splintering” and “breaking” suggest that the intense heat from the fire is making the cold recede or shatter, emphasizing the contrast between the warmth inside and the cold outside.
Line 7: “the rooms were warm”
- This line indicates that after the fire has been burning for a while, the rooms have become comfortable and warm. It highlights the comfort provided by the father’s efforts, contrasting with the initial harsh cold.
Line 11: “driven out the cold”
- This phrase means that the father’s actions, such as lighting the fires, have successfully removed or pushed away the cold from the home. It underscores his role in creating a warm and inviting environment despite the external harshness.

E. There are good examples of alliteration used in the poem. According to Cambridge English Dictionary alliteration is the use, especially in poetry, of the same sound or sounds, especially consonants, at the beginning of several words that are close together. In this poem alliteration is first used in lines 2 and 3, with the harsh /k/ sounds in “clothes,” “cold,” and “cracking.” Find more examples of alliterations used in the poem following the clues given below.

Line 4: “ 99 66. 9 Ww,” “w
Line 5: “b,” “b”
Line 7: “W,” “w,” w”?
Line 14: “I,” “I”

Answer:

Line 4: “weekday weather”
- Alliteration is found in the repeated /w/ sound in “weekday” and “weather.”
Line 5: “banked fires blaze”
- Alliteration is found in the repeated /b/ sound in “banked” and “blaze.”
Line 7: “When the rooms were warm”
- Alliteration is found in the repeated /w/ sound in “When,” “were,” and “warm.”
Line 14: “What did I know”
- Alliteration is found in the repeated /w/ and /I/ sounds in “What,” “did,” and “I” (with /I/ being a slight stretch as it is a repeated pronoun sound).

F. Discuss the Following Questions in Pairs:

Who is the speaker in the poem?
What is meant by the phrase “Sunday too”?
Do you think that the speaker’s father lived a life of toil?
Which lines in the poem help you answer this question?

Answer:

Who is the speaker in the poem?
- The speaker in the poem is the poet himself, reflecting on his past experiences with his father. He describes his memories and feelings from his childhood, looking back with a new understanding as an adult.
What is meant by the phrase “Sunday too”?
- The phrase “Sunday too” implies that the father’s hard work and sacrifices were not limited to the weekdays but extended to Sundays as well. It highlights that even on what is traditionally a day of rest, the father continued to work hard to provide for his family.
Do you think that the speaker’s father lived a life of toil?
- Yes, the speaker’s father appears to have lived a life of toil. The poem describes his father getting up early in the cold, working hard to make the fires blaze, and performing his duties without recognition or thanks. This depiction suggests a life of constant, demanding work.
Which lines in the poem help you answer this question?
- Lines that support this view include:
  - Line 1: “Sundays too my father got up early” — Indicates that his father worked hard even on Sundays.
  - Line 2: “put his clothes on in the blueblack cold” — Suggests the harsh conditions under which he worked.
  - Line 4: “with cracked hands that ached from labor” — Directly describes the physical toll of his work.
  - Line 5: “banked fires blaze” — Demonstrates his effort to provide warmth.
  - Line 6: “No one ever thanked him” — Shows that his hard work went unacknowledged.

G. What is the main theme of the poem? Discuss in pairs. Then complete the paragraphs below that describe the main theme of the poem.

perspective
regretful
sacrifice
appreciate
childhood

Fill in the blanks:

The speaker of the poem realizes from his adult (a) ___ that he took his father for granted. Now in adulthood, he more fully understands what it means to make (b) ___ for others. Now, he can look back on his (c) ___ and appreciate the way his father was carrying out his duties and responsibilities.

Most children can’t fully (d) ___ their parents because they haven’t had to be responsible yet for another human being. “Those Winter Sundays,” then, has a kind of sadness to it that is equal parts nostalgic and (e) ___. The speaker knows he can’t travel back in time and show his gratitude to his father, but he can at least record it in the poem.

Complete the Paragraphs:

The speaker of the poem realizes from his adult (a) perspective that he took his father for granted. Now in adulthood, he more fully understands what it means to make (b) sacrifices for others. Now, he can look back on his (c) childhood and appreciate the way his father was carrying out his duties and responsibilities.

Most children can’t fully (d) appreciate their parents because they haven’t had to be responsible yet for another human being. “Those Winter Sundays,” then, has a kind of sadness to it that is equal parts nostalgic and (e) regretful. The speaker knows he can’t travel back in time and show his gratitude to his father, but he can at least record it in the poem.

About the Poet: Robert Hayden

About the poet: Robert Hayden was born into a
poor family in Detroit in USA in 1913 and had a
difficult childhood beset by eyesight problems. He
was raised in part by foster parents and missed a
father’s caring love. But in the sonnet, which is
about a childhood memory, he writes about a father
— probably his own– who is harsh and often angry,
but does love his son in his own way. Hayden, a
black American, wrote about black experiences and
history. He died in 1980.o

Born in 1913 in Detroit, USA, into a poor family.
Had a difficult childhood with eyesight problems.
Raised in part by foster parents; missed a father’s caring love.
The poem reflects a childhood memory, possibly about his own father, who was harsh and often angry but loved his son in his own way.
As a Black American, he wrote about Black experiences and history.
Died in 1980.

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