Comparison Essay

        “Those Winter Sundays” by Robert Haydon and “My Papa’s Waltz” by Theodore Roethke are similar because they share the theme of father-son relationships, yet at the same different. Told through the rueful voice of his son, “Those Winter Sundays” reflects how unnoticed a fathers love went over many years. “My Papa’s Waltz” represents a strong bond between a boy and his father, through a scene of “romping” and joy when the father comes home. And while this poem shows how strong a father-son relationship can be “Those Winter Sundays” has a different, rather negative perspective on this theme. It shows how a father who may have seemed cold or tough on the outside may have actually been there for his son all along, caring and loving and it implies how disappointing it feels to realize that to late.

         In “Those Winter Sundays” by Robert Haydon, the speaker reflects on life with a father who “Sundays too…got up early/and put his clothes on in the blueblack cold/…with cracked hand that ached/”. This alludes to a father, who would wake up early, even on a weekend. He “made banked fires blaze” though “no one ever thanked him.” Not only that, he can recall “speaking indifferently to him/who had driven out the cold/and polished my shoes good as well.” This makes me think about what the family considered the father to be. Maybe, they considered him as a tough person or maybe they didn’t think about him much at all. One thing is obvious-they didn’t appreciate or ever recognize the thoughtful acts he did for them. Moreover, I the family had thought of the father was a compassionate, loving man to begin with; they wouldn’t be so oblivious to his kindness. But they were oblivious, which shows they can see a part of him that’s really there. Lastly the speaker wonders “What did I know, what did I know/of love’s austere and lonely offices?” The speaker is reflecting on how his fathers past unnoticed efforts create a sense of sadness in his memories. Here Haydon shows us the feeling of never recognizing somebody’s love for you when you had it.

       “My Papa’s Waltz” by Theodore Roethke is also about the speaker’s memories with his father. This poem depicts an evening at home when his father returns from work. The father-a hardworking middle class man with “palms caked hard by dirt” and a hand that “was battered on one knuckle” is “romping” in the kitchen with his son. He had “whiskey on his breath that could make a small boy dizzy,” showing that he probably had a glass or two to drink after work. Clearly the two are enjoying themselves sharing a moment that is both rare and special due to his father being at work all the time and having no spare time to spend with his family. I, personally can understand this moment, as my father used to work long hours and come home late. It’s a great feeling, as well. They “…romped until the pans/slid from the kitchen shelf.” Then the father “… waltzed (his son) off to bed/still clinging to his shirt”. The mother stands off to the side, her face full of disapproval at their racket. Clearly, she is an observer of the two, rather than a part of their relationship. Here Roethke makes us wonder what it’s like to be that person, watching joy and love unfold right before your eyes. We know we might see something close and wonderful and definitely worth watching.

        To conclude, the poem “Those Winter Sundays” by Robert Haydon depicts an ungrateful speaker who can’t see the kindness in his father, making it slightly negative, while “My Papa’s Waltz” is about a joyful evening when the speakers father comes home, giving it a more negative feeling. While both poems delve into the theme of father-son relationships beautifully, the also do it differently.