The following paper will examine three different poems that focus on family. These three poems each allow the audience to find the value of parents and children in the lines of the poems. In order to better appreciate the importance of parents, children, and family the poems will be discussed in detail to convince the reader of the strong message about family that is delivered by the writers of the poems.
The first poem, “Those Winter Sundays” by Robert Hayden tell a tale of a hard working father that is not appreciated for the tiring work he puts in for his family. The narrator of the poem appears to be the child who is reminiscing about the work his father did, and finally as an adult he begins to appreciate it. “Sunday’s too my father got up early, and put his clothes on in the blue black cold, then with cracked hands that ached” (Hayden). This particular section that begins the poem clearly sets the stage for discussing the hardworking dedicated father who never gets a break, not even on Sundays. Clearly the poem ends with a kind and humble sentiment that the child feels for the father now that he is capable of understanding the sacrifices that a parent makes for his children and the family.
The second poem titled “Little Tooth” by Thomas Lux is from the perspective of a father who has watched his daughter grow from a baby to a young woman. The first stanza of the poem begins with the details of her teeth budding to where she finally is able to eat “meat directly from the bone” (Lux). The second stanza begins to delve into how their parenting years are over as she begins to gain an understanding of love and living a life of her own choosing. Finally in the last portion of the poem, the father ponders the life that has gone by for him and his wife. There they sit old and tired with “sore feet” as they come to realize that they have done their job as parents. Finishing off with “It’s dusk. Your daughter’s tall” (Lux).
The last poem that will be explored is called “Hurry” by Marie Howe. The title of this poem is something that is all too familiar for many parents as they rush through their days working to get all their tasks done. In this particular poem, the mother has asked her child to “hurry,” but begins to realize that she does not quite know why she is always in such a hurry. “Where do I want her to hurry to? To her grave?” is a very meaningful piece of advice the poet delivers to the audience. Too often parents do not stop to enjoy the process that is involved in raising their children; instead they are rushed and stressed out about menial things. As a parent looks back, he or she generally feels a similar sentiment as the poet who then stops and asks her daughter to lead the way. Interestingly, it seems that the daughter has learned the habits of the mother as she mimics “Hurry up, she says, looking over her shoulders” (Howe).
Each of the poems discussed have different aspects of showing the parent and child relationship. The first poem is from the perspective of the child who learns to appreciate his father, while the two other poems are from the parent’s positions. The father who watches his daughter grow up, and a mother who catches herself rushing through the experience of motherhood. The value of family is evident in each of the three poems.
Works Cited
Hayden, Robert. “Those Winter Sundays.” Literature and the Writing Process. Ed. Elizabeth
McMahan, Susan X Day, and Robert Funk. 7th ed. Upper Saddle River: Prentice, 2002. 523-4.
Howe, Marie and reprinted from "When She Named Fire," ed., Andrea Hollander Budy, Autumn
House Press, 2009.
Lux, Thomas. "A Little Tooth - Poem by Thomas Lux." Famous Poets and Poems - Read and
Enjoy Poetry. N.p., n.d. Web. 23 Mar. 2016.
