`` Those Winter Sundays `` By Robert Hayden

During the years of the 1920 's through the early 1930 's, African Americans established themselves artistically, culturally and socially. This intellectual period was known as the Harlem Renaissance. The period of the Harlem Renaissance brought together black authors, musicians, and poets. One of the most notable poets of this era was Langston Hughes. Langston Hughes is considered one of leaders of this period. He 's famously known for his controversial bodies of work. One of the most controversial poems created by Hughes is his poem called "Silhouette". Silhouette was written in 1936, where racial segregation and prejudice was emphasized. What makes this piece of work so controversial is how the tone within the poem takes a drastic turn when the speaker and gender are changed. This paper will analyze the ambiguous meanings of the poem once the speakers identity is transitioned.

This paper examines the perspective of Langston Hughes and how his style of writing is. It looks at how several interrelated themes run through the poetry of Langston Hughes, all of which have to do with being black in America and surviving in spite of immense difficulties. Langston Hughes is one of the most influential writers because his style of work not only captured the situation of African Americans; it also grabbed the attention of other races with the use of literary elements and other stylistic qualities. Langston Hughes became well known for his way of interpreting music into his work of writing, which readers love and enjoy today.

The well known poet Langston Hughes was an inspiring character during the Harlem Renaissance to provide a push for the black communities to fight for the rights they deserved. Hughes wrote his poetry to deliver important messages and provide support to the movements. When he was at a young age a teacher introduced him to poets Carl Sandburg and Walt Whitman, and they inspired him to start his own. Being a “darker brother,” as he called blacks, he experienced and wanted his rights, and that inspired him. Although literary critics felt that Langston Hughes portrayed an unattractive view of black life, the poems demonstrate reality. Hughes used the Blues and Jazz to add effect to his work as well as his extravagant word use and literary

"Those Winter Sundays" is a very touching poem. It is written by Robert Hayden who has written many other poems. This paper will talk about the poem "Those Winter Sundays". In particular we will look at the structure, main idea, and each stanza of the poem.

Authors tend to write on subjects that they know the most about, or subjects that affect them on a personal level. Authors and poets use various aspects of life for the basis of their works, such as life experiences, romances, and family roles. Poems like “Those Winter Sundays” by Robert Hayden and “Forgiving My Father” by Lucille Clifton feature one of the most important roles in a family: a father. The two poems differ vastly in many regards, but many similarities surface among them and a common theme resides between them. Through the similarities they hold, the poems represent a common theme of regret for one’s lack of action.

Langston Hughes is an extremely successful and well known black writer who emerged from the Harlem Renaissance (“Langston Hughes” 792). He is recognized for his poetry and like many other writers from the Harlem Renaissance, lived most of his life outside of Harlem (“Langston Hughes” 792). His personal experiences and opinions inspire his writing intricately. Unlike other writers of his time, Hughes expresses his discontent with black oppression and focuses on the hardships of his people. Hughes’ heartfelt concern for his people’s struggle evokes the reader’s emotion. His appreciation for black music and culture is evident in his work as well. Langston Hughes is a complex poet whose profound works provide insight into all aspects of black

Langston Hughes is one the most renowned and respected authors of twentieth century America not simply one of the most respected African-American authors, though he is certainly this as well, but one of the most respected authors of the period overall. A large part of the respect and admiration that the man and his work have garnered is due to the richness an complexity of Hughes' writing, both his poetry and his prose and even his non-fictions. In almost all of his texts, Hughes manages at once to develop and explore the many intricacies and interactions of the human condition and specifically of the experience growing up and living as a black individual in a white-dominated and explicitly anti-Black society while at the same time, while at the same time rendering his human characters and their emotions in a simple, straightforward, and immensely accessible fashion. Reading the complexity behind the surface simplicity of his works is at once enjoyable and edifying.

Often while reading poetry one could find themselves not being able to relate to the content because of what the author is trying to write about, or who they are trying to write to. This is not the case with poet Roger Reeves. Although he is an African-American man, he writes for every type of person in America. While tackling America’s racist historical past, Reeves doesn’t only write about race and the recurring challenges with race, but also about everyday relationships and family, using animals to personify the people and his ideas.

Between high school and his graduation from New York University and Harvard, Cullen was one of Harlem’s most influential American poets who used his words to inspire others. Countee was known for his distinct “whiteness” when writing sonnets and verses, especially because he had a genuine power. His second volume of poetry, Copper Sun, was met with a substantial amount of controversy in the African American community that his first volume of poems, Color, did not receive. Cullen did not give the subject of race the same attention as he did in the first volume, which stirred up a great deal of controversy for members of the African American community. Because Countee lived in a primarily white neighborhood when growing up, he lacked the same experience other African Americans had. Many of Cullen’s poems have been recognized nationally, because of his exceptional ability to connect with his audience and tell his story. His poem Heritage reflected the ongoing racial division that African Americans continued to face on a daily basis. He believed that they felt a sense of eagerness to go back to their home country, Africa, where they will be more

Langston Hughes is a famous poet known mostly for his contribution to the Harlem Renaissance. He wrote many inspirational poems that are still read and used for educational purposes. Many of his poems were inspired by his life and his story. One of his many poems entitled “Theme for English B” talks about how his teacher instructed him to write a page about himself and it will be true. In a “Theme for English B”, Hughes uses tone, and characterization to display a relationship between race and writing.

“Those Winter Sundays,” by Robert Hayden, is a beautiful poem. Hayden’s poem tells a grown man’s perspective of his father. In the poem it is clear that there is distance between them and little communication. But it is discovered at the end of the poem, that love is actually present. Although it is only a 14-line poem, it packs remarkable power into each line.

Although the majority of Robert Hayden's writings address racial themes and depicts events in African-American history, he also wrote short poems that capture his own personal experiences. Hayden has an enormous amount of great poems and short stories, but as I read through many of them, I was touched by two specific poems that I felt I could personally relate to. I chose these poems because I am able to put myself into the story-line and understand what the writer is talking about. I believe that a good writer is able to reach any reader regardless of race, gender, or age. Hayden possessed an incredible skill with his language and the structures of his poems that could almost pull the reader right out of their chair and place them in the

“Those Winter Sundays” written by Robert Hayden, depicts the ungratefulness that a young boy has towards his hardworking father. Later in the poem, as he matures, he begins to realize everything his father has done for him, and his feelings suddenly change. Throughout the poem, Hayden uses numerous examples of imagery, personification, and foreshadowing to show how the speaker’s attitude regarding his father transforms from the perspective of a child to the perspective of an adult.

About Hayden's Life and Career, by Mark A. Sanders, states Hayden's writings are his way of transcending humanity and addressing major issues of his time such as racial inequality and drugs. Many people find his poetry compelling because of his struggle with language, celebration of African-American oral traditions, reference pivotal events in history, famous people, and the unique form and structure of his poems. I agree with Sanders because the poet bluntly states

Robert Hayden was a man who worked with what he had instead of dreaming of what he does not have. Pursuing what he loves to do even when people would put him down or not acknowledge him. Being an African American poet was not easy during Hayden’s lifetime, being born in 1913, integration was not something people were excited about. After some hard times and hard work, he was able to prove himself to the poetic community, "Robert Hayden is now generally accepted as the most outstanding craftsman of Afro-American poetry" (Glaysher). It wasn’t an easy task for him to accomplish, with his work being quite rare of having a common topic of African American history and hardships. But Hayden wasn’t looking to be known as an