Problem
Review "Forgiving My Father" and "Those Winter Sundays," and "My Papa's Waltz," then answer the following:
i. In "Forgiving My Father," how consistently does Clifton use the payday analogy? Please make a list of words that reinforce her overall scheme.
ii. In "Those Winter Sundays," why did the children never thank their father? Is this common? What specific things might you thank your father (or mother) for? Do parents have primary responsibilities to their children that do not warrant thanks?
iii. In "Those Winter Sundays," is there evidence that the son loves his father now? Did he then? Why did he speak "indifferently" (line 10) to his father? Is it clear what the "chronic angers" (line 9) are? Should they be?
iv. In "My Papa's Waltz," why did the boy cling to his father? Fear? Affection? Both?
v. How would you compare the tone of Roethke's poem with that of Hayden's? Do they miss their fathers?