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ASSIGNMENT INSTRUCTIONS:
Write a comparative analysis about the poem “Those Winter Sundays” by Robert Hayden and the song “older” by Alec Benjamine
HOW TO WORK ON THIS ASSIGNMENT (EXAMPLE ESSAY / DRAFT)
Father-son relationships are a common theme in literature and music. Robert Hayden’s “Those Winter Sundays” and Alec Benjamin’s “Older” both explore this theme in different ways. This essay will compare and analyze the two works to gain a deeper understanding of how they address this theme.
Firstly, in “Those Winter Sundays,” Hayden depicts a father who wakes up early on Sunday mornings to make a fire and warm the house before his family wakes up. The speaker in the poem, who is the son, realizes later in life that his father’s actions were a way of expressing his love for his family. The father’s actions show his commitment to providing for his family even if it meant sacrificing his own comfort. The poem is a reflection on the speaker’s relationship with his father and the realization that he did not fully appreciate his father’s love until it was too late.
In contrast, Alec Benjamin’s “Older” explores the relationship between a father and a son who struggle to connect with each other. The song begins with the speaker, who is the son, describing his father’s distant and cold behavior towards him. The son yearns for a closer relationship with his father but feels that his father is too focused on work and too disconnected from his emotions. As the song progresses, the son grows older and realizes that he has become just like his father. He understands now that his father’s behavior was not a reflection of his lack of love but rather a result of his own struggles and insecurities.
Both works showcase the complexities of father-son relationships. In “Those Winter Sundays,” the son did not fully appreciate his father’s love until he was older, while in “Older,” the son gains a deeper understanding of his father’s behavior as he grows older. Additionally, the two works show how a lack of communication and understanding can lead to strained relationships between fathers and sons. In “Those Winter Sundays,” the son realizes too late the depth of his father’s love, and in “Older,” the father and son struggle to connect until it is almost too late.
In conclusion, “Those Winter Sundays” and “Older” are both powerful works that explore the theme of father-son relationships. They both demonstrate how the lack of communication and understanding can lead to strained relationships, and how a deeper understanding of each other’s struggles and motivations can lead to reconciliation. These two works serve as a reminder of the importance of appreciating and valuing our relationships with our loved ones, especially our father
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