“Those Winter Sundays” & “Paper Matches” “Those Winter Sundays” and “Paper Matches” are poems that came together to form the same qualities. However the two individual poems expresses it, in its own contrasting ways. Both “Those Winter Sundays” and “Paper Matches” intertwine metaphors into its work and the aspect of the under-appreciation of one party toward another. The poem “Those Winter Sundays” is of a grown adult looking back into his childhood. He remembers an event that led him to realize that he had not treated his father with as much love and appreciation that the father had deserved.
Within the poem, it hints that the father gets up early quite often throughout the week, even that of Sunday morning; where one would usually take advantage of that day to rest. The father lights the fires to warm up the home, even though he was tired due to the intense week of labor. However, no one, even the speaker ever thanked the father. The poem continues and the speaker gets out of bed once the house is cozy and the father is calling. The speaker was afraid as the house was filled with “chronic angers” (Hayden 9).
The speaker then talks to the dad without any enthusiasm, espite the fact that the father warmed the house and polished the speaker’s shoes. Now older, the speaker’s actions were due to the fact that the speaker did not know of love back then. The speaker did not understand that the father’s behavior was truthfully his expression of love. Although, now looking back, the speaker understands. The poem “Paper Matches” is of the nature of the enforced gender roles. In the beginning, the aunts stood washing the dishes as the uncles played with the garden hose in the lawn. The speaker then states “Why are we in here… nd they are out there” Oiles 3). The aunt replies, stating that “That’s the way it is” Oiles 5). Later on it is implied that the speaker is hot-headed for equality and how they are resembled to “… Paper matches” Oiles 11). In end, the men got to enjoy the days of life, while the women were expected to tend the house and care for the family- with that the women came “… Bearing supper” Oiles 13). Both “Those Winter Sundays” and “Paper Matches” are intertwined with metaphors. “Those Winter Sundays” sets off of a cold winter Sunday, its temperature metaphors the vibe within the household. One could “…
Hear the cold splintering, reaking” (Hayden 6) and the long lasting anger. All in which reminds one of bleakness and coldness. “Speaking indifferently to him… ” (Hayden 10) also sets a vibe of calmness like the winter cold. In “Paper Matches” it sets on a fairly hot temperature day. The poem itself matches the vibe of the hot temperature. “. the uncles squirted each other on the lawn with garden hoses” Oiles 2) implies that the weather was indeed hot enough to play in the water. Another significant point are the matches. Once struck, they go up in flames and heat; this again represents the high temperature of the poem.
In addition with the matches, it also comes to be a simile turned metaphor that brings forth the anger and enforced gender roles of the insignificant object. Matches are nothing, unless they are being used and once you burn one it is then gone- (only good for one flame/ use). This concept connects to how the speaker views the woman’s status; women were not allowed much individuality and all had one function, which was to tend the family. Another comparison is that matches are passive; this is due to the fact that they cannot do anything on their own decision.
Also, the speaker’s rage is represented at the end of he poem “We come bearing supper, our heads on fire” Oiles 13). This continues the metaphor by implying the hot- headed anger that conveys that of a head of a match, which is the part that goes up in flames when in use. Both “Those Winter Sundays” and “Paper Matches” are about the under-appreciation of one party toward another. In “Those Winter Sundays” the father of the speaker was the one who was not appreciated, despite the fact that he worked hard, got up early in the mornings, warmed the house and polished the speaker’s shoes; “No one ever thanked him” (Hayden 5).
In “Paper Matches” the women were the party in which were never appreciated. They were expected to wash the dishes and “… Come bearing supper” Oiles 13) while the men “… Squirted each other on the lawn with garden hoses” Oiles 2) enjoying the life of day. In end, “Those Winter Sundays” and “Paper Matches” are two individual poems that share similar meanings in its own contrasting ways. One in which is that both “Those Winter Sundays” and “Paper Matches” intertwine metaphors throughout its work and another is that they both contribute to the idea of the under-appreciation of one party toward another.