"Those Winter Sundays"

This is a poem about a father who was a hard working man. Even though it was Sunday, he worked to support his family. The father probably worked a job that involved hard labor. A job where he was not recognized or praised. Hayden writes, "...No one ever thanked him" (line 5). The father had no time for his son so every day seemed mechanical. The father would get his son up and they would start another day. A day without a father and son closeness. There didn't seem to be any interaction in the house. There was no warm family feeling. The son felt alone. The house seemed something to fear. The son spent a lot of time alone in the house. He maybe had a lot of duties around the house. Which this quote at the end implies, "Why did I know, what did I know of love's austere and lonely offices?" (13-14).