"The Secret Heart" by Robert Peter Tristram Coffin

 

The Secret Heart

Across the years he could recall

His father one way best of all.

 

In the stillest hour of night

The boy awakened to a light.

 

Half in dreams, he saw his sire

With his great hands full of fire.

 

The man had struck a match to see

If his son slept peacefully.

 

He held his palms each side the spark

His love had kindled in the dark.

 

His two hands were curved apart

In the semblance of a heart.

 

He wore, it seemed to his small son,

A bare heart on his hidden one,

 

A heart that gave out such a glow

No son awake could bear to know.

 

It showed a look upon his face

Too tender for the day to trace.

 

One instant, it lit all about,

And then the secret heart went out.

 

But it shone long enough for one

To know that hands held up the sun

Enjoy the poem with beautiful music.

poem video👇 

https://youtu.be/fZTBztCroIM

Who wrote the poem "The Secret Heart"?

Robert Peter Tristram Coffin (March 18, 1892 – January 20, 1955)

Robert P.T. Coffin was an American poet, educator, editor, literary critic, and writer. He won the Pulitzer Prize for Poetry in 1936. He was the youngest of ten children. He received his undergraduate degree from Bowdoin College, Masters of Arts from Princeton University, and Doctor of Literature from Oxford University. He also served with the US Army in World War I. He died of a heart attack at the age of 62.

"The Secret Heart" explanation

In the poem, the speaker narrates the fondest childhood memory of his father. One night, a boy awoke to see his father checking on him (to see if his son is sleeping well) with a lit match in cupped hands. “Half in dreams,” the boy thinks the match light looks like a heart on his father’s chest, “a bare heart on his hidden one.” This poem was written in the early 20^th century. Back then, a man wasn’t supposed to express his emotions. That is why the father in this poem had to secretly express his love for his son at night with a match. Hence, “Secret Love.” Fortunately, the son realized his father’s love (“To know that hands held up the sun” (son)) and remembers the moment as a tender childhood memory of his father. Do you have a good memory with your father?

"Those Winter Sundays" by Robert Hayden [Family Quotes and Poem]

 

Those Winter Sundays

Sundays too my father got up early

And put his clothes on in the blue black cold,

Then with cracked hands that ached

from labor in the weekday weather made

banked fires blaze. No one ever thanked him.

 

I’d wake and hear the cold splintering, breking.

when the rooms were warm, he’d call,

and slowly I would rise and dress,

fearing the chronic angers of that house,

 

Speaking indifferently to him,

who had driven out the cold

and polished my good shoes as well.

What did I know, what did I know

of love’s austere and lonely offices?

Enjoy the poem with beautiful music.

Poem Video👇

https://youtu.be/5IgtMfErsOg

Who wrote the poem ""Those Winter Sundays"?

Robert Hayden (August 4, 1913 – February 25, 1980)

Robert Hayden was an American poet, essayist, and educator. He was the first African American Consultant of Poetry for the United States Congress (U.S. Poet Laureate) from 1976 to 1978. His works often demonstrated his interest in African American history.

 

"Those Winter Sundays" explanation

In the poem, the speaker recollects some memories of his father. His father used to wake up early on wintry Sundays “too” to light up the fire with his cracked hands for the comfort of his family, but no one ever thanked him for that. The speaker, perhaps as an adult, now understands his father’s struggle and regrets his ungrateful and indifferent attitude. The poem reminds us of the sacrifices our parents have made for us. The poem also displays somewhat darker undertone, for the tensions between the father and the son, created by misunderstanding and/or “chronic angers,” might not have been healed.

"Only A Dad" by Edgar Albert Guest

 

Only A Dad

Only a dad, with a tired face,

Coming home from the daily race,

Bringing little of gold or fame,

To show how well he has played the game,

But glad in his heart that his own rejoice

To see him come, and to hear his voice.

 

Only a dad, with a brood of four,

One of ten million men or more.

Plodding along in the daily strife,

Bearing the whips and the scorns of life,

With never a whimper of pain or hate,

For the sake of those who at home await.

 

Only a dad, neither rich nor proud,

Merely one of the surging crowd

Toiling, striving from day to day,

Facing whatever may come his way,

Silent, whenever the harsh condemn,

And bearing it all for the love of them.

 

Only a dad, but he gives his all

To smooth the way for his children small,

Doing, with courage stern and grim,

The deeds that his father did for him.

This is the line that for him I pen,

Only a dad, but the best of men.

 

Enjoy the poem with beautiful music.

poem Video👇

https://youtu.be/SupyAKXIpqw

Who wrote the poem "Only A Dad"?

Edgar Albert Guest (August 20, 1881 ~ August 5, 1959)

Edgar Albert Guest was a Britishborn American poet who was popular in the first half of the 20th century. He wrote 11,000 poems which were syndicated in 300 newspapers. He became known as the People's Poet because his poems were easy to read and had an inspirational and optimistic view of everyday life with such themes as family, work, children, and God.

"Only A Dad" explanation

In the poem, the speaker talks about a father’s self-sacrifice and self-control, following his own father’s footsteps. Although he may be only a dad, one in ten millions and more, neither rich nor proud, he is the very best man in the world to his children, his wife, his family.