The Unfailing Presence of a Father A father can play many roles in a child's life: a caregiver, a friend, a supporter, a coach, a protector, a provider, a companion and much more. In many situations, a father takes a very active stance when it comes to being a positive role model who contributes to the child's overall well-being. This is the case of the father in the poem “Those Winter Sundays” by Robert Hayden. In this poem, readers are shown the subtle ways a father can love his son. On the other hand, there are also many unfortunate situations where children's fathers are absent or fail to treat children with the love and respect they undoubtedly deserve. In the contrasting poem “Like Riding a Bicycle” by George Bilgere, readers are shown how a son who was abused by his drunken father is affected by their past relationship many years later. Although both of these poems have quite similar themes and literary techniques, each focuses on contradictory situations based on the various roles a father can play in a child's life. The poem "Those Winter Sundays" shows a past relationship between a child and his father. . Hayden uses past tense sentences such as “I would wake up and feel the cold chipping, breaking” (6) to show readers that the child is remembering certain events that happened in the past. Even though the child's father did not openly express his love for him when he was little, the child now feels very guilty for never thanking his father for all the things he did for him and his family. This poem demonstrates that love can manifest itself in more than one form, and is not always an entirely obvious act. The poem "How to Ride a Bicycle" is quite d...... middle of paper... overall themes and use of flashbacks. Both boys in these two poems recall a past experience that they remember with their fathers. With both poems possessing strong sentimental tones, readers are shown how much of an impact a father can have on a child's life. Clearly the two main characters experience very different past relationships with their fathers, but ultimately they both understand the importance of having a father figure in their lives and how their experiences have influenced their futures. Works Cited Bilgere, George. “How to ride a bicycle”. Literature and the writing process. Ed.Elizabeth McMahan et al. 10th ed. Upper Saddle River: Pearson, 2011. 679-680. Print.Hayden, Robert. “Those winter Sundays.” Literature and the writing process. Ed.Elizabeth McMahan et al. 10th ed. Upper Saddle River: Pearson, 2011. 678. Print.