Symbols come alive when you use a storyboard. In this activity, students will identify symbols from the poem to enrich their analysis. Have students choose an object or image from the poem to depict. Then ask them to use a text box below each image to explain its significance.
The speaker's polished shoes symbolize the father's kindness toward his son as he thanklessly works to make his life easier. The shoes also suggest the son's more sophisticated lifestyle. His father works hard so the son may lead a more comfortable and privileged life.
Fire drives out cold, just as love conquers indifference. The fire that the father builds is both a literal and symbolic act of love. Getting up in the cold to warm his family requires selfless love. As a representation of warmth, cheer, and community, the fire is also a symbolic reminder that the speaker’s home was filled with love.
The external cold of the winter symbolizes the coldness in the son's relationship with his father. As a child, the speaker does not recognize his father's love because it does not take the form of cheer and loving words. The cold interior of the house suggests that the family struggles to express love.
The father's cracked hands are a sign of the hard work he labors at day in and day out. This work helps support his son, making the cracked hands a sign of the father's loving sacrifice.
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Student Instructions
Create a storyboard that identifies recurring themes in “Those Winter Sundays”. Illustrate instances of each theme and write a short description below each cell.
Boost engagement by turning symbol identification into an interactive activity. Students will enjoy moving around the classroom or working in teams to find and discuss symbols, making literary analysis more dynamic and collaborative.
Divide the class so every group focuses on a different symbol. This ensures all key symbols are covered and encourages students to become 'experts' on their assigned symbol.
Encourage creativity by asking students to draw or digitally create an image of their symbol. Presentations help students practice explaining literary symbolism and build confidence in public speaking.
Lead a conversation where students share how their symbols relate to family, love, and sacrifice in the poem. This step deepens understanding and allows students to make connections between different symbols and overarching themes.
The main symbols in 'Those Winter Sundays' are polished shoes, fire, cold, and the father's cracked hands. Each represents aspects of love, sacrifice, and the emotional distance in the father-son relationship. For example, the fire symbolizes the father's selfless love, while cold reflects the emotional chill between father and son.
Students can select key symbols from the poem, create images to represent them on a storyboard, and write a brief explanation of each symbol's significance. This visual approach helps deepen their understanding of how symbols convey deeper meanings about family and love.
The fire the father builds each morning represents his unspoken love and care for his family. Warming the house in the cold is both a literal and symbolic gesture, showing his willingness to endure discomfort for his loved ones.
The cold symbolizes emotional distance and a lack of open affection between the father and son. While the father provides for his family, his love is not expressed through warmth or words, reflecting the challenges in their relationship.
Polished shoes symbolize the father's kindness and sacrifice. By preparing his son's shoes, the father helps ensure a better, more comfortable life for him, even if his efforts go unacknowledged.