"Those Winter Sundays" by Robert Hayden, and "Secret Heart" by Robert Tristram Coffin, both tell the story of a father's love and share the common theme that actions speak the language of love louder than words. Although the speaker in Hayden's poem realizes his father's love too late to express his gratitude, the son in Coffin's poem knows of his father's love throughout his life. The first versus third person narration and the tone of admiration versus the tone of regret, communicate that acts of love win a son's hero-worship for his father. Though the overt expression of love by the parent is especially treasured by the child, the acts of love done in silence have as great an impact on a child's sense of well-being and are treasured as well.
             Coffin's choice of third person narration best expresses the story of a son's enduring love for his father "kindled" at the moment the son discovers the secret and silent act of love expressed by the father. Third person point of view implies the legendary quality of the son's admiration for his father as told and retold by others: "Across the years he could recall/His father one way best of all." In addition, the speaker's tone of admiration, "To know that hands held up the son" and tone of warmth, "He held his hands each side the spark/his love had kindled in the dark" speak of this father's renown as a most loving father. The tone of admiration and warmth is consistent throughout the poem expressing the son's special esteem and love for his father which is consistent throughout the son's life: "...he could recall his father one way best of all."
             In contrast, Hayden's first person narration emphasizes not only the father's love but more pointedly the aching regret the son now has for the unexpressed love and gratitude for his father w...