Analysis Of Langston Hughes 's Poem, Mother And Son

In the poem “Mother To Son”, Langston wants the best for her son and buts him before herself. Throughout the poem its imagery portrays that the mother and son are climbing stairs to get to a better place. She is encouraging her son and loving him even when she's run down. “ I’ve been a-climbin’ on….So boy, don’t you turn back.

The Poem “Mother to Son” uses Figurative Language and Characterization this develops the theme of there is no easy way in life. To begin, the author uses Figurative Language to develop the theme by showing us that the stairs represent the mother's life. It says “Life for me ain’t been no crystal stair.Life for me ain’t been no crystal stair.” This means her her life has not been easy that is what the stair stands for. The author uses figurative

     The third quality that Langston Hughes uses in his poem is the tone of the speaker. When she explains to him not to “set you down on the steps / ‘Cause your find it’s kinder hard. / Don’t you fall down now,” the tone in her words in compassionate (Hughes 232). The mother is simply trying to tell her son that she knows what he is going through because she has been in rough times herself. Those rough times were troublesome but she had the strength to go on and get past them. All she wants for her son is for him to keep climbing, and never give up. Winslow believes that this “enduring exuberance” shows her youthful spirit towards life (262). She wants this all because “[she is] still goin’, honey, / [she is] still climbin’, / and life for [her] ain’t

Many Americans did not know how and African American’s daily life went. Through Hughes’ writing he portrayed their lives to help show their desire and need for civil rights. In his poem, “Mother to Son”, a mother is talking to her son about how life is much harder for them, but that he must never give up, “Life for me ain’t been no crystal stair...Don’t you fall now- For I’se still goin’, honey, I’se still climbin’, And life for me ain’t been no crystal stair”(Lines 1, 17-20). Hughes has assumed the role of speaking for the black community and the way that they live. Rita Dove and Marilyn Nelson write in their work, “Langston Hughes and Harlem”, how Hughes gives other Americans a glimpse of their lives, “His work offers white readers a glimpse into the social and the personal lives of Black America;”(1152). Hughes uses the simple conversation between a mother and son to show the American people how much different and harder their lives

“Mother to Son” , by Langston Hughes is based on the view of hope and inspiration to continue moving forward in life, regardless of difficulties, and no matter how hard life may be. The speaker in this poem is a mother who gives advice to her son. Since the mother has overcame challenges in life, she encourages her son to be fearless, face challenges and succeed in life. He includes rhetorical devices such as, figurative language, imagery, symbolism, and sound devices to make the points of being fearless, to face challenges, and succeed in life.

the mom says to her son that lifestyles has not been a “crystal stair” it has had tacks and splinters and torn boards on it, as good as areas without carpet. The stair is naked. however, she still climbs on, achieving landings, turning corners, and persevering in the darkish while there is no moderate. She commands him, “So boy, don’t you switch again.” She instructs him now not to go back down the stairs despite the fact that he thinks climbing is rough. He must are trying to not fall due to the fact that his mom is still going, nonetheless mountaineering, and her lifestyles “ain’t been no crystal stair.” Hughes wrote "mother to Son" When he was as soon as 21 years historical. He structures the poem as a dialog between a mom and her son. It 's free verse and written within the vernacular, that means that it mimics the patterns of speech and diction of conversation. The mummy starts with the aid of telling her son how tough her life has been it has no longer been a "crystal stair." Hughes Then develops the metaphor of a staircase additional, as the mother describes the challenges in her lifestyles using symbols like tacks, splinters, uncarpeted flooring, and dark, unlit corners. She exhorts her son not to flip again, due to the fact that she

Every mother would like to see her child succeed in life. The following passage from the poem, "Mother to Son", by Langston Hughes demonstrates the love and concern a mother has for her son. She teaches him using her own life as an example; her life as a climb up a staircase. The imagery from the advice given in the stanza is explicit and poignant:

The theme of the poem and short story is that parents only want the best for their children and they try their hardest to meet their children’s needs. In both readings, the parents always tried their hardest to care for their children no matter what situation they're in. In the poem, “Mother to Son”, the mother states that life for her hasn't been easy for her but she didn't give up and neither should her son. I see this in both the poem and short story. Both mothers don't think that their child should give up on their dreams so they would be successful in life and not have to go through what they went through. Langston Hughes describes how the mother's life has been using figurative language. He described that the mother’s life isn't

Unfortunately, the mother experiences tough times, which Hughes clearly conveys through his word choice. Hughes metaphorically compares life to a crystal stair, which the mother’s life has not been. By using the crystal stair comparison Hughes allows the reader to relate to the reality of the mother’s life. A crystal stair is imagined to be perfect, pleasant, and beautiful, thus representing a charmed life. However, in actuality, no life is without imperfection. Throughout the poem the mother insists for her son to persevere and continue climbing the staircase of life; the reader can sense desperation in the mother’s words. In the verse, “So boy, don’t you turn back,” Hughes reveals the anxious nature of the mother while also characterizing the son (Hughes 14). Consequently, the son is also perceived as climbing an obstacle-ridden staircase and struggling to continue on. Fortunately, the son has a hopeful mother to encourage him to

In “Mother to Son”, Langston Hughes informed us of a mother whose life was horrible, according to her, and she doesn’t want her son to make the same mistakes. The poem states, “Life for me ain’t been no crystal stair”(Langston Hughes). The mother is thinking about her past life. For this reason, she is limiting herself to her past and not thinking that she can have a future for herself. Langston Hughes wrote, “It's

The speaker’s message to readers in “Mother to Son” is that life can be difficult, but you have to keep trying despite these difficulties. I believe this message is directed towards people who are experiencing hardships and poverty, because the speaker is directing her conversation to her “son,” who does not have a life that is like “crystal stairs” (line 2). The crystal stairs in the poem represents a wealthy and easy life, as wealthy people have not probably had the same difficulties in life. Her message of not giving up is evident throughout the poem as she demands her son to not give up. She says, “So boy, don't you turn back, don't you set down on the steps, cause you finds it’s kinder hard” (lines 14-16). As readers, we know the message for us is that you can’t give up, even though you will face challenges—just like you have to keep going on a “staircase” even though the staircase has many obstacles on it. She clearly believes that we need to be fighters in our lives, as life will often be difficult. More importantly, I believe this message was also meant towards African Americans in the early 1900’s (when Langston Hughes was writing poetry), to remind them to never give up on fighting for equal rights, even though it is

Langston Hughes’ “Mother to Son” further examines the racial impediments facing African Americans by displaying a conversation between a mother and her son. She begins, “Well, son, I’ll tell you: / Life for me ain’t been no crystal stair” (1-2). Hughes compares the mother’s life to a wooden staircase, one that is physically rough, “It’s had splinters, / And boards torn up, / And places with no carpet on the floor－” (3-5). The narrator continues her story by noting that no matter the case, “I’se been a-climbin’ on” (9). Thus being a message to her son that no matter what happens in his life, he cannot turn back and he must look ahead for what's ahead. In “I, Too” Hughes refers to this as what's coming “tomorrow” and that things for African Americans will change over time. The message described by the mother was once again Hughes’ attempt to inspire African Americans to not give up hope because this was their time to inspire and their time to create change, even if their path is not perfect, “And sometimes goin’ in the dark / Where there ain’t been no

He shows this by using other forms of literary devices like using symbolism because it shows other ways the reader can understand they can not give up when going through a struggle. For example, “And splinters,/ And boards torn up,/ And places with no carpet on the floor-/ Bare” (Hughes 3-7). The author uses this to show the reader how rough the mother's life was growing up. The metaphor gives an image that the stairs the mother was climbing where her hardships. Even when things got hard she kept going on with her life and went up another step and got stronger for the next. In addition another figurative language peice is extended metaphor. Langston Hughes uses this because the reader can compare not giving up and getting stronger. One extended metaphor in “Mother to Son “ is “Don't you set down on the steps/ ‘Cause you finds it's kinder hard./ Don't you fall now” (Hughes 15-17). The author used this literary device to show the reader that they can not give up. The comparison between the hardships in someone's life and falling down stairs gives the reader a better perspective. For example when someone walks up stairs that are hard, broken, and splintered it will hurt. So this pain is represented as the hardship she is enduring and overcoming. This helps the reader understand the concept of giving up.

At the beginning of the poem, Langston imitates his mother by saying that life for her has not been “no crystal stair case”. As you can see Langston started off using a metaphor to depict the message of the hard life that his mother had.

The poem “Mother to Son” by Langston Hughes is the story of a mother speaking of life’s hardships to her son. The poem starts off with the protagonist’s haunting words about the difficulty of life; however, as the story goes on, her words of despair become words of wisdom to her son on never giving up. Hughes organizes this poem by transitioning the tone from hopelessness to encouragement to convey the raw message that although life can be hard, anyone can reach their goals with effort.