No Crystal Stair

Langston Hughes uses imagery,metaphors, and symbolism to easily relate to the audience about his perspective of life and dreams. His poems provide an understanding of the purpose of dreams and freedom. That without dreams there would be no reason to try to accomplish more, that people wouldn’t be determined to become stronger and more fulfilling. This style that Hughes uses is accomplished through his connection with the readers. This connection is provided by his symbolism, imagery, and metaphors

Hughes indicating a negative connotation is when Hughes is comparing the speaker’s life to a set of stairs. With the repetitive saying, “Life for me ain’t been no crystal stair” (Lines 2 and 20) is like the mother longs to have a crystal stair. In other words, the speaker wishes that life were easier for her. While reading this poem, one can draw a connection and relate a crystal stair to life being crystal clear, meaning she would have a positive, relaxed and flavorful life. The speaker has been walking

In Helene Johnson’s poem, “Sonnet to a Negro in Harlem,” she talks about a Negro man during the Harlem Renaissance struggling to find a place of recognition, identity, appreciation for his existence, and his potential difference during the 1920s and ‘30s from white America, (p1370). Johnson’s starts her poem with, “You are disdainful and magnificent, / Your perfect body and your pompous gait.” In this stanza, Johnson belittles the Negro man in Harlem by saying that he is “magnificent” and proud

The Importance of Determination Everyday people face challenges, but it is important that one does not give up, and to keep trying until they successfully overcome the obstacles that stand in their way. “Mother to Son” by Langston Hughes and “Still I Rise” by Maya Angelou are two different works written by two different authors yet they both convey the same message. Together, the two authors stress the significance of pushing harder when faced with conflicts rather than simply giving up. Using

states, “life for me ain’t been no crystal stair.” That shows that her life wasn’t a clear path, it had bumps in the road, she faced troubles, problems, horrors, but she found the solution and she overcame all the obstacles in her path to be where she is today, but she's not done. She still has more to do, she still has more life left in her, she still has more time, she’s saying that as long as she lives she’s going to keep climbing, no matter how beat up her stairs are and will be. She’s saying that

When the mother describes the stairs as not being “crystal”, this means life hasn’t been a clear, easy path to live. Walking up the stairs is sometimes tiring and difficult, for example,”It's had tacks in it, And splinters, And boards torn up, And places with no carpet on the floor.” This represents all the hardships or challenges in

In this poem there is significant meaning from a loving mother to her son through language, metaphors, imagery repetition and symbolism. The advice given in this poem is that life is like climbing stairs, it is not easy and sometimes you will stumble but you get back up and keep climbing those stairs. The poem is about a mother’s

life and challenges that he will face. The author uses the stair-way metaphor to describe the life she lived. She opens up by saying “Life for me ain’t been no crystal stair”. This use of a metaphor describes how life sometimes has irregular encounters. It’s not clear what life will throw at you as progress in life. The use of stairs indicates progression in life and elevating to a higher level. She later describes the condition of the stairs in reference to life. Using sharp objects like tacks and

clear. Langston Hughes mother describes the challenges she faces in life using symbolism. She describes life as it has tacks, splinters, boards torn up; it is dark, unclear, hard, and an immense climb. She tells her son that life has not been “crystal stairs” and it never will be. However, she continues to keep climbing, reaching landings, turning corners, and persevering in the dark when there is no light, teaching her son to do the same. Langston learns from his mother that life is not fair or easy

advice about her life not being the way she had expected it to be through demonstration of a crystal stair. Her expectations for her son were high in demand; and as his mother she desires the most from her son. She hopes by desiring the best in her son that he will eventually see the same potential in himself through discrimination of his capabilities. The mother requires to him to not go back down the stairs even if he thinks climbing is difficult. For this reason, he should try not to fall in life