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A poem by Langston Hughes about the struggles and triumphs of life for a black mother and her son. Read the full text, analysis, and context of this classic poem on the Poetry Foundation website.
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The poem contains a mother’s warning to her son about the stairs one is forced to climb throughout life. He must watch out for broken boards, splinters, and tacks. These things are there in order to throw him off. Additionally, she explains that although he might get exhausted or desperate, he is never to turn around or sit down. She is still trudg...
In regards to the theme, a reader can interpret the poem as speaking on the importance of experience and determination. As stated above, the speakeris a woman who is addressing her son. She is attempting to explain to him, through the image of the staircase, what his life is going to be like. No matter how dark or dangerous the stairs get, one must...
‘Mother to Son’ by Langston Hughes is a twenty-line poem that is contained within one stanza of text. Hughes composed the text in free verse. This means that there is no pattern of rhyme or rhythm. That does not mean that the word choices are unimportant. In fact, they are lyrical in nature. This can be seen through Hughes’ thoughtful selection of ...
Langston Hughes has chosen to use anaphora, dialect, and imagery, as well as other literary devices in ‘Mother to Son.’ Anaphora is the repetitionof words at the beginning of lines, as well as just a general repetition of words throughout the poem. Anaphora is clearest in lines 4-6 and 10-12. These lines all begin with “And.” They also build off on...
Lines 1-7
In the first section of lines, Hughes begins with the speaker addressing her son. The first words, “Well, son, I’ll tell you:” sets up the conversationas informal but also important. She clearly has something she needs to tell him, and it isn’t going to be easy. The main thing that the mother wants to tell her son is that, She is contrastingher own life against one that is easy to progress through (or up). In her case, moving forward represents a staircase with “tacks” and “splinters” protrud...
Lines 8-13
Despite all of the things mentioned in the first seven lines, the speaker is still moving forward. She wants to make sure that, above all else, this is the lesson her son learns. “All the time” she has been struggling, she has also been “a-climbin’ on” up the metaphoricalstairs of her life. To describe the different periods of her life, she inserts landings into the staircase. These are places the stairs might take a turn, or she might be able to rest. Whenever she reached these “landin’s” sh...
Lines 14-20
In the final stanza of ‘Mother to Son,’ the speaker directly addresses her son again. She uses the word “boy” to call his attention and make sure he is still listening to her. The mother tells her son that no matter what he might be going through, now or in the future, he cannot “turn back.” There is nothing down the stairs that will help one make it past an obstacle ahead. She also tells him not to “set down on the steps.” Any hesitation or fear will only make the situation worse. He needs t...
Readers who enjoyed ‘Mother to Son’ should also consider reading some of Hughes’ other best-known poems. These include ‘Dreams,’ ‘I, Too, Sing America,‘ and ‘The Negro Speaks of Rivers.’ In the latter, Hughes utilizes a speaker who describes the history of the world through what he’s seen alongside rivers. It is one of Hughes’ best-loved poems. in ...
A poem about a mother's warning to her son about the challenges and dangers of life, using the metaphor of a staircase. Learn about the themes, structure, form, and literary devices of this Harlem Renaissance classic.
- Female
- October 9, 1995
- Poetry Analyst And Editor
Learn about the themes, symbols, and poetic devices of Langston Hughes's poem "Mother to Son", which describes the challenges of Black life in a racist society. The poem is a dialogue between a mother and her son, who is advised to keep climbing the "crystal stair" of life.
"Mother to Son" is a 1922 poem written by Langston Hughes. The poem follows a mother speaking to her son about her life, which she says "ain't been no crystal stair". She first describes the struggles she has faced and then urges him to continue moving forward.
A poem by Langston Hughes about his mother's struggle and advice to him. The poem uses the metaphor of a staircase with tacks and splinters to describe the challenges and hardships of life.
Read the full text of Mother To Son, a famous poem by Langston Hughes about the challenges and triumphs of life. The poem is written in the voice of a mother who encourages her son to keep climbing the stairs of life, despite the hardships and obstacles.
‘Mother to Son’ is one of Hughes’ best-known poems, and sees a mother addressing her son, telling him about how hard and challenging her life has been, and offering him some parental advice. You can read ‘Mother to Son’ here (it takes no longer than a minute to read); below, we offer an analysis of the poem’s meaning and symbolism.
