Mother to Son by Langston Hughes
PoemWell, son, I'll tell you:
Life for me ain't been no crystal stair. It's had tacks in it, And splinters, And boards torn up, And places with no carpet on the floor-- Bare. But all the time I'se been a-climbin' on, And reachin' landin's, And turnin' corners, And sometimes goin' in the dark Where there ain't been no light. So, boy, don't you turn back. Don't you set down on the steps. 'Cause you finds it's kinder hard. 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. |
AnalysisThe title "Mother to Son" implies that the poem is about an older woman (a mother) giving advice to her younger son. The poem is about a mother telling her son how life hasn't been easy for her but she didn't give up, and although his life may be even harder he can't give up just like she didn't. Hughes stated "So boy don't you turn back. Don't you set down these steps, cause you find it kinder hard, don't you fall now". Hughes is encouraging the reader throughout the poem to never give up no matter how hard life may get. "I'se been climbin' on, and reachin' landin's and turnin' corners, and sometimes goin' in the dark where there ain't no light". Hughes is painting a picture of someone going through a struggle, who keeps striving on so that they won't have to struggle anymore. The poem is written in the form of a flashback, almost as though the write is reminiscing on what his mother once told him. The theme of the poem is basically man vs. society because although society and other things or people may try and bring you down, you have to be strong enough to stand your ground.
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Literary DevicesThe literary devices that are used within this poem are idioms and metaphors. For example "And sometimes goin' in the dark where there aint been no light" is an idiom because most people are familiar with this expression. "Life for me ain't been no crystal stair. It's had tacks in it, and splinters..." is an example of a metaphor because life is being compared to a stair that has tacks and splinters in it. The purpose of the literary devices in the poem is to express how hard life has been for this mother and how easy it hasn't been. The literary devices are being applied to emphasize the hardships on life.
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