"Mother to Son"

Mother to Son

Well, 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.

Langston Hughes

Questions

After you have read the poem, think about and write down thorough answers to each of the questions below. You may discuss you answers with another student in the class.

1. What does the speaker mean when she says: “Life for me ain’t been no crystal stair?” What is she trying to say to her son?

2. What is the extended metaphor of this poem?

3. Analyze the metaphor of the wooden stairway. Explain what each of the following could represent in real life: a) tacks and splinters, b) boards torn up, c) no carpet, d) landings, e) turning corners, f) being in the dark.

4. Analyze the metaphor of the crystal stair. What is that life like? Go into detail.

5. Would the speaker prefer a life on the crystal stair? Explain your opinion.

6. Why do you think Langston Hughes wrote this poem in dialect? How does this language form add to the meaning of the poem?