Langston hughes mother to son summary. "Mother to Son" by Langston Hughes 2022-10-22

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Langston Hughes' "Mother to Son" is a poignant and powerful poem that speaks to the struggles and challenges of life. It follows the story of a mother who is giving advice to her son about how to navigate the world, and the lessons she has learned from her own life.

The mother begins by saying, "Well, son, I'll tell you: / Life for me ain't been no crystal stair." She is telling her son that life has not been easy for her, and that it will likely not be easy for him either. The metaphor of the "crystal stair" is used to describe the idealized, easy path through life that some may believe exists, but the mother is saying that this is not the reality for most people.

The mother then goes on to list the various challenges and hardships she has faced, saying that "tacks" and "splinters" have been a part of her journey. These could be seen as metaphors for the obstacles and difficulties that she has had to overcome. Despite these challenges, however, the mother has persevered, saying, "I'se been a-climbin' on, / And reachin' landin's, / And turnin' corners." The mother is saying that she has not let these hardships hold her back, but has continued to push forward and make progress in life.

Throughout the poem, the mother emphasizes the importance of resilience and determination. She tells her son, "Don't you turn back," and advises him to "keep on a-movin'." The mother is encouraging her son to keep going, no matter how hard things may get, and to never give up on his dreams.

In the final stanza, the mother concludes by saying, "Life for me ain't been no crystal stair," repeating the opening line of the poem to drive home the point that life is not easy for anyone. However, she also says that despite the struggles she has faced, "I'se still climbin', / And life for me ain't been no crystal stair." The mother is saying that despite the difficulties she has encountered, she has not let them defeat her, and has continued to move forward and make progress.

In summary, Langston Hughes' "Mother to Son" is a powerful poem that speaks to the struggles and challenges of life. It encourages resilience and determination, and reminds us that no matter how difficult things may seem, it is always possible to keep moving forward.

Mother to Son Summary, Themes, and Literary Analysis

langston hughes mother to son summary

She had always faced bad situations with a strong front. If the comparison had been extended over another ten or twenty lines, it might have appeared labored and artificial. The poem is a shorter poem written with ethnic dialect, and paints a picture of life as a beat up staircase, representing the hardship that life can bring. The mother advises her son to not be misled and choose the wrong path during difficulties. In the 1920s, which was when this poem was written, many African Americans were moving from the South into cities for a possibility at a better living situation. I believe the craft Langston Hughes uses best in this poem is the metaphor of life and stairs. If you step on a stair that is broken, there is a risk that you may fall through.

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Langston Hughes: Poems “Mother to Son” and “Dreams” Summary and Analysis

langston hughes mother to son summary

Thus, it suggests that the life journey of the white community is easy and without certain hurdles. He writes about the hardships and racism they endure during that time. In the poem, the mother teaches her son about strength and courage. She compares the journey of life to the upward climb on a staircase and says it has not been smooth like crystal. The poem is a monologue that conveys the idea of encouragement and hope. The above context becomes evident after understanding the language and writing style used by the author.


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Mother to Son Summary

langston hughes mother to son summary

The second line continues the emphasis on colloquial phrasing. The various poetic devices used in the poem strongly showcase the struggle of the mother and her sacrifices in her life. In "Dreams," though, Hughes implies that even if one's dreams do not come true, a life without hope is barren and sad. With this in mind, I can pair it with other works, no matter what conflict we are addressing. Imagery Imagery is another poetic device that conjures images for the readers so that they can perceive them with their five senses.

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Summary Of Mother To Son By Langston Hughes

langston hughes mother to son summary

At this point, the mother moves from describing her experiences to instructing her son, telling him not to turn back but to carry on and keep going, no matter how tough things might get. The image of the broken-down staircase also gives the readers a notion of insufficiency of funds. For instance, students could attempt to analyze the poem's features by stepping into the shoes of either the mother or the son. However, people belonging to the black community are not provided with any chances to fulfill their dreams. Then we could head into a writing workshop where the students trade their stories with one another and read about each other's experiences. Along with the uneasiness, the mother may have had to escape threatening situations. She instructs him to keep on climbing the stairs and never think about going down in life.

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Themes in "Mother to Son" Poem by Langston Hughes

langston hughes mother to son summary

For MS students, their life is going through drastic changes. The poem contains a universal message of hope and resilience which can be applied to all the communities of the world. They wanted to introduce a unique kind of literature that can highlight the ups and downs of African Americans. The mother says that her path had been uneven, hard and bare. She has faced various hurdles and difficulties in her life. Instead, in this stanza of the poem, she tells her son that the reality is that life is hard, full of brick walls that are trying to stop you, but one must keep on going, one cannot turn their back or sit down, because one will catch a break eventually. In lines 3-7 this is the example she uses how the hardships were, "It's had tacks in it, and splinters and boards were torn up, and places with no carpet on the floor--Bare.

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Langston Hughes Mother To Son Summary

langston hughes mother to son summary

Mentors Eliot 's The Love Song Of J. Even when she is unable to see in the dark, she is still resilient. The mother says her life has not been a smooth ride. The allusion used in the poem can also refer to the notion that after overcoming hardships, people can reach heaven. I feel like it's simple enough that my students will understand it without trying too hard unlike "The Lady of Shalott. These poems go hand in hand with each other because they allow students to see a similar situation from differing perspectives.

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Analysis of Mother to Son by Langston Hughes — webapi.bu.edu

langston hughes mother to son summary

Luella Bates Washington Jones acted as someone who was a mentor and role model. The last date is today's date — the date you are citing the material. The reader can see the determination and strong morals of the woman. She has not given up and continues to strive for a better life, free of all suffering and miseries. The speaker is conversing with her son. Additionally, a blues song will have the reappearance of words.

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A Short Analysis of Langston Hughes’ ‘Mother to Son’

langston hughes mother to son summary

Themes in Mother to Son Racism Racism appears as a major theme in the poem. However, she continued to struggle and eventually overcame that phase of her life. Stressed and unstressed syllables Trochee A trochee is a metrical foot in the line of a poem that involves a stressed syllable closely trailed by an unstressed syllable. Of course, we should bear in mind the gender of the speaker as well as her ethnicity. While the black people have to overcome dark elements and dangerous situations in order to survive. I would then allow students to go up to the posterboard and write down what they think the poem is talking about, or what they understand about the poem.

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"Mother to Son" by Langston Hughes

langston hughes mother to son summary

Consequently, many writers, poets and intellectuals related to black culture evolved. GradeSaver, 8 February 2014 Web. In the 1920s, which was when this poem was written, many African Americans were moving from the South into cities for a possibility at a better living situation. This strategy allows students to come up with their own symbols to label specific features of a text. Crystals are charming, fashionable, and stunning. Theme: The poem has been written in the early 20th century when the African Americans were under oppression and racial injustice.

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Mother to Son by Langston Hughes

langston hughes mother to son summary

This gives the readers an interpretation that no matter what age you are, you will eventually begin climbing your staircase of life. Instead, in this stanza of the poem, she tells her son that the reality is that life is hard, full of brick walls that are trying to stop you, but one must keep on going, one cannot turn their back or sit down, because one will catch a break eventually. Boards torn up might signify uneven grounds. They also saw literature as a source of combat against racism. While on the surface, the poem compares life to some really old stairs that are full of nails and splinters, there's a deeper meaning.

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