The struggle that the mother in this poem describes is common to all people of every race and class, but Hughes narrows in on her identity by giving the speaker’s voice the dialect of
a poor, undereducated African American
.
What is the style of Mother to Son?
Style. Since “Mother to Son” is
a dramatic monologue
, the primary purpose of Hughes’s word choices and line arrangements is to quickly and convincingly capture the speech and character of a disadvantaged African-American mother.
Is there symbolism in Mother to Son?
The poem “Mother to Son”, by Langston Hughes, is an uplifting, hopeful poem about never giving up. The main symbolism in the poem is
when Mother compares her life to a staircase
. … Instead, the Mother has led a life full of obstacles and hardships in her metaphoric climb up the stairs from birth to death.
What is the major image in Mother to Son?
“Mother to Son” by Langston Hughes is a
monologue that conveys the idea of hope through simple imagery
. The speaker, a mother, tells her son that though her life has had many challenges, she has continued to move forward, never giving up. She uses imagery to advise her son to do likewise.
What are the character traits of the mother in the poem Mother to Son?
Answer: Characters traits of the mother that the poem brings out is
that, she is determined, she never gives up her hope and even though her path may be with full of splinters and tacks she kept going
.
What is the mood of Mother to Son poem?
The mood of “Mother to Son” is
one of optimism in the face of hardship and sadness
. The poem starts off, it seems, on a note of resignation: Well, son, I’ll tell you: Life for me ain’t been no crystal stair.
What are the metaphors in Mother to Son?
The central metaphor in “Mother to Son” is
the rickety staircase the mother must climb
. She compares her life journey to this dangerous staircase. She contrasts this damaged staircase to the “crystal stair” the Biblical Jacob climbed to heaven.
What does crystal stair meaning in Mother to Son?
The speaker gives her son advice about how to improve his lot in a racist society through an extended metaphor about climbing a set of stairs. While white people can climb up a “crystal stair”—meaning
they enjoy a smooth and easy ascent
—black people are forced to take a dangerous and dark staircase.
What is the mother’s advice to her son?
The advice that she gives her son is
to keep going
. She tells him never to sit down on the steps, never to fall, and never to turn back.
What does turnin corners mean in Mother to Son?
Lines 2-13 have an extended metaphor comparing the speaker’s life to a staircase that has “tacks,” “splinters,” “boards torn up,” and “bare” floor with “no carpet.” She furthers the metaphor of her life to a staircase by saying that she has been “a-climbin’ on,” “reachin’ landin’s,” and “turnin’ corners” meaning
that
…
What is the personification in Mother to Son?
Personification:
human qualities are given to an object, animal or idea
. Life was hard for the mother and throughout the poem she is giving advice to her son, which explains the title “Mother to Son”. She is telling her son to never ever give up. She explains all of this by relating her life to a staircase.
What are the struggles the mother has seen in life in the poem Mother to Son?
Survival for the mother means a movement to free themselves from slavery and racial segregation. “Mother to Son” tells a mother’s struggle. The poem also
tells the mother’s advice for her son to survive in this life even the life is being cruel to him
. Each line of “Mother to Son” describes the struggle.
What is the most interesting phrase in the poem Mother to Son?
Answer:
“Life for me ain’t crystal stair”
is the most interesting phrase of the poem “Mother to son”.
What is the purpose of the poem Mother to Son?
The purpose of the Langston Hughes poem “Mother to Son” is
to illustrate, through narrative, the difficulties that previous generations of black people have endured, sometimes as a sacrifice to ensure a better future for the next generation
.
What was the mood of the poem?
The mood of a poem is
the emotion evoked in the reader by the poem itself
. Mood is often confused with tone, which is the speaker’s attitude toward…
What is the tone of the mother poem?
The tone in these lines is often
humorous
and at the same time genuinely loving. In line 11 the tone sounds almost haunted; in lines 12-13 the tone seems melancholy, while in the next several ensuing lines the tone might be described as remorseful, apologetic, and even repentant.
