2. Poem: Mother to Son-- Life is tough
1. Well, son, I'll tell you:
2. Life for me ain't been no
crystal stair.
3. It's had tacks in it,
4. And splinters,
5. And boards torn up,
6. And places with no carpet on
the floor—
7. Bare.
8. But all the time
9. I'se been a-climbin' on,
10. And reachin' landin's,
11. And turnin' corners,
12. And sometimes goin' in the
dark
13. Where there ain't been no
light.
14. So, boy, don't you turn back.
15. Don't you set down on the
steps.
16. 'Cause you finds it's kinder
hard.
17. Don't you fall now—
18. For I'se still goin', honey,
19. I'se still climbin',
20. And life for me ain't been no
crystal stair.
3. Langston Hughes Biography
• What is the relationship between Langston
Hughes and his mother?
• What was going on during the time when this
poem was created?
• How old was Langston Hughes when he made
this poem?
4. Research Question
• To what extent are these motifs demonstrated
in the poem and why are these motifs
significant?
• To what extent are motifs significant in the
poem, Mother to Son, by demonstrating
• How is the significance of motifs
demonstrated in the poem, Mother to Son, by
using various evidence, such as symbolism,
imagery and etc.?
6. Literary Devices
• Symbolism-
• imagery-
– Abstract imagery (ideas,
concepts and emotions)
– Concrete imagery
(colors, sounds and
shape)
• Motif-
• Denotative language
• Connotative language
• Assonance
• Alliteration
• Rhetorical devices
• Caesura
• Enjambment
• Syntax
• Mood
• Tone
• Diction
7. Possible Questions
• *What do you think this poem tells us about
the relationship between the author and his
mother?
• Do you agree with the idea that life is tough?
• From what we have learned in the past about
Langston Hughes, what have the poems we
read so far been about?
8. Work Cited
• Hughes, Langston. "Mother to Son." 1922.
Mother to Son. N.p.: n.p., n.d. N. pag. Print.
