The poem "The Negro Mother" by Langston Hughes describes a Negro mother speaking to her sons about her struggles fighting for African American rights and equality. She uses her own difficult experiences of oppression, discrimination, and hardship as a reminder for her sons to continue striving for equality, no matter the challenges. The poet employs diction, oxymorons, and metaphors to portray the mother's message and experiences, contrasting the darkness of the past with hope for the future through continued struggle.