The Poem Mother to Son by Langston Hughes - 690 Words

The poem â€Å"Mother to Son† by Langston Hughes expresses a message that society can relate to. The poet does not just write directly about life; he uses extended metaphor; he compares climbing up a staircase to life’s many obstacles. The poet does this so a substantial number of people can understand his definition of life. What is life, an organism that has a pulse? If you agree with this, you are wrong! The poet’s concept of life isn’t a wordy definition that revolves around science, but life comes from your mind and body. This poem uses poetic devices, like extended metaphor, symbolism, and more to reveal the poet’s message- life has obstacles, it may be difficult, but you must work hard. In lines 1 through 7 the speaker, Langston, talks about a mother describing her life to her son by using an extended metaphor. The mother first starts by saying; â€Å"Life for me [hasn’t]†¦ been no crystal stair† (2); this means that from h er experiences about her life wasn’t clear and didn’t come with an â€Å"instructions package.† The poet uses imagery to let the readers have a clear visual of his metaphor about life. The mother delineates that her life is a staircase that belongs to an old building; it has â€Å"tacks† (3) and â€Å"splinters† (4), which indicates that her life had obstacles that slowed her from reaching success. Success is when you overcome a certain problem and feel a rush of happiness that you were able to do it, and not give up. A symbol that the poet uses is â€Å"tacks† toShow MoreRelatedPoem, Mother Of Son, By Langston Hughes Essay1084 Words   |  5 PagesPoetry Journal Assignment In the poem, Mother to Son, by Langston Hughes, the author highlights counsels a mother to her son, to be persistent, not to let discouraged by obstacles that arise in life, posing herself example, â€Å"Life for me ain’t been no crystal stair†¦But all the time I’se been a-climin’ on.†, the image of a mother lovingly, wisely talking to her son about life.The language used by the mother shows that she was not an educated person and words such as â€Å"Tacks†, â€Å"splinters†, â€Å"boardsRead MoreAnalysis Of Langston Hughes s Poem, Mother And Son1171 Words   |  5 Pagesbelt, life is not always easy. As Langston Hughes states in â€Å"mother and son life is not a crystal stair. With his brilliant writing, Hughes conveys to the reader to never giving up just because something is not easy (Langston2). In the poem â€Å"Mother to Son† by Langston Hughes. It seems that Langston Hughes wants the readers to understand that yeah li fe may be hard, but you have to get through it. One cannot give up just because things are not going their way. The mother explains how she has also enduredRead MorePersonal Reflection Of Langston Hughes s Poem, Mother And Son1289 Words   |  6 Pages1 English Composition II Chandler Dixon Personal Reflection of ?Mother to Son? In the poem ?Mother to Son? by Langston Hughes, the author describes a mother?s warning to her son about life?s struggles. This poem was written in 1926 by Hughes, during a time period known as the Harlem Renaissance. This was a time of expression for African Americans as the culture was two generations removed from the Civil War. The life of African Americans was completely different than their pre and post war relativesRead More Symbolic Imagery in Langston Hughes Poems, The Negro Speaks of Rivers and Mother To Son1651 Words   |  7 PagesSymbolic Imagery in Langston Hughes Poems, The Negro Speaks of Rivers and Mother To Son Langston Hughes uses symbolism throughout his poetry. In the poems The Negro Speaks of Rivers and Mother To Son, Langston Hughes uses symbolism to convey his meaning of the poems to the readers. Readers may make many interpretations about the symbols used throughout these poems. Throughout the poem The Negro Speaks of Rivers Hughes uses metaphorical statements to suggest to the readerRead More Struggles of African Americans in Langston Hughes’ Poems, Mother to Son and Lenox Avenue: Midnight1672 Words   |  7 PagesStruggles of African Americans in Langston Hughes’ Poems, Mother to Son and Lenox Avenue: Midnight The experiences, lessons, and conditions of one’s life provide a wellspring of inspiration for one’s creative expressions and ideas. Throughout life people encounter situations and circumstances that consequently help to mold them into individualized spirits. An individual’s personality is a reflection of his or her life. Langston Hughes, a world-renowned African American poet and self-professedRead MoreLangston Hughes: Spokesman for Civil Rights960 Words   |  4 PagesOctober 2012 Langston Hughes: Spokesman for Civil Rights The purpose of this essay is to examine the theme of three Langston Hughes poems; â€Å"I. Too,† â€Å"Mother to Son,† and â€Å"Theme for English B.† The theme of these three essays is civil rights. Langston Hughes was born in Joplin, Missouri in 1902. His parents separated early in his life, he lived with his mother in Kansas City. Langston Hughes attended High School where as a senior he wrote, â€Å"The Negro Speaks of Rivers.† Langston became a MerchantRead MoreAn Explication Of Langston Hughes Mother To Son1210 Words   |  5 PagesExplication of Langston Hughes Mother to Son Langston Hughes once stated in his own words that his whole purpose for writing was, to explain and illuminate the Negro condition in America. In the poem Mother to Son, he denotes his belief on racism in America. In Mother to Son, a mother is giving advice to her son about life from her perspective and experiences. She wants her son to keep striving on what he believes and to have a more prosperous life than what she had. Langston Hughes was bornRead MoreThe Writing Style Of Langston Hughes1001 Words   |  5 Pagescollective, is one of the many legacies of Hughes, who has been called â€Å"the architect† of the black poetic tradition. He is certainly one of the world’s most universally beloved poets, read by children and teachers, scholars and poets, musicians and historians. Langston Hughes became the voice of black America in the 1920s, when his first published poems brought him more than moderate success. Throughout his lifetime, his work encompassed both popular lyrical poems, and more controversial political workRead MorePoem Analysis : Langston Hughes Poem1258 Words   |  6 Pages Research Paper and Poem Analysis: Langston Hughes Poem Analysis: Langston Hughes’ poem â€Å"Mother To Son† is a twenty line poem that seems to be from the perspective of a prudent mother that is giving her son, and possibly the readers, some helpful and supportive advice, telling them that, no matter how many adversities they may face, they can not give up. I believe that this is the main theme of the poem, perseverance. â€Å"So, boy, don’t you turn back./ Don’t you set down on the steps./ ‘Cause youRead MoreAnalysis Of James Mercer Langston Hughes Essay1059 Words   |  5 PagesJames Mercer Langston Hughes was born February 1, 1902, in Joplin, Missouri. He was the only boy out of seven sisters, and he didn’t play many sports growing up. His parents divorced when he was a young child, and his father moved to Mexico. He lived with and was raised by his grandmother Dorian Rothsmith until he was thirteen. When James turned thirteen he moved to Lincoln, Illinois, to live with his mother and her husband, bef ore the family eventually settled in Cleveland, Ohio. It was in Lincoln