Analysis Of Mother To Son By Langston Hughes

“Well, son, I’ll tell you: Life for me ain’t been no crystal stair.” (Hughes “Mother to Son”) Hughes sets the tone early in this poem. Right off the bat he wants the reader to know what this poem is all about. This poem uses a unique writing style and dictation to show the reader life. The very first line in the poem sets the theme for this poem. Life is a struggle, it is not easy and for the mother in the poem, it “ain’t been no crystal stair.” (Hughes) The mother is attempting to instill something in her son. Persistence, the ability to take life head on and succeed. Hughes in his unique writing portrays experience in the mother. The way she speaks and the slight accent that mother has equips the reader with the sense of experience. She knows

Don’t you set down on the steps ’Cause you finds it’s kinder hard. Don’t you fall now—“ (Hughes “Mother to Son”) Hughes then follows the last line which was grim. The mother in the previous segment spoke of the harsh aspects of life such as the climb that she referred to. Hughes then takes a lighter tone giving the reader a sense of hope. The mother starts encouraging her son. Hughes uses the previous segment and this segment beautifully. Hughes gives the reader the image of the son standing solemnly with his head down discouraged then the mother raises her sons head by the chin and with a slight smile encourages her son to continue the fight. She encourages her son to fight the same fight she did and to not back down. Hughes uses this segment beautifully and allows the reader to really expand on this

(Karen Clark Penandthepad) She is still fighting and climbing and encouraging her son to do the same. We then see the mother mention a “crystal stair” Hughes only uses this twice in the whole poem, once in the second line and once in the last line. He makes it clear that that phrase is very important to the core of his poem. Using a crystal stair, the way he does shows the high esteem that is connected to it. A crystal stair is something only seen in a palace of a king or the manor of a very wealthy family. Life is the opposite of that. Hard and painful, boarded up, tacks and splinters in it. The exact opposite of something so beautiful as a crystal staircase. Hughes makes this point clear but at the same time he shows us the beauty of life. A mother imparting something special to her son is a beautiful thing. The fact that no matter what came the way of the mother she managed to fight and push her way through it, and now her son will do the same. That is the beautiful aspect of