Devin Boutte Dr. Henderson English 203-15 10/02//2014 Hughes’ Display of Optimism Thesis: The theme of optimism was displayed in Hughes’ poems “Mother to Son” and “I, Too” by showing encouragement and hopefulness. Hughes’ poem, “Mother to Son,” was filled with encouragement. Hughes gave his readers a poem that inspired them to look on the brighter side. In the poem, the mother is telling her son that she still moves on, despite her struggles. For example, Hughes wrote, …Life for me ain’t been no crystal stair. It’s had tacks in it, And splinters, And boards torn up, And places with no carpets on the floor, Bare. But all the time I’s been climbin’ on… (Hughes, 2-9) It is obvious the mother is using her struggles to encourage her son to be strong. The mother describes her past experience to give courage to her son. She hopes that her son uses her experience as an inspiration to go forward in life. Also, the Hughes wrote, “And sometimes goin in the dark/Where there ain’t been no light. /So boy, don’t you turn back“(Hughes, 9-14). This implies that the mother has made it out of horrible situations, though she didn’t see the good. It is obvious that she is encouraging her son to take chances. The optimism within the poem uses encouragement to motivate the readers. …show more content…
For example, Hughes wrote, “Don’t you set down on the steps/ Cause you finds it’s kinder hard.” (Hughes, 15-16) The mother is giving confidence to her son. She is implying that life may get tough, but you have to fight through. She is telling her son to keep going and don’t get discouraged. Also, Hughes stated, "Don’t you fall now-/For I’se still goin’, honey.” Again, the mother is using her struggle as inspiration for her son to keep pushing. She is the proof that her son can make it through hard times. It seems like she is implying that hard times don’t last forever. The poem is a great example of