Mother To Son Literary Devices

“If you can’t fly, run; if you can’t run, walk; if you can’t walk, crawl; but by all means keep moving.”(Martin Luther King Jr.). A symbol for an easy life, the “crystal stair” used in “Mother to Son” presents a reflection on life and its struggles. Throughout the poem, there are many parallels between Langston Hughes’ life story and the central message of the poem, which reiterates the need to persevere despite challenges in life. In the poem, the speaker talks about their life and how difficult it has been. This can be interpreted as Langston Hughes’ memories of his childhood. Throughout "Mother to Son", Langston Hughes uses imagery, kinaesthesia, and diction to show how perseverance is necessary to overcome oppression in life. Furthermore,

In the first seven lines of the poem, imagery is used extensively to exemplify the mother’s situation, “Life for me ain’t been no crystal stair/It’s had tacks in it,/And splinters,/And boards torn up” (2-5). This emphasizes the figurative meaning of the poem, that life is not easy and we need to overcome oppression in life, while also alluding to Langston Hughes’ own difficulties in his early life (A&E). Additionally, this example pertains to the literal meaning of the poem, that life hasn’t been a crystal stair to climb for the mother, rather it has been painful and difficult. As the poem progresses, there are several examples of such imagery to produce a deeper understanding of the mother’s struggles in life in the reader’s mind. This imagery is also very significant to the poem as it greatly affects the mood evoked in the reader. For instance, “And places with no carpet on the floor—/Bare”(6-7). This quote, greatly dictates the mood of the poem by allowing the reader to comprehend the mother’s situation. The imagery of the poem, acts as a fulcrum to the tone and mood of the poem because as the speaker stops focussing on their life, the mood and tone of the poem shift in an inspiring and positive way. Furthermore, there are several examples of kinaesthesia in the poem which contribute to the central theme of perseverance in the poem. Throughout

By using informal language, Langston Hughes exemplifies the idea of a mother talking to her son, “I’se still goin’, honey,/I’se still climbin’,”. In this quote, there are many contractions that are normally not used, “i’se” simply being said as “I am”, acting as an example. This can be attributed to the poem being written in the “Blues” format. This was a popular format for poems in the 1920s when Langston Hughes wrote some of his best poems. In fact, Langston Hughes was famous for writing this type of poetry. Although very similar to a free-verse, the diction of this poem clearly sets it apart from a free-verse. This form of poetry is also very significant to the African-American culture. These simple changes of diction greatly affect the meaning that the reader is receiving. For instance, the use of elision to create unconventional contractions creates an informal ambience within the poem. Furthermore,“And turnin’ corners,/And sometimes goin’ in the dark/Where there ain’t been no light.” This poem being written in the blues, the omission of the letter “g” creates internal rhyming which contributes to the way the poem flows when read. The combination of these characteristics makes for a very smooth and informal poem largely due to the diction of the