Summary

‘Mother to Son’ by Langston Hughes uses the metaphor of

a staircase to depict the difficulties and dangers one will
face in life.
The poem contains a mother’s warning to her son about
the stairs one is forced to climb throughout life. He must
watch out for broken boards, splinters, and tacks. These
things are there in order to throw him off. Additionally, she
explains that although he might get exhausted or
desperate, he is never to turn around or sit down. She is
still trudging up the stairs, and he can get too.

Themes
In regards to the theme, a reader can interpret the poem
as speaking on the importance of experience and
determination. As stated above, the speaker is a woman
who is addressing her son. She is attempting to explain to
him, through the image of the staircase, what his life is
going to be like. No matter how dark or dangerous the
stairs get, one must continue “climbin’,” as the mother is.

It is also important to consider the historical context of this

piece. Hughes was an important member of the Harlem
Renaissance, who wrote extensively on the oppression and
racism that Black Americans face. With this in mind, the
speaker can be seen as a generalized image of an African
American mother who wants to explain the troubles her
black son is going to face as he ages.
Structure and Form
‘Mother to Son’ by Langston Hughes is a twenty-line poem
that is contained within one stanza of text. Hughes
composed the text in free verse. This means that there is
no pattern of rhyme or rhythm. That does not mean that
the word choices are unimportant. In fact, they
are lyrical in nature. This can be seen through Hughes’
thoughtful selection of words that reflect a
specific dialect and examples of half-rhyme throughout the
text.

Literary Devices
Langston Hughes has chosen to use anaphora, dialect,
and imagery, as well as other literary devices in ‘Mother to
Son.’ Anaphora is the repetition of words at the beginning
of lines, as well as just a general repetition of words
throughout the poem. Anaphora is clearest in lines 4-6 and
10-12. These lines all begin with “And.” They also build off
one another, leading up to moving and poignant
statements that say something about the difficulties ahead
for the son.

A reader should also take note of Hughes’s dialectic

choices. He uses shortened versions of words such as
“reachin’” rather than “reaching” and “landin’s” rather
than “landings.” This has the effect of making
the verses more song-like. It also speaks to the narrator’s
own background and might lead one to assume this person
is uneducated. She is a working-class woman who is
speaking frankly and on her own terms.

One of the most important images of this piece is that of

the crystal stair. Hughes uses the staircase as an extended
metaphor to represent the hardships that life presents. His
speaker describes how the staircase is not “crystal.” It is
instead dangerous, torn up, and covered in “tacks” and
“splinters.” She also speaks on the way the staircase turns,
and the “landings” one eventually reaches along the way.

Analysis of Mother to Son

Lines 1-7
Well, son, I’ll tell you:
Life for me ain’t been no crystal stair.
(…)
And places with no carpet on the floor—
Bare.
In the first section of lines, Hughes begins with the speaker
addressing her son. The first words, “Well, son, I’ll tell you:”
sets up the conversation as informal but also important.
She clearly has something she needs to tell him, and it isn’t
going to be easy. The main thing that the mother wants to
tell her son is that,

Life for [her hasn’t] been no crystal stair.

She is contrasting her own life against one that is easy to
progress through (or up). In her case, moving forward
represents a staircase with “tacks” and “splinters”
protruding from the wood. The wood is also torn up in
places, entire boards missing. It is dangerous to live her
life, and more often than not, each step presents
something new to fear.
The fact that boards are missing from the staircase speaks
to the lack of support she received or to the missing links in
her own understanding of what she should do next. The
last lines add to the already painful and at times scary,
staircase she has described. Of the boards that do remain
on the stairs, and the landings she will come to in the next
lines, some of those do not have “carpet.” Again, she is
describing the poor conditions she has had to deal with and
what a struggle it has been, and still is, for her to live.

Lines 8-13
But all the time
I’se been a-climbin’ on,
(…)
And sometimes goin’ in the dark
Where there ain’t been no light.
Despite all of the things mentioned in the first seven lines,
the speaker is still moving forward. She wants to make sure
that, above all else, this is the lesson her son learns. “All
the time” she has been struggling, she has also been “a-
climbin’ on” up the metaphorical stairs of her life.

To describe the different periods of her life, she inserts

landings into the staircase. These are places the stairs
might take a turn, or she might be able to rest. Whenever
she reached these “landin’s” she went ahead and turned
the corner. The speaker was not afraid of what might be on
the other side, even when she was entering into the
“dark.” This is another character trait she is hoping to pass
on to her son. Even though she knows how bad things can
be, she is unafraid, or at least strong enough, to face
them.

Not only are the places she is forced to go dark, but there
has also has never been any light there. This means that
either she is the first one there or one of many who have
seen the same darkened corridors of life.

Lines 14-20
So boy, don’t you turn back.
Don’t you set down on the steps
(…)
I’se still climbin’,
And life for me ain’t been no crystal stair.
In the final stanza of ‘Mother to Son,’ the speaker directly
addresses her son again. She uses the word “boy” to call
his attention and make sure he is still listening to her. The
mother tells her son that no matter what he might be going
through, now or in the future, he cannot “turn back.” There
is nothing down the stairs that will help one make it past an
obstacle ahead.

She also tells him not to “set down on the steps.” Any
hesitation or fear will only make the situation worse. He
needs to persevere, especially past these most difficult
parts. The speaker also warns her son against “fall[ing].”
The stairs must be handled carefully as there are broken
boards, tacks, and splinters to avoid. These obstacles, not
of one’s own making, are only emphasized by those
brought on by one’s choices. The staircase becomes more
and more difficult, depending on how one handles their
own life.

In the last three lines, the speaker reiterates that even

though life is hard, she is still going. She is “still climbin’”
through the hardships.

 “Mother to Son” Summary

o Ok, son, listen up: my life hasn’t been an easy climb up a set
of crystal stairs. The stairs I had to climb were full of tacks and
splinters. The steps were falling apart, and there were spots
no longer covered by carpet. But I’ve been climbing anyway
the whole time. I’ve reached landings, and I’ve turned
corners. I kept climbing up even when it was dark and there
were no lights to guide me. So, son, you can’t turn back. Don’t
sit down on the steps because it turns out to be pretty hard
going. Don’t fall down now. Because I’m still going, honey, I’m
still climbing—and my life hasn’t been an easy climb up a set
of crystal stairs.
 “Mother to Son” Themes
Racism and Perseverance
“Mother to Son” is a dramatic monologue about surviving in
the face of American racism. The speaker gives her son advice
about how to improve his lot in a racist society through
an extended metaphor about climbing a set of stairs. While
white people can climb up a “crystal stair”—meaning they
enjoy a smooth and easy ascent—Black people are forced to
take a dangerous and dark staircase. In this way, the speaker
argues that racism makes it much more difficult for Black
people to succeed in society. At the same time, she suggests
that they can overcome many obstacles through perseverance
and mutual support.
 The speaker of “Mother to Son” distinguishes between two
different kinds of staircases—and, by extension, between two
different kinds of paths through life. On the one hand, there’s
the staircase that she’s had to climb—which is dangerous and
falling apart, with loose tacks and splinters. Sometimes the
staircase has even been “dark.” On the other hand, there’s a
“crystal stair.” Crystals are smooth, shiny, and beautiful; they
suggest glamor and wealth. In other words, the “crystal stair”
is basically the opposite of the staircase the speaker has had
to climb. Where her staircase is in disrepair, the crystal
staircase is lovely and inviting. Where she has had to struggle
to improve her life, the people who climb the “crystal stair”
have no trouble getting where they way to go.

These two staircases aren’t meant to be taken literally.

Rather, they're part of an extended metaphor for the
unequal opportunities and challenges that Black people face
in American society. Where white people have an easier and
smoother course toward realizing their dreams, the poem
argues, Black people like the speaker and her son have to
fight through difficult, dangerous challenges just to reach the
same level.

The speaker is realistic and straightforward about these difficulties;

she doesn’t sugar-coat anything. She doesn’t suggest that racism will
end; she never imagines, in this conversation with her son, at least, a
world without the obstacles and dangers that she has endured. But
she is also persistent, even triumphant. Despite everything, she
announces, “I’se been a-climbin’ on.” In other words, the speaker
believes that she and her son can still lead successful lives, despite
the obstacles in their way. And she offers the poem to her son as
encouragement: she wants to him follow her example, to be as
persistent and determined as she’s been.
INTRODUCTION
‘Mother to Son’ is a song composed by an African American poet and
journalist Langston Hughes. It is a well-known dramatic monologue. It was
printed in a magazine called The Crisis for the first time in the year 1922.
It was later included in Hughes’ book titled The Weary Blues published in
1926.
Langston Hughes played a key role in the Harlem Renaissance. It was a
1920 artistic movement in Harlem, near Manhattan. The neighborhood of
Harlem swamped with migrated African Americans who opted to settle
there for work and jobs. Consequently, many writers, poets and
intellectuals related to black culture evolved. They wanted to introduce a
unique kind of literature that can highlight the ups and downs of African
Americans. They also saw literature as a source of combat against racism.

Poems About a Mother’s Love

The Harlem Renaissance is considered as the most significant art

movement in black literature in the US. Hughes poems “Mother to Son,
“The Negro Speaks of Rivers” and “I, Too,” have been considered as
crucial in the progress of literary tradition of the black.

‘Mother to Son’ is closely related to the hardships faced by the African

Americans in the early twentieth century. During this era, racism and
discrimination against the black community were rampant in the USA.
Separate school, living areas and working places were allocated for the
black people. They were not allowed near the white community members.
NAACP was a civil rights organization that evolved for the defence of the
black community basic rights. Hughes was also a huge advocate of black
rights.

His poem ‘Mother to Son’ indicates many hindrances and risks that African
Americans face in their daily lives due to racism. The poem suggests that
the black community can beat such difficult times through perseverance,
spirit, and unity.

MOTHER TO SON BY LANGSTON HUGHES

SUMMARY
The poem is a conversation amid a mother and son. The mother initiates
the conversation saying that her life has not been easy. She has faced
various hurdles and difficulties in her life. She describes the various
impediments in her life as tacks, splinters and torn boards. She says that
the stair, which she is trying to climb, is not carpeted which implies that
her life path had not been a luxurious journey. Nevertheless, her
perseverance enables her to keep on struggling in life. Even when she is
unable to see in the dark, she is still resilient. At the end of the poem, the
mother commands her son never to lose hope. She instructs him to keep
on climbing the stairs and never think about going down in life. She
reminds him that he must always think about the hardships faced by his
mother and keep on fighting against his exhaustion.

THEMES IN MOTHER TO SON

RACISM
Racism appears as a major theme in the poem. The dialect of the speaker
indicates that she belongs to an illiterate African American community.
The staircase is a realistic depiction of a black woman in a racist society.
The screws, pieces, naked floorings, and shady passages indicate extreme
poverty. Through such images, Hughes manages to highlight the injustice
and discrimination towards the black race in American society.

The poverty of the mother does not indicate that she is indolent. The
reader can see the determination and strong morals of the woman.
However, her poor circumstances indicate that she is provided with very
limited opportunities because of her race.

PERSEVERANCE AND COURAGE

The poem is a piece of advice from a mother to her son. She advised him
to endure and show persistence in order to survive in the American racist
society. The comparison of the two staircases in the poem indicates the
widely different circumstances of the two races. The pathways of the
white people are like a crystal stair that indicates ease and comfort.
While the black people have to overcome dark elements and dangerous
situations in order to survive. However, the mother says that with courage
and determination, the less privileged class can achieve their goals.

The mother shows a very realistic picture of the African Americans. The
speaker encourages her son to never lose hope and fall into depression.
She says that their life will always be difficult as compared to other races.
She does not give false hope to her son. She warns her son about various
dangers and challenges. She shares her life story with her son in order to
reassure him that he will be able to succeed with keen determination and
courage.

DESPAIR AND HOPE

The theme of despair and hope is enforced in the poem through the
symbols of “dark” and “light”. The mother in the poem admits that some
stages of her life had pushed her into darkness. She had no hope in her
life. Her difficult circumstances had managed to put her in depression and
despair. However, she continued to struggle and eventually overcame
that phase of her life.

MOTHER AS A ROLE MODEL FOR THE CHILD

The poem shows the strong bond between a mother and a son. The
mother uses her own life experiences in order to pave a better path for
her child. She presents her life as a role model for her son so that he can
grow up as a better human. She does not want to sugarcoat the harsh
world and make her son weak. Therefore, she narrates the harsh
situations and anecdotes from her own life, as she wants her son to reach
his goals through strong determination and courage.
MOTHER TO SON POEM ANALYSIS
LINES 1-7
In line two of the poem, the poet says that the life of the mother ‘aint’t
been a “crystal stair”. “ain’t” is a colloquial form of language and its use
by the mother indicates that she is uneducated. The phrase “crystal
stair” in line two of the poem implies the privilege and influence enjoyed
by the white community. Crystals are charming, fashionable, and
stunning. Thus, it suggests that the life journey of the white community is
easy and without certain hurdles. Due to their superior status in society,
they have more prospects to achieve their respective dreams. However,
people belonging to the black community are not provided with any
chances to fulfill their dreams.

The life of black people is very hard and complicated and they have to
struggle a lot in order to fight for their goals. The words “Tacks”,
“splinters”, “boards torn up” symbolize hardships in life. Tacks represent
nails, while splinters are tiny pieces of planks that could physically harm
the person who steps on them. Boards torn up might signify uneven
grounds. The word “Bare” indicates limited gears. The mother says that
her path had been uneven, hard and bare. She had to make her way in life
with inadequate furnishings.

LINES 8-13
In spite of all the hardships mentioned above, the mother says that she
did not lose motivation to move forward in life. She wants to instil the
same inspiration and enthusiasm in her son. She says that “All the time”
her life had been a constant struggle. However, she still had been “a-
climbin’ on” the figurative staircases in her life.

She uses the word landings to describe the various stages of her life. The
mother tended to turn corners without any fear of the unknown. She was
not afraid to venture in the dark. She wants her son to be brave like her.
She had always faced bad situations with a strong front. The run-down
stairs illustrate the harsh living circumstances of the black community
under the oppressive rule of the White Americans.

This poem depicts racism and its effect on the life of African Americans.
Nevertheless, this poem suggests a universal message. The poem
conveys a message of resilience and perseverance in the face of
difficulties that can be applied to people of all ages and epochs.

LINES 14-20
In the final line of the poem, the mother again speaks with her son
directly. The word “boy” indicates that the mother wants the undivided
attention of her son. She states that he should never lose hope and
motivation to move forward in life. Even if circumstances turn ugly and he
faces adverse conditions, he must never think about backing down. She
advised him never to move a step back. His fear and hesitation can
aggravate his problems. He must learn to endure and persist in uncertain
circumstances.
The mother warns him that the steps are full of splinters and broken
boards; therefore, he must learn to tread carefully so that he does not fall.
‘Fall’ here literally means plummeting down the steps. However, it can
also be related to the Biblical “Fall”. In the context of the poem, it might
imply subsiding criminal activities. The mother does not want her son to
resort to unfair means in order to survive. The last three lines reiterate
that his mother has always withstood her hard circumstances and she is
“still climbin’”. This shows her indomitable strength.

SETTING OF THE POEM

The poem lacks a specific setting. The speaker is conversing with her son.
The formal tone of the conversation indicates that the place where they
are talking is comfortable and familiar to them.

POINT OF VIEW
The mother in the poem is anonymous; however, it seems that she
represents the hardworking African American women of America. The
poem is not just a piece of advice from a mother to her son. It embodies a
story of determination and courage. It reflects the endless struggle of the
black community in a racist white society. The poem contains a universal
message of hope and resilience which can be applied to all the
communities of the world. The language, diction and the literary
techniques employed by Hughes ensnare the attention of the reader.

LANGUAGE
The poem is a dramatic monologue written in dialect of the African
American community. The language and diction of the poem is colloquial.
The language choice of the poet depicts the linguistic habits of the African
Americans. The poet uses figurative language to emphasize his ideas.

STRUCTURAL ANALYSIS OF THE POEM

The style of the poem is free verse and lyrical. It is written in a single
stanza of twenty lines. As the structure of the poem is in free verse,
therefore, there is no regular rhyming scheme. However, there are certain
illustrations of rhyme in the poem as the word “stair” in the second line
corresponds to “bare” in the 7th line. The metrical pattern of the poem is
irregular, yet the line “Life for me ain’t been no crystal stair.” indicates
trochaic meter.
The language used in the poem is idiomatic. The colloquial quality of the
language used can be observed in the line “Cause you find it’s kinder
hard.” The language style indicates that the speaker of the poem is not
much educated and belongs to a rural area.
LITERARY DEVICES USED IN THE POEM
ALLITERATION
Alliteration can be defined as the reiteration of consonant sounds in
closed placed words. The use of alliteration can be discerned in the line,
“Don’t you set down on the steps.” The “d” and “s” sounds in the above-
mentioned line show alliteration. Langston Hughes does not heavily rely
on rhyme or alliteration in his poem. It seems that the poet purposely
evades such poetic devices which create a pleasant effect in order to
reinforce the harsh circumstances of the speaker.

ANAPHORA
Anaphora is the reiteration of a term or phrases mostly at the start of
consecutive expressions, or clauses. For instance, the poet has used
“And” at the start of lines 4,5, 6 and lines 10,11,12. “And “is repeatedly
used at the start of these lines in order to highlight the adversities and
various challenges in the life of the mother. The repetition of “And”
highlights the never-ending sufferings of the mothers. Each “and” in the
poem introduces a new impediment in the mother’s life. Similarly the line,
“Life for me ain’t been no crystal stair” is twice repeated to accentuate
the rough life journey of the mother.

Hughes utilizes anaphora in order to show the son what he should not do
in life. For example in the lines, 14 and 15 “don’t” is twice used. This
exemplifies that in case of adversities, we must never lose hope and fall
back. The poet employs Anaphora in his poem to show the readers that
although life is full of obstacles and challenges, however, we must always
fight through and never think about giving up our dreams.

ENJAMBMENT
Enjambment can be defined as the continuity of an utterance minus any
pause at the end of a line or stanza. Enjambment is used in the following
lines in the poem,
“Don’t you set down on the steps

’Cause you finds it’s kinder hard.”

Line 15 continues into the next line without any pauses. It expresses the
emotions of the mother. It emphasizes the message of the mother, who
wants her child to face all hard obstacles with undue determination.

ALLUSION
An allusion is a literary device used by poets. It indirectly refers to a
person, place or thing outside the confines of the text. The phrase “crystal
stair” alludes to Jacob’s step ladder as mentioned in the Holy Bible. The
staircase can be considered as a spiritual allusion. Jacob witnessed a
staircase, which led to heaven in the Biblical story. Similarly, the crystal
stair refers to the idea of abandoning worldly troubles. The allusion used
in the poem can also refer to the notion that after overcoming hardships,
people can reach heaven.

END-STOPPED LINE
End-stopped lines recur in the poem. Most of the lines are end-stopped.
Enjambments are rarely used by the poet in the poem. End-stops play a
major role. They help the poet in describing the seriousness of the hurdles
encountered by the black woman. For example, each line from 3-6 defines
a serious hurdle that the mother had witnessed in her life. The jagged
nails and splinters and the missing steps are mentioned in a different end-
stopped line. The reader pauses at each end-stop and contemplates about
the nature of the difficulty faced by the narrator. All of these End-stops
stress complexity and brutality of the speaker’s situation.
The end-stops in lines 17-19 indicates the principle, self-confidence, and
spirit of the mother. The end-stops in these lines emphasize the
determination of the speaker. These lines highlight the strength of the
woman and leave no room for self-doubt. The meaning of end-stops
changes in the poem. Initially, they were utilized to highlight the various
dangers in the speaker’s life; however, the lines in the end of the poem
indicate resilience in the face of adversities.

ASSONANCE
The recurrence of vowel sounds in the same sentence is termed as
assonance. The sound of /o/ in the line “So boy, don’t you turn back”
indicates assonance. It indicates the optimistic and courageous nature of
the mother.

CONSONANCE
The recurrence of consonant sounds within the same sentence is named
as consonance. The sound /t/ and /r/ in the line “Where there ain’t been no
light” indicates consonance. Similarly, ‘And reachin’ landin’s’ also contains
consonance.

IMAGERY
Imagery is another poetic device that conjures images for the readers so
that they can perceive them with their five senses. For instance in the
line, “Life for me ain’t been no crystal stair”, the image of a crystal stair
has been created in the reader’s mind. So that the reader can feel the
difference between the life of people belonging to the white community
and that of the black community. “And places with no carpet on the floor”
creates a picture of harsh circumstances faced by the narrator in the
poem.

STRESSED AND UNSTRESSED SYLLABLES (TROCHEE)

A trochee is a metrical foot in the line of a poem that involves a stressed
syllable closely trailed by an unstressed syllable. In the poem, this pattern
of a stressed syllable followed by an unstressed syllable lingers
continuously. For example in the line, “Life for me ain’t been no crystal”.
REFRAIN
Refrain is a part or verse of a song or a poem which is repeated after
some interval within the poem. Hughes uses refrain in his poem. For
instance the line, “life for me ain’t been no crystal stair” reappears twice
in the poem with exactly the same expressions. Therefore, it can be said
that this line is a refrain.

SYMBOLISM
Symbolism is the use of specific symbols to denote concepts and
perceptions. The literal meaning of the word is different from the
figurative meaning. The symbols used in the poem are described below:

STAIRCASE
The staircase is an extended metaphor utilized by the poet to narrate the
hurdles in the life of a black woman. It represents the destitution of the
mother. The metaphorical staircase of the mother has nails, shards, holes,
and bare steps. It denotes the various challenges in the mother’s life.

CRYSTAL STAIR
The poet uses the “crystal stair” which appears in lines 2 and 20 as a
symbol. It signifies opportunity, authority, and the benefits relished by the
white community. The poet compares the life of the black woman with a
dark, rickety and battered staircase. While the “crystal stair” denotes the
smooth pathway of the white people. It signifies that white people have
their life adorned with glamor and ease while the black mother’s path has
always been dangerous and dingy. It can be stated that “crystal stair”
refers to the hypocrisy and double standards of American society.
DARKNESS
The poet employs darkness as a symbol of bleakness and desolation. The
word darkness is used in the 12th line of the poem. Here the narrator talks
about the nature of her journey. She says that some paths of her life have
been dark. It symbolizes the nature of the challenges faced by the mother
in the poem. At times, such dangerous situations had demoralized the
mother and she had almost lost hope. However, with strong
determination, she pushed herself out of that depressive phase of life and
continued fighting against all odds in her life.

LIGHT
Light symbolizes hope in the poem. In line 13, the narrator says that
sometimes she had “no light.” It means that she had lost the will and
hope of survival. The symbol “light” coincides with “dark” to express the
same meaning, which entails that at some point in her life, the mother
had experienced despair and desperation. The mother is therefore aware
of the emotional and psychological challenges in the life of the black
community. However, she emphasizes that with perseverance, they can
overcome such complications.
Langton Hughes has utilized literary devices such as metaphor, imagery,
anaphora, and symbolism to emphasize his message. The use of such
devices connects the poet with the readers. The various poetic devices
used in the poem strongly showcase the struggle of the mother and her
sacrifices in her life. The reader connects with the character of the mother
and admires her perseverance, endurance and resilience in the face of all
adversities.