Mother to son

by Langston Hughes

Presentation by:
DR RATHEESH.P
ASSISTANT PROFESSOR OF ENGLISH
GOVT. ARTS & SCIENCE COLLEGE FOR
WOMEN, MALAPPURAM
 Langston Hughes (1901-1967)
 African-American poet, social activist, novelist, playwright
and columnist
 A central figure in Harlem Renaissance
 The Dean of African-American writers
 Portrayed the joys and sorrows of the working class black
people
Major Works
 “The Negro Speaks of River” was published in The Crisis in
1921
 The Weary Blues (1926)
 Fine Cloths to the Jew (1927)
 “The Negro Artist and the Racial Mountain” (1922) appeared
 Not Without Laughter (1930)
 The Ways of White Folks (1937)
 The Poetry of the Negro (1949)
 Montage of a Dream Deferred (1951)
 The Big Sea (1940)
I Wonder As I Wander (1956)
A Pictorial History of the Negro in America (1956)
 The Panther and the Lash (1967)
 Jesse. B Semple (Simple)
 The Collected Poems of Langston Hughes (1994)
 Mother to Son

 First published in 1922 in Crisis

 The Weary Blues (1926)
A dramatic monologue
 Describes many problems that black people face in a racist
society
A mother giving advice to her son about challenges of life
 Even if life presents harsh realities one must go on- should
not give up
 She warns her son to be strong to face any situations in life
 Mother to son
Well, son, I'll tell you:
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 carpet on the floor—
Bare.
But all the time
I'se been a-climbin' on,
And reachin' landin's,
And turnin' corners,
And sometimes goin' in the dark
Where there ain't been no light.
So, boy, don't you turn back.
Don't you set down on the steps.
'Cause you finds it's kinder hard.
Don't you fall now—
For I'se still goin', honey,
I'se still climbin',
And life for me ain't been no crystal stair.
 Well, son, I'll tell you:
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 carpet on the floor—
Bare.

 Bybeginning with the word “well” the mother sounds as if she is

responding to a question by the son
 Thecolloquial style of poem- implies a speaker and a silent listener in
the poem
 Thecolloquial style followed here also suggests that it is ordinary,
unpretentious and informal
 The term “son” -their relationship seem universal and archetypal
 “Ain’t” – indicates that the speaker is not educated
 The shape of the poem suggests that it does not follow
any preplanned predictable scheme either in meter or
in rhyme
 He has mimicked the rhyme and diction of the actual
speech
 “Crystal stair” implies a stairway that’s is special,
unusual, beautiful, finely wrought, and symbolic of
wealth- the privilege & power that white people enjoy
in a racist society
 Italso indicates her low social position- her position is
at the bottom of the economic ladder
 The word “ Bare” here indicates unfurnished and
vulnerable
 But all the time
I'se been a-climbin' on,
And reachin' landin's,
And turnin' corners,
And sometimes goin' in the dark
Where there ain't been no light

 Lines
become more active with stress on the verbs- strong
and assertive verbs- climbing, reaching, turning, going
 Turningcorners and going in the dark represent fear and
doubts that one endures during the time of uncertainty
 There
will be moments of indecisiveness and confusion but
one must continue to move forward and not give up hope
 So, boy, don't you turn back.
Don't you set down on the steps.
'Cause you finds it's kinder hard.
Don't you fall now—
For I'se still goin', honey,
I'se still climbin',
And life for me ain't been no crystal stair.

 She uses the word “boy” to win the attention of her son and also
to make sure that he is listening
 Even though the life is hard, she is still going. She is still climbing
through the hardships
 Literary Devices
 Assonance: is the repetition of vowel sounds in nearby words
Eg: “So boy, don’t you turn back.”
 Metaphor:
Eg: Staircase
 Repetition:
Life for me ain't been no crystal stair.( stresses the hardship in
life)
 Enjambment:
Don't you set down on the steps.
'Cause you finds it's kinder hard.
 Language
 Anaphora-repetition of a word or expression at the beginning of
successive phrases, clauses, sentences or verses for poetic effect.
Clear in lines 4-6 and 10-12 – all these lines begin with the word
“and”
 Shortened version of words:
Eg., “reachin” for reaching, “landin” for landing – more song-like
Describes the background of the speaker- uneducated- a working
class woman who speaks frankly
 The Staircases

 Twostaircases- The Crystal Stair and the staircase with

tacks, splinters etc.,

 Theextended metaphor for the unequal opportunities

and challenges that the Blacks face in America

 Whites have a smoother, easier ways to materialise

their dreams
Thank You