Mother To Son Symbolism

Mother to Son
By Langston Hughes

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.

Multiple Choice

Who is the speaker of the poem?

• The speaker is a son.

• The speaker is a mother.

• The speaker is a rich person.

• The speaker is a carpenter.

Open Ended

What do you picture when the speaker says "crystal stair?"

Describe to me what a crystal stair looks like.

You can use the sentece stem " I think a crystal stair looks like...."

Well, son, I’ll tell
you:
Life for me ain’t
been no crystal
stair.

Draw

Circle all the words that describe the stairs.

Mother to Son
By Langston Hughes

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.

It’s had tacks in it,
And splinters,

And boards
torn up,
And places
with no
carpet on the
floor—

But all the time
I’se been a-climbin’ on,
And reachin’ landin’s,

landing

Draw

The speaker says "But all the time, I'se been"

Circle anything that the speaker says she's been doing.

Mother to Son
By Langston Hughes

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.

But all the time
I’se been a-climbin’ on,
And reachin’ landin’s,
And turnin’ corners,

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.

Multiple Choice

How does the speaker describe her life in the first seven lines?

• A flawless, painless experience.

• A strange spiral staircase.

• A hard and difficult climb.

• A luxurious and beautiful staircase.

Draw

Highlight any words that are "non-standard" English.

Mother to Son
By Langston Hughes

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.

Draw

Underline the advice the mother gives to her son.

Mother to Son
By Langston Hughes

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.

Open Ended

Why does the mother give this advice to her son?

Sentence stem: The mother gives this advice to her son because_________________

Multiple Choice

How are the speaker’s life and the staircase similar?

• Both are described as smooth and easy to climb.

• Both involve hardships and obstacles that require perseverance.

• Both are symbolic of success and prosperity.

• Both represent a path with no real challenges.

Multiple Choice

Making the poem into one long stanza allows the poet to—

• emphasize individual moments of triumph

• create a more formal and traditional structure.

• suggest that the speaker's thoughts are disorganized.

• emphasize the continuous struggle of life without pauses.