"Mother to Son" Questions

What emphasis is created in the lines “And with no carpet on the floor--Bare?”

• It emphasizes that the family needs to buy new carpet for their home

• It emphasizes that the stairs do not need carpet to be good enough

• It emphasizes the struggle of the speaker’s life through figurative language

• It emphasizes the empowerment that the speaker feels

Answer explanation

Consider if the stairs that the mother is using as a metaphor show that her life is easy.

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What effect does the repetition of the phrase “Life for me ain’t been no crystal stair” at the beginning and the end of the poem have on the poem’s meaning?

• The phrase emphasizes the struggle that has been the speaker’s life

• The phrase emphasizes the hope that the speaker feels for her future

• The phrase is repeated to create symmetry

• This has no meaning.

Answer explanation

Crystal is smooth and pretty. What would it mean if her life isn't like that?

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What does the line “I’se been a-climbin’ on” reveal about the speaker?

• She is hopeless and has given up on life

• She wants to do everything so that her son never needs to struggle

• She wants her son to see that she has never given up despite her struggle

• She climbs many stairs each day at her job

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At the beginning of the poem, what mood is suggested through the speaker’s viewpoint?

• The speaker’s viewpoint suggests a cheerful mood.

• The speaker’s viewpoint suggests a reflective mood.

• The speaker’s viewpoint suggests a hopeless mood

• The speaker's viewpoint suggests an angry mood.

Answer explanation

The mother is looking back at her own life to give advice to her son.

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Select the way that Langston Hughes emphasized the point of view in the poem.

• He spoke in the third person and explained the message of the poem

• He used figurative language and a third person perspective

• He used figurative language and a first person perspective

• He used literal language and a third person perspective

Answer explanation

Remember:

First person point of view uses pronouns like "I","me", "my.

Third person uses pronouns like "he", "she", or "they."

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Select the line from "Mother to Son" that emphasizes the first person point of view of the mother.

• For I’se still goin, honey, I’se still climbin’.

• It's had tacks in it, /and splinters, /and places with no carpet on the floor-- Bare.

• She told me “I’se still goin, honey, I’se still climbin’’

• She climbed the crystal stair to her destiny

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

• She uses the metaphor of a beautiful and luxurious crystal staircase.

• She uses the metaphor of the staircase to describe a difficult life.

• She describes her life as flawless and without pain and wants her son's to be the same.

• She uses the metaphor of a spiral staircase to describe how confusing life can be.

Answer explanation

Reread the first 7 lines to see how the mother describes her lfie.

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What does the speaker do on the steps?

• Sit down on the steps when there's a landing.

• Climb the stairs in a cautious (careful) way.

• Climb the stairs even when it's hard to see.

• Turn around when there's a corner.

Answer explanation

Check the text!

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In the poem, whom is the speaker addressing and about what?

• A mother is telling a story to her child about her own childhood.

• A mother is describing for her son the climb up a crystal staircase.

• A son is recounting a conversation with his mother about his struggle to earn a comfortable living.

• A mother is talking to her son about the difficulties of life and the need to persevere.

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Which of the following best explains the significance of the staircase in the poem?

• The narrator describes a tiring climb up a beat-up staircase, which represents her persistence through difficulties and challenges in life.

• The narrator describes a crystal staircase, which symbolizes her goals and the hard work she has done to accomplish her dreams.

• The narrator describes her climb up a dirty staircase that transforms into a crystal staircase, which represents her ability to rise above difficulties.

• The narrator describes herself going down a staircase that is falling apart, which represents her fleeing a difficult life.

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