Mother to Son Review

The tone of line 2 is most accurately characterized as...

• lamenting agony

• poignant reflection

• careless irresponsibility

• indifferent fortitude

Tags

CCSS.RL.11-12.8

CCSS.RL.9-10.10

CCSS.RL.9-10.9

CCSS.RL.8.4

CCSS.RL.8.10

The images of TACKS (line 3) and SPLINTERS (line 4) suggest that...

• the speaker equates her life to the risks she has taken in the past.

• the speaker is consciously reflecting on her shortcomings as a mother.

• the speaker is identifying the bitterness and pain experienced in her life.

• the speaker is recounting boht the struggles and the success in her life.

Tags

CCSS.RL.11-12.8

CCSS.RL.9-10.10

CCSS.RL.9-10.9

CCSS.RL.8.5

CCSS.RL.8.10

The dash (-) at the end of line 6 and the word "Bare" (line 7) do which of the following?

• amplify the speakers sense of guilt towards hardships.

• highlights the speaker's reflections of her attempts to make a living.

• reveal the narrator's stolidness toward her most desperate times.

• reinforce the speaker's description of her lowests points.

Tags

CCSS.RL.11-12.8

CCSS.RL.9-10.10

CCSS.RL.9-10.9

CCSS.RL.8.4

CCSS.RL.8.5

The phrases "But all the time" (line 8) serves to...

• align with the traditions the speaker feels obligated to uphold.

• contrast the speaker's past difficulties with the bright future ahead.

• acknowledge that the speaker's son has shared her struggles.

• transition to the discussion of the speaker's resilience.

Tags

CCSS.RL.11-12.8

CCSS.RL.9-10.10

CCSS.RL.9-10.9

CCSS.RL.8.4

CCSS.RL.8.5

The reptition of the word "And" in lines 10-12 illustrates...

• the speaker's attention to her own endurance.

• the speaker's insistence on ruthlessness.

• the speaker's focus on gathering possessions.

• the speaker's emphasis on worthless efforts.

Tags

CCSS.RL.11-12.8

CCSS.RL.9-10.10

CCSS.RL.9-10.9

CCSS.RL.8.4

CCSS.RL.8.5

In the context of the poem, the words "dark" (line 12) and "light" (line 13) suggests...

• the speaker's prersistence in the face of the doubt and fear.

• the consequences of wrongdoing and the rewards of doing good.

• a physical change in the speaker's environment.

• a contrast between good times and difficult times.

Tags

CCSS.RL.11-12.8

CCSS.RL.9-10.10

CCSS.RL.9-10.9

CCSS.RL.8.4

CCSS.RL.8.10

The phrase, "So boy, don't you turn back" (line 14) serves to...

• transition from the speaker's success to her son's failures.

• reflect the speaker's obsession with success.

• focus the speaker's narrative on her personal achievements.

• redirect the poem's attention toward the speaker's son.

Tags

CCSS.RL.11-12.8

CCSS.RL.9-10.10

CCSS.RL.9-10.9

CCSS.RL.8.4

CCSS.RL.8.10

The repetition of the word, "don't" in lines 15 and 17 reveals...

• the speaker's knowledge of her son's past misdeeds.

• the speaker's persistent interference in her son's life.

• the speaker's mistrust of her son's character.

• the speaker's entreaty for her son to persist through struggles.

Tags

CCSS.RL.11-12.8

CCSS.RL.9-10.10

CCSS.RL.9-10.9

CCSS.RL.8.5

CCSS.RL.8.10

The speaker mentions "I'se still goin', honey" (line 18) and "I'se still climbin'" (line 19) to illustrate...

• personal successes equivalent to those of her son.

• the relatable adversities she continues to endure.

• that she has not forgotten about the difficulties she once faced.

• the sacrifices she continues to make for her son.

Tags

CCSS.RL.11-12.8

CCSS.RL.9-10.10

CCSS.RL.9-10.9

CCSS.RL.8.4

CCSS.RL.8.5

The speaker's repetition of "life for me ain't been no crystal stair" (line 20) solidifies...

• her sense of past and continued adversity.

• an effort to relate to her son's successes.

• her remorseful understanding of her son's difficulties.

• her disappointed hopes for a better life.

Tags

CCSS.RL.11-12.8

CCSS.RL.9-10.10

CCSS.RL.9-10.9

CCSS.RL.8.5

CCSS.RL.8.10