Mother to Son and to James Practice

To what does the speaker in “Mother to Son” compare her life experiences?

• to a bare floor

• to a wooden staircase

• to a crystal staircase

• to a dark passageway

How has the speaker in “Mother to Son” responded to her life experiences?

• with an intense religious faith

• with a hope for a happier future

• with an appreciation for what she has

• with a determination to keep going

In “Mother to Son,” what lesson about life is the mother trying to teach her son?

• If you never give up, you will gain whatever you want in life.

• Your life may be difficult, but never give up striving for your goals.

• Do not envy the people who have an easy path in life.

• No matter how hard you try, you will still not reach your goals.

Read lines 8-13 from “Mother to Son. What do these details reveal most clearly about the mother? Choose TWO answers.

• She has moved forward even when the future has been unclear.

• She has often wanted to give up her goals.

• She has appreciated help given by other people.

• She has been realistic about the challenges in her life.

• She has always been confident about reaching her goals.

Which line from the poem reflects a lesson the speaker wants her son to learn?

• Life for me ain’t been no crystal stair

• And places with no carpet on the floor

• So boy, don’t you turn back

• I’se still climbin’

Based on the poem, what conclusion will the reader arrive at? 

• I should work hard to overcome my obstacles in life 

• I should stop trying when things get difficult 

• I should be thankful for what I have 

What sort of message is the mother trying to share with her son?

• Your life is going to be very easy, son, so you don't have any reason to worry.

• Life is hard. Give up and take the easy way out.

• My life has been hard, your life is going to be hard, too. Don't give up. Keep struggling through it

In “Mother to Son,” poet Langston Hughes has the mother use an old-fashioned African American dialect, or way of speaking. What is the most likely effect of that choice?

• It makes the mother realistic and believable to readers.

• It makes the mother’s words easier to understand.

• It reveals the bond between the mother and her son.

• It lets readers know that the mother’s life would be different today.

At both the beginning and the end of “Mother to Son,” the mother says, “Life for me ain’t been no crystal stair.” What does the crystal stair most clearly symbolize for the mother? Choose TWO answers.

• It is an easy life of wealth and luxury.

• It is a smooth, clear path to achieving one’s goals.

• It is an unsafe path to follow to reach one’s goals.

• It is a life of dedication to helping others less fortunate.

In “Mother to Son,” the mother describes a wooden staircase in these words. "It’s had tacks in it, And splinters, And boards torn up…. " (lines 3–5) What do the tacks, splinters, and torn-up boards most likely symbolize in the poem?

• problems that the son has caused his mother

• weaknesses that are common in wooden staircases

• challenges that the mother’s lack of courage has caused her

• obstacles that threatened to hold the mother back