- "Life for me ain't been no crystal stair." (Metaphor)
- "It's had tacks in it, And splinters, And boards torn up, And places with no carpet on the floor—Bare." (Imagery of a rough and difficult path)
- "I'se been a-climbin' on, And reachin landin's, And turnin' corners" (Visual imagery of climbing and turning corners)
- "And sometimes goin in the dark Where there ain't been no light." (Visual imagery of darkness and lack of light)
- "Don't you turn back. Don't you set down on the steps 'Cause you finds it's kinder hard." (Visual imagery of someone struggling to climb)