Question

Assignment in progress for 1070 9813 Language Arts 8 B
Due February 27, 2026 at 11:59 PM
Mother to Son
Langston Hughes
1922
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Langston Hughes (1902-1967) was an American poet, novelist, and playwright. He was also one of the leaders of the Harlem Renaissance, the cultural, social, and artistic movement of Black artists in New York City between the end of World War I and the mid-1930s.

Purpose for Reading: To understand how the speaker uses a metaphor to convey a message to her son about failure and success.

In this lesson, you’ll practice analyzing an author’s use of figurative language. This means paying attention to similes and metaphors. As you read, take notes on the metaphor and the message it reveals about dealing with challenges.

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.

Reprinted by permission of Harold Ober Associates Incorporated. Copyright 1994 by the Langston Hughes Estate.


Unless otherwise noted, this content is licensed under theCC BY-NC-SA 4.0 license.

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What message or theme does this poem express about dealing with challenges?



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Answer 1

The poem’s theme is that life is hard but you must keep going — don’t give up. The mother’s extended metaphor compares life to a broken, unsafe stairway (“ain’t been no crystal stair… tacks… splinters… boards torn up… places with no carpet”), yet she keeps “a-climbin’” and urges her son to do the same (“So boy, don’t you turn back… Don’t you set down on the steps… Don’t you fall now”). The message is one of perseverance, resilience, and determined hope in the face of obstacles.