In-Depth Discussion and Analysis of Langston Hughes' Mother to Son

Mother to Son, a short poem by Langston Hughes, is a poem in the lyrical poetry style, and is, more than likely an allegory for civil rights issues, which were prominent when it was written. This can be seen by the quote "Life for me ain't been no crystal stair," which implies a struggle that has been ongoing for the mother's entire life (Hughes 1). The poem seems to represent some extremely loving and motherly themes through what may appear to be harsh vernacular. The metaphors used here are indeed harsh, but, make no mistake, the mother's intentions are benevolent: to give her son a stern warning about life. Because the poem is so short, the themes and major elements of the poem are more abstract than many, but the piece seems to be about a mother explaining to her son the hardships of life, and how it is important to keep one's head up through it all, even when things appear bleak or hopeless: common themes during the civil rights movement.

One way that Mother to Son fits the theme of lyrical poetry is with its adherence to expressing the feelings of the singer or poet, which Hughes does indirectly, through the mother, such as with the quote "For I’se still goin’, honey," which lends the mother a firm commitment to enduring the hardships of life (Hughes 1). Mother to Son also takes a sort of snapshot of domestic life and turns it into a work of art: a common theme among poets and lyricists in the 20th century. (Rampersad 16). It should also be noted that this poem adheres to perhaps the most common facet of lyrical poems, in that it is specifically designed to be spoken or sung in conjunction with some sort of beat, as Mother to Son most certainly is, possibly due to the civil rights background of the poem.

The first two lines of the poem begin with the mother beginning her explanation of life to her son and mentions that life has not been a "crystal stair" (Hughes 1). This term is ambiguous and creates an air of mystery around the poem. However, the most likely explanation is that the mother was simply creating an example of a pleasant yet delicate item to contrast with the harsh reality of life (i.e., life was definitely not delicate or pleasant). The next few lines mention the disrepair of the mother's life, describing it as having tacks in it, with boards torn up and completely bare. The rhyme scheme here is much more uniform than in most other parts of the poem, and most of these lines all give the same basic point: that the mother has been through a great deal of hardship throughout her life, and these hardships have taken their toll on her. Next, the mother mentions that she has been continually advancing through life, via metaphors such as "reachin' landin's...turnin' corners and sometimes goin' in the dark..." (Hughes 1). This imagery implies the ascension of a human from the bottom rung to, if not the top, at least a better position than when they began. The rhyme scheme here is also snappy and consistent, implying a sort of steady rebuilding of one's life. The mother then tells her son that he must not turn back, nor fail, which seems like tough love, coming from a motherly figure, but these lines help to reaffirm the mother's role in the poem as an experienced matriarch, guiding her son, even if these lessons seem harsh. Finally, the mother tells her child that she herself is still climbing and reaffirms that life is not a crystal stair. This seems to imply that everyone, even the seemingly experienced and somber mother, must continually improve or "set down on the steps," which is another common theme of the civil rights movement: constant betterment of the self (Hughes 1).

Considering the time period this poem was written in, it seems reasonable to assume that the main theme of the poem is civil rights and that the mother represents those who have previously fought for civil rights (successfully, eventually), and with the son representing the future, who must continue to uphold and evolve the tenants of civil rights, and never to be complacent (Berry 2). Evidence of this can be seen in the contrast between young and old, such as with the line " So boy, don’t you turn back. Don’t you set down on the steps" and that the main divider between young and old simply experiences (Hughes 1).

All in all, the poem is concise and effective in getting its point across, even if that point does seem to be ambiguous. It strikes the perfect balance in poetry wherein it allows the emotions surrounding the poem to flow freely but leave the main overarching theme up to the reader, or singer, in some cases. The poem is successful in creating a somber mood, yet one that encourages the betterment of the self. This was the strongest part of the poem: the description of hardship and degradation, yet tempered with hope, if one is able to not lose one's way. The imagery used by Hughes to relate one's hardships with a decrepit house was effective as well.

While the poem does not tell a story, per se, it does convey ideas, and these ideas are introduced and resolved by the end of the poem, which ends in a similar manner to the way it began. The overarching theme of hardship, failure, and, eventually, repentance, ring strong throughout the poem, and end up leaving the reader with an air of hopefulness after reading the poem, despite its somewhat somber tone. Although the use of the poem as an allegory for civil rights seems most likely, this might not necessarily be the case. That is the beauty of this poem: that it can convey strong feelings yet leave the reader somewhat in the dark about why they are experiencing them.

Works Cited

Berry, Faith. Langston Hughes: Before and Beyond Harlem; A Biography. Citadel Press, 1992.

Hughes, Langston, and Amos Paul Kennedy. Mother to son. Jubilee Press, 1992.

Rampersad, Arnold. The Life of Langston Hughes: Volume I: 1902-1941, I, Too, Sing America. Oxford University Press, 2001.