TWIST of Mother to Son by Langston Hughes

This poem stuck out to me in particular because of the relationship I have with my mom. My mom has always been a hard workers, even when she started from meager means as a young adult. I've often heard her tell me things like this, always encouraging me to keep going even when the going gets tough.

Tone: At first, the tone of the poem seems to be quite somber as the mother explains the trials in her life.  Specifically, the first 7 lines paint this very bleak picture. Then, after the word "Bare", the narrator starts  to move away from this bleak picture. Lines 8-9 read "But all the time / I'se been a-climbin' on,". This starts to shift away from a tone of sadness and despair into one of pride and hopefulness as the mother reveals to her son her perseverance through hard times.

Word Choice: We see the contrasting by Hughes continue with his word choice. Before the switch in tone, he uses words such as "tacks", "splinters", and "boards torn up", all of which have a negative connotation and continue to paint a bleaker image. However, after the switch, we see much more positive phrases such as "reaching' landin's" and "turnin' corners". These phrases show a progression through the mother's struggles and a long lasting sense of perseverance and accomplishment. 

Imagery: The line "Life for me ain't been no crystal stair" paints two different images in the minds of the audience. First, we image a type of crystal stair. Something both luxurious yet undemanding, and something which the narrator did not inherit. Instead, she inherits exactly the opposite. She forced to navigate a treacherous and unforgiving path to get to where she wants to go in life.

Syntax: The use of "Life for me ain't been no crystal stair" twice in lines 2 and 20 creates a circular journey for the poem, as the mother describes first the tough road she was faced with, and then how she overcame it step by step. These two areas are indicated almost symmetrically within the poem as both parts contain three consecutive sentences starting with "And". This repetition creates a layering dynamic within each part in which each "And" phrase builds on the one before it. This help to reinforce the perseverance dynamic as the mother is essentially forced to roll with the punches. 

Theme: My theme, based on this poem, is that Perseverance and Determination are values that define our lives and the legacy upon which we leave to future generations. 

Thesis: Langston uses symmetrical style, equally charged positive and negative diction, as well as a circular form to reinforce the values of perseverance and determination as necessary for the success and livelihood of future generations.