Mother To Son No Carpet Explained

The poem comprises the thoughts of a mother whose life is surrounded by misery.

Mother to son no carpet explained.

Mother to son is a poem written from the point of view of a mother talking to her son. Analysis of mother to son lines 1 7. She begins by telling the son that life is not a crystal stair that it has tacks and splinters and all the boards are torn up and it doesn t even have carpet in some places. The simple straightforward title of the poem mother to son by the african american poet langston hughes 1902 1967.

It was first published in 1922 in the crisis a magazine dedicated to promoting civil rights in the united states and was later collected in hughes s first book the weary blues 1926 the poem describes the difficulties that black people face in a racist society alluding to the many obstacles and dangers that racism throws in their way. Using the analogy of a crystal stairway this mother explains to her son that the journey of her life and life overall is like a stair that is deceased and broken containing small cracks splinters and torn up boards rather a smooth good looking crystal stair. Life for me ain t been no crystal stair. The beginning stanza of the poem serves as a reminder of the plight of african americans here in america.

Last updated on october 26 2018 by enotes editorial. The mother begins by telling her son that life for her aint been no crystal stair it has had tacks in it splinters boards torn up places where there haven t been any carpet and bare. Hughes poem mother to son was first published in crisis magazine in december 1922. It reappeared in the weary blues hughes first collection of poetry in 1926 the poem is addressed from a mother to a son warning him about life s obstacles.

Sometimes goin in the dark where there ain t been no light source s mother to son. And places with no carpet on the floor bare. The first words well son i ll tell you sets up the conversation as informal. It also illustrates how sometimes life becomes too heavy but a person should never give up.

The poem is about a mother giving advice to her son about the challenges of life. Mother to son written by langston hughes is a moving soliloquy spoken by a character who resembles an african american mother to her son. It s had tacks in it and splinters and boards torn up and places with no carpet on the floor bare darkness is symbolic of hopelessness. Well son i ll tell you.