Mother to Son by Langston Hughes Essay

Mother to Son, create in 1922 by Langston Hughes, was one of the nigh famous verse forms he had written. Hughes was Afri piece of ass-Ameri locoweed and was innate(p) in 1902. While living in the 1900s Hughes and his family experienced the gravelyships of racism, discrimination, and slavery. Therefore, this poem is not further words of encouragement from a mother to a son, exactly overly words of encouragement to the entire Afri squirt American community. This poem of inspiration allow the community know that the difficulties that they all had to raise at the time were felt by all and that they were not wholly in the struggle. Hughes wrote this from the standpoint of a mother supporting(a) her son to keep going no matter what hardships he may experience. She explown(prenominal)ed that living story is hard and he is not the further one who has had to endure the experience of livings hard lessons.The poem passes on a message from a mother to her son instructing him that he must expect optimistic despite the obstacles that life can bring. The mother compares her life to a bewilder of erstwhile(a) broken down wooden steps. Using the metaphor that life for me has not been any set of crystal stairs (2, 20), she implies to her son that her life has not been user-friendly or pleasant either. The mother continues to reveal her son of the obstacles that she has flood out by describing the old wooden stairs. She says it has had tacks in it and splinters and boards separate up and places with no carpet on the floor bare. (3-7)The tacks on the stairs were displace there by another(prenominal) approximately(prenominal)one representing the wrong doings to her by another person and the splinters may bring forth been the result of her actions. These tacks and splinters symbolize the unrelenting reality of life, as opposed to the elevated fantasy life, such as having a set of crystal stairs. through the voice of the mother, Hughes uses the set of s tairs as a metaphor for life and the hardships that they can bring. In spite of these obstacles the mother has move up the stairs and has overcome them. She tells him she has been a climbin on, and reachin landins, and turnin corners, and some generation going in the immorality when there aint been no light (9-13). She means here that sometimes she was blind to where thestairs or her life was leading her and the direction was unknown, but she unruffled continued.The mother continues to encourage her son by telling him not to turn spine or set down on the steps cause you finds its kinder hard (14-16). She is telling her him not to give up regardless of how hard things may bet at the time and if he continues on he will eventually overcome these obstacles that are causing him such despair. She believes that erst you stop it is harder to get started again and she encourages him by telling him how shes still goin, love life and Ise sill climin and that life for me aint been no cry stal stair (18-20). She as well tells him that she has made it and still has to attain these obstacles even in her golden old age and she did not give up and has not given up and if she is strong tolerable to make it then so can he.Through a mothers voice Hughes uses metaphors, symbolism, and imagery. He also conveys a message of encouragement. Durring the time this he wrote this poem the message may have been order towards the African American community however, now the message is directed to all who relish like giving into the hard times that life can and will bring. Hughes also reminds us that we are not alone in these hard times and that everyone experiences the equivalent hard times in some form or another.Langston Hughes died in 1967 I hope he knew that this poem verbalise words of encouragement not only to the African American race but also to the rest of us needing some inspiration. His poem reminds up to be shiny and to not give up on ourselves.