Mother To Son By Langston Hughes Analysis

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Mother to Son was one of the first poems that was written by Langston Hughes, and published in 1922 during the Harlem Renaissance. During that era, this poem was relevant to all families that were undergoing the struggle of depression and the closeness it brought between a mother and a son. (Ruhmann, C.)2011 Some poems celebrate African American cultural heritage, while others lament their past enslavement and continued economic struggles. (storyboardthat.com) From the beginning to the end, Langston Hughes spoke in the voice of an aging African American mother who was educating her son on survival and how to succeed in life by overcoming barriers that life may throw his way.
Langston Hughes impersonated his mother’s knowledge and encouragement …show more content…
The road was no doubt tough for Langston’s mother, but she was determined to get ahead in life regardless of what she had to conquer. The final form of imagery that Langston Hughes used in his poem Mother to Son was visual imagery. “And sometimes goin’ in the dark where there ain’t been no light. So boy, don’t you turn back” was a way visual imagery had information passing through the brain as though something is being perceived, when nothing is happening. (Goldstein)2011 That part of the poem coincides with the word Langston Hughes used to convey his message using kinesthetic imagery to describe the forward motion the mother want to strive for. In closing, Langston Hughes’s mother wanted her son to know that no matter what may come his way, to keep on keeping on, don’t give up because things may seem difficult. “Don’t you set down on the steps ’cause you finds it’s kinder hard” was a message of motivation and inspiration. The mother illustrates the voice of a fighter and demonstrates that life for her hasn’t been no “crystal stair” when Langston Hughes wrote, “I’ss still climbin’, and life for me ain’t been no crystal stair.” There is no doubt that life had been hard for Langston Hughes’s mother, but she refused to give up. No matter what, she wants her son to keep his head held high and surpass every obstacle that was supposed to defeat
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