Mother to Son

1. “Mother to Son” employs multiple forms of repetition, from anaphora (“Don’t you,” “And,” etc.) to subtle rhyme (“stair”/”bare”) to the paired use of the phrase “Life for me ain’t been no crystal stair” as bookends (Lines 2, 20). Analyze how these stylistic choices of repetition contribute to the poem’s overarching theme(s).

2. All of the imagery and symbolism in “Mother to Son” flows from the central, extended metaphor of the staircase. What does this metaphor add to our understanding of the speaker’s experiences (or African American experience more broadly)? How does it convey the speaker’s worldview and advice? Discuss the significance of the staircase metaphor as it develops over the course of the poem.

3. Although Hughes is best known as a poet, he was also a writer of prose. Read his 1958 short story “Thank You, Ma’am,” which, like “Mother to Son,” centers on an interaction between an older woman and a younger man. Compare and contrast how these two works portray intergenerational relationships within the context of Black history. You may wish to consider factors such as the era in which Hughes wrote each work and the different ways in which poetry and prose convey meaning.