Mother to Son Response

The poem “Mother to Son” by Langston Hughes is basically one large metaphor. It is talking about how one can compare life to a staircase; you are always climbing to the top, but the staircase itself determines the kind of climb you will have. When this mother tells her son that life for her has not been a crystal stair, she is saying her life hasn’t been as flawless and simple as crystal. Instead she describes her staircase as stairs with tacks, splinters, and torn up boards, which is basically saying that she has had a life full of obstacles and pain. I think the Mother’s tone was firm yet loving with her son. This kid could have been complaining about how his life was so difficult and labored, when really he didn’t realize how easy he had it compared to his dear old mother. I felt a little ungrateful as I read this, because I’m sure most people in our grade, including me, think their teenage lives are so unfair, when they really don’t know what they have compared to other people.