I.

Intro
A. thesis
II. extended metaphor: staircase
A. climbing represents a struggle
B. tacks and splinters vs. crystal staircase demonstrates hardships along the way
III. syntax and diction
A. syntax: vernacular gives clues to context
B. diction: abbreviated/slang words and phrases
IV. other rhetorical devices
A. polysyndeton: repetition of and conveys sense of tediousness
B. imagery: can picture the worn out stairs
V. pathos
A. Life for me aint been no crystal stair.
B. sometimes goin in the dark Where there aint been no light.
VI. contexts
A. when poem was first written in 1922 (The Crisis): largely black audience
B. out of the context of when it was written and where published it can appeal to many
audiences
C. context of race issues in america today
VII. commonplaces
A. that son will go through hardships as well
VIII.background of LH
IX. conclusion

Well, son, Ill tell you:

Life for me aint been no crystal stair.
Its had tacks in it,
And splinters,
And boards torn up,
And places with no carpet on the floor
Bare.
But all the time
Ise been a-climbin on,
And reachin landins,
And turnin corners,
And sometimes goin in the dark
Where there aint been no light.
So boy, dont you turn back.
Dont you set down on the steps
Cause you finds its kinder hard.
Dont you fall now
For Ise still goin, honey,
Ise still climbin,
And life for me aint been no crystal stair.
Erica Dinse

Kyle King

Rhetoric and Civic Life

5 October 2016

Mother to Son

The 1920s are remembered as a time of social change and new freedoms. The image of

the flapper emerged, mobsters ruled the underground liquor trade, women could vote, and

families owned cars. It was called the Roaring Twenties for a reason, but not all of the country,

however, was experiencing these same freedoms. It was during this decade that membership in

the Ku Klux Klan spiked, and over a million African Americans left the South to escape racial

tensions and start new lives in the North. This Great Migration led to an African American

cultural movement centered in New York City, called the Harlem Renaissance. One of the most

well-known individuals involved in the Harlem Renaissance was writer Langston Hughes, who

wrote hundreds of poems, as well as works of prose and plays- most of which were centered

around African-American themes. One of his poems, Mother to Son, is written from the

perspective of a black mother offering advice to her son, urging him to persevere in whatever

circumstance he faces. The message the speaker has for her son is one that Hughes effectively

communicates to the readers of the poem by utilizing an extended metaphor of a staircase,

unique syntax and diction, and rhetorical appeals. In doing so, he creates a symbol that is

relevant and brings encouragement not only to his original audience, but also to audiences of the

poem today.
 Mother to Son was published in 1922, in The Crisis, a magazine from the National

Association for the Advancement of Colored People. The magazine was created specifically for

an African American audience interested in civil rights issues, and at the time the poem was

published, The Crisis had over 100,000 readers. In this issue of the magazine, Mother to Son

was printed at the very end, the last piece of literature before the closing advertisements. Its

placement in the publication makes it stand out to readers, and indicates that its message is one

that the publishers wanted to reach readers.

The entire poem involves an extended metaphor that compares life to staircase. The idea

of climbing up a staircase, as opposed to descending, offers the perception of a journey, and not

an easy one. It begins with the mother telling her son that her life aint been no crystal stair (ln

2). Instead, she climbs a staircase filled with tacks, splinters, and torn up boards (ln 3-5),

themselves metaphors for the hardships the speaker has experienced in her lifetime, and this

juxtaposition of images serves to accentuate them. Even though these struggles are not explicitly

stated, in the time this poem was written, prejudice, segregation, and violent threats were all a

reality for the African American population. Despite these obstacles, the speaker does not give up

or turn back, and she tells her son, Ise been a-climbin on (ln 9), showing her persistence. Its

clear she wants her son to exhibit this same persistence, and later in the poem she offers what

feels like a harsh warning: Dont you set down on the steps (ln 15).

She speaks as someone who fears the consequences of giving up in such a world where

blacks consistently face injustice; if they were to stop caring, who would stand up for them?

Refusing to allow her son to sit down on his own staircase demonstrates her love for him and

desire for him to stand up to his own challenges. This is a view that one would think reflects the
perspectives of many African Americans during the time, although there are some differences

between the attitude of the speaker and those of most African Americans. The United States was

not yet at the peak of the Civil Rights Movement, but the black community was already rallying

together to advocate for their own rights. Many black parents would have urged their children to

support positive social change, but this speaker is not characterized by a tone of anger or a desire

to change the present. Rather she conveys an attitude of acceptance of her present situation, not

stopping to fix what is broken but instead navigating through it. This perspective was probably

more common in the South, where those who fought racial divides were potentially putting their

lives at risk. There was still racial tensions that existed in the North, but during the Harlem

Renaissance, African Americans were able to celebrate their history and culture openly. In

Southern states, instead of speaking out, many blacks were forced to live their lives with a quiet

acceptance of the racism they faced, yet they continued to exhibit endurance even amidst

injustice. Because of this, much of Hughes audience would have understood the feeling of

climbing a broken and worn down staircase, allowing this poem to resonate with them.

The syntax of the poem is part of what makes it so distinct and gives additional clues to

the background of the speaker. It has a very conversational style of diction, written with

abbreviated words and phrases that suggest the speaker has a low level of education. She

describes how life has been kinder hard (ln 15), and uses slang like Ise (ln 9) and aint (ln

2), but this doesnt weaken the power of the poems message. Hughes, by writing in such a

colloquial style, helps shape the image of a disadvantaged, yet strong and confident mother

lecturing her son.

 This image of such a mother may not be one all audiences can relate to, but it is one they

certainly respect. Hughes African American background and influential role in the Harlem

Renaissance establishes his ethos to write on this subject, and as the mother describes her ascent

up the staircase, the audience gains sympathy for this character Hughes has created. His primary

audience most likely experienced similar struggles, but they could be encouraged by this poems

message of endurance. Other audiences, even though they can not relate to the presumed

struggles of the speaker, can still be encouraged by her determination. Without considering the

context in which Hughes wrote the poem, the staircase metaphor can apply to any trial an

individual can face.

Langston Hughes poem Mother to Son was originally meant to encourage and inspire a

specific audience- the readers of The Crisis, but it can serve as a source of encouragement to a

wide variety of audiences.

Sources:
http://www.pbs.org/wnet/jimcrow/stories_events_crisis.html
http://library.brown.edu/pdfs/1307029766546879.pdf
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/features/general-article/flood-klan/
http://www.history.com/topics/roaring-twenties
http://www.history.com/topics/black-history/harlem-renaissance
https://www.poets.org/poetsorg/poet/langston-hughes