"Mother to Son", written by Langston Hughes, is a very down to earth poem. It says and explains how things are, straight up. It doesn't attempt to try to put something of a veil over the truth. It tells the truth, no matter how graphic or emotional it is. The mother doesn't hold back anything, which I think is saying a lot about how she feels about her son: mature and responsible.
It is written from the point of view of a mother. The whole poem is her speaking to her son, relating life to a staircase. It is an amazing speech about how although life may get hard, you have to keep going, and eventually you will find success.
I think this a really good poem. I like how the mother is talking to her son about this, and using this metaphor. It talks about how life is hard, and some things affect you forever. I also noticed that the mother says that she's still climbing her own staircase, and that she doesn't plan on stopping. It really says a lot about what a perserverer she is.
You can only wonder how the son feel about this. He has no dialogue in the poem, so it's completely up to the reader to interpret this. I think although he may be a little confused, he has a newfound respect for his mom. That's how I would feel.
I mean, just imagine if your own mother came up to you at the age of 7 or 8 (I'm guessing) and started telling you about a staircase. Honestly, I'd just assume that my mom was high or something. But I think the more you grow up, or the more "grown up" you are, you begin to understand more and more just how deep that metaphor your mother had told you is, and how truthful she's being. It is an absolutely astounding analogy, and I believe that this poem should be read to all people just to give them inspiration.
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