This poem is speaking about a mother who is talking directly to her son. The
mother explains that she did not have an easy life, free of challenges. Her life was never a
smooth, effortless ride. She compares her journey of life to the upward climbing of a
staircase and states she states that it has not been as smooth as a crystal. She talks about
the different challenges that one would have to face in life like the broken stairs and
uncarpeted flooring that would make climbing up a staircase difficult. Despite all the
difficulties that she faced she kept moving forward and she also faced times of doubt and
hesitancy. She tells the boy to do the same and have the strength to continue moving
forward without ever having to look backward. She also tells her son to not be thrown off
course or to lose hope. She inspires her son by advising him that she always strived for a
better life and that he should do the same.
The theme I selected was Perseverance. The reason I chose this theme is because
in the poem we see that the mother is always encouraging her son to do better than she
has ever done and despite of whatever obstacles that he may face, he should not lose hope
or give up on his goal.
This poem was written in the early 20th century where there was a lot of racial
discrimination and oppression. In the poem, the mother teaches her son about strength
and courage. She teaches him that he must persevere in order to move forward in life.
Tone is very significant in this poem because it would describe the mood of the poem for
the readers to understand. The tone of the poem was one of optimism in the face of
hardships and sadness .
Conflict is significant because in the poem it is between the mother and her son. The
mother’s warning in the resolution shows that she has reason to fear that her son might
mother explains that she did not have an easy life, free of challenges. Her life was never a
smooth, effortless ride. She compares her journey of life to the upward climbing of a
staircase and states she states that it has not been as smooth as a crystal. She talks about
the different challenges that one would have to face in life like the broken stairs and
uncarpeted flooring that would make climbing up a staircase difficult. Despite all the
difficulties that she faced she kept moving forward and she also faced times of doubt and
hesitancy. She tells the boy to do the same and have the strength to continue moving
forward without ever having to look backward. She also tells her son to not be thrown off
course or to lose hope. She inspires her son by advising him that she always strived for a
better life and that he should do the same.
The theme I selected was Perseverance. The reason I chose this theme is because
in the poem we see that the mother is always encouraging her son to do better than she
has ever done and despite of whatever obstacles that he may face, he should not lose hope
or give up on his goal.
This poem was written in the early 20th century where there was a lot of racial
discrimination and oppression. In the poem, the mother teaches her son about strength
and courage. She teaches him that he must persevere in order to move forward in life.
Tone is very significant in this poem because it would describe the mood of the poem for
the readers to understand. The tone of the poem was one of optimism in the face of
hardships and sadness .
Conflict is significant because in the poem it is between the mother and her son. The
mother’s warning in the resolution shows that she has reason to fear that her son might
