Critical Appreciation of the poem, ‘Mother to Son’.
Mother to Son is a poem written by Langston Hughes. It was first published in the
magazine, Crisis in December, 1922. It was reappeared in Langston Hughes first collection of
poetry, The Weary Blues in 1926. Mother to Son is a poem advising her son to face the hard
realities of the society and to withstand after facing the truth. She is also advising not to be
scared with the bitter truths of the society and not to fall and look back. Langston Hughes is
known to be poet laureate of the Harlem Renaissance. He is renowned poet and writes in
African American traditional modes to make people aware of their traditions. Harlem
Renaissance’s many authors wrote to gain political and social identity in the American
society.
Poem starts where mother starts sharing her life experiences. It is not clear until line
thirteen with whom mother is talking to, but it became clear in the line thirteen when she
directly addresses her son, there reader is able to know to whom mother is talking to. So, first
half of the poem focuses on the hard times and struggles which a mother in the poem goes
throughout her life, which is depicted by the experiences of her life.
She describes that her life experiences has “ain’t been no crystal stair”, her stairs in
her life is full of “tacks”, “splinters” , “boards torn up” and “places with no carpet on the
floor”. Her life fits in only one single word in the poem, “bare”. With so many obstacles or
hurdles in her life, she “still climbin’ on”, “reaching landin’s” and “turnin’ corners”. This
shows that mother although faced so many struggles, she holds such power that she is able to
rise and shine again. In the second half of the poem, mother addresses her son and gives an
advice to him. She tries to make her son strong by making him face the true, harsh and bitter
reality of the American society. She encourages him not to, “fall now” and not be scared
because the roads of life will be “kinder hard” for him. So, he must climb on and not to fear
with the stereotypes set for them.
In 1926, when this poem appeared in the Hughes first collection, The Weary Blues,
the Harlem Renaissance was at its pinnacle. It began after the end of World War I and it is
known to be the artistic, political and social movement started by African Americans. It is
known to be the movement which expresses their identity by the means of art. Their
production of art gave them identity. The Harlem Renaissance started to decay when Great
Depression took place in 1929. During in the nineteenth century, the vast majority of African
Americans migrated from the South to the North due to slavery. With the end of Civil War in
1865, slavery was abolished. However, certain laws were made by Southern government, that
Blacks still were not able to get equality in all three aspects: social, political and economical,
with the Whites. It was in 1954, that this law was reversed and it was declared unfair and new
law was passed in which all Blacks and Whites were treated equal in all fields- jobs,
education, transportation and accommodation.
In the twentieth century, Southern African Americans who migrated found some
relief from the improper treatment made by Whites. Although, the discrimination ended on
the papers, but it still continued in the form of verbal communication and sometimes by the
Mother to Son is a poem written by Langston Hughes. It was first published in the
magazine, Crisis in December, 1922. It was reappeared in Langston Hughes first collection of
poetry, The Weary Blues in 1926. Mother to Son is a poem advising her son to face the hard
realities of the society and to withstand after facing the truth. She is also advising not to be
scared with the bitter truths of the society and not to fall and look back. Langston Hughes is
known to be poet laureate of the Harlem Renaissance. He is renowned poet and writes in
African American traditional modes to make people aware of their traditions. Harlem
Renaissance’s many authors wrote to gain political and social identity in the American
society.
Poem starts where mother starts sharing her life experiences. It is not clear until line
thirteen with whom mother is talking to, but it became clear in the line thirteen when she
directly addresses her son, there reader is able to know to whom mother is talking to. So, first
half of the poem focuses on the hard times and struggles which a mother in the poem goes
throughout her life, which is depicted by the experiences of her life.
She describes that her life experiences has “ain’t been no crystal stair”, her stairs in
her life is full of “tacks”, “splinters” , “boards torn up” and “places with no carpet on the
floor”. Her life fits in only one single word in the poem, “bare”. With so many obstacles or
hurdles in her life, she “still climbin’ on”, “reaching landin’s” and “turnin’ corners”. This
shows that mother although faced so many struggles, she holds such power that she is able to
rise and shine again. In the second half of the poem, mother addresses her son and gives an
advice to him. She tries to make her son strong by making him face the true, harsh and bitter
reality of the American society. She encourages him not to, “fall now” and not be scared
because the roads of life will be “kinder hard” for him. So, he must climb on and not to fear
with the stereotypes set for them.
In 1926, when this poem appeared in the Hughes first collection, The Weary Blues,
the Harlem Renaissance was at its pinnacle. It began after the end of World War I and it is
known to be the artistic, political and social movement started by African Americans. It is
known to be the movement which expresses their identity by the means of art. Their
production of art gave them identity. The Harlem Renaissance started to decay when Great
Depression took place in 1929. During in the nineteenth century, the vast majority of African
Americans migrated from the South to the North due to slavery. With the end of Civil War in
1865, slavery was abolished. However, certain laws were made by Southern government, that
Blacks still were not able to get equality in all three aspects: social, political and economical,
with the Whites. It was in 1954, that this law was reversed and it was declared unfair and new
law was passed in which all Blacks and Whites were treated equal in all fields- jobs,
education, transportation and accommodation.
In the twentieth century, Southern African Americans who migrated found some
relief from the improper treatment made by Whites. Although, the discrimination ended on
the papers, but it still continued in the form of verbal communication and sometimes by the
