Hughes's poems "Mother to Son", "The Negro Speaks of Rivers", and "Harlem" were described in the Encyclopedia of African-American Writing as "anthems of black America". Don’t you set down on the steps ’Cause you finds it’s kinder hard. The mother in the poem uses a metaphor of a staircase to convey "the hardships of Black life" while also emphasizing her progress and perseverance. Look, let's come down to brass tacks and decide how to handle the situation. So boy, don’t you turn back. Where there ain’t been no light. But all the time I’se been a-climbin’ on, And reachin’ landin’s, And turnin’ corners, And sometimes goin’ in the dark Where there ain’t been no light. Miller concludes that "Her internal light illuminates the outer world. It's had tacks in it, And splinters, And boards torn up, And places with no carpet on the floor-Bare. We eventually got down to brass tacks and came up with a solution. Copyright © 2021 Literary Devices. And life for me ain’t been no crystal stair. Source (s) "It's had tacks in it/ and splinters" The "staircase" of life has been filled with difficulties.The tacks and splinters represent hardships and moments that brought the mother pain. See Page 1. Well, son, I'll tell you: Life for me ain't been no crystal stair. The stair is bare. In the poem, Mother to Son, we can infer that splinters are meant to mean hard times or rough spots in life. So boy, don’t you turn back. It's had tacks in it, And splinters, And boards torn up, And places with no carpet on the floor— Bare. ’Cause you finds it’s kinder hard. Where there ain't been no light. These symbols, the tacks, the splinters, the bad carpet, and the ripped-up boards can all resemble erosion and desuetude. The poem describes the difficulties that black people face in a racist society, alluding to the many obstacles and dangers that racism throws in their way—obstacles and dangers that white people don’t have to face. Well, son, I'll tell you: Life for me ain't been no crystal stair. These references largely took the form of wording referring to pressing forward and not turning back. The following line, line seven ("Bare"), is a perfect rhyme with "stair" and the only line in the whole poem that is monosyllabic. What do the Tacks, and Splinters Symbolize? Here is the analysis of some of the poetic devices used in this poem. But all the time And turnin’ corners, And sometimes goin’ in the dark Where there ain't been no light. And boards torn up, I’se been a-climbin’ on, A metaphor is a literary device that compares one element to something else. But all the time . Interpretation Line(s) -Meaning Mother to Son - A message from a mother to her son. (2018). I'se been a-climbin' on, And reachin' landin's, And turnin' corners, And sometimes goin' in the dark. [6]:36 Her climb is also comparable to a quest, according to R. Baxter Miller. I’se still climbin’, Her metaphorical "staircase" of life has been difficult to climb: it has exposed tacks, splinters, gaps, and places where the carpet is completely worn down. - Contact Us - Privacy Policy - Terms and Conditions, Definition and Examples of Literary Terms. He considers the structure to provide "the folk diction and rhythm that make the woman real". It's had tacks in it, And splinters, And boards torn up, And places with no carpet on the floor— The lifestyle that the mother describes in this poem is reflective of the financial situations of African-Americans during the early 20th century. Compare that to the crystal stairway. [7] R. Baxter Miller writes that the "individual lines skillfully blend anapestic, iambic, and trochaic cadences". But all the time I’se been a-climbin’ on, And reachin’ landin’s, And turnin’ corners, And sometimes goin’ in the dark Where there ain’t been no light. So, boy, don't you turn back. And splinters, So boy, don't you turn back. These could include working long hours, losing a job, dealing with illness, watching a loved one die, or many other difficulties. But all the time. A careful glimpse at this literary analysis shows that Langston has skilfully employed these devices to express the sentiments of a mother and the reality of life. a life that has had many difficulties and challenges . The analysis of some of the literary devices used in this poem has been given below. Don't you set down on the steps 'Cause you finds it's kinder hard. An extended metaphor takes a comparison and carries it throughout an entire passage, like Hughes does with the staircase in the poem \"Mother to Son.\" Rather than mentioning the staircase once, the whole poem is based around the staircase and how it compares to life. So, boy, don't you turn back. It's had tacks in it, And splinters, And boards torn up, And places with no carpet on the floor— Bare. The obstacles that poverty creates for disadvantaged children can be observed through these lines. 2. The first two lines introduce the poem. The lack of carpeting leaves the staircase exposed and unprotected. It's had tacks in it, And splinters, And boards torn up, And places with no carpet on the floor— Bare. They both represent a mother’s pain and sufferings in her life being conveyed to her son.. The “tacks”, “splinters” and “boards torn up” represent the hard times and adversities in life. “Don’t you set down on the steps ’Cause you finds it’s kinder hard.”. Don’t you set down on the steps In this poem, "tacks," and "splinters," and "boards torn up" are all symbols for: run down housing . The most important, fundamental, basic, or immediate facts, priorities, or realities of a situation. So, boy, don't you turn back. While it is easy to conflate the writer and the speaker as the same person, this is … So boy, don’t you turn back. ‘Mother to Son’ by Langston Hughes was first published in December of 1922 in the magazine, Crisis.It was also included in Hughes’ collection, The Weary Blues, published four years later.This piece is one of his most popular and relatable. Don’t you set down on the steps ’Cause you finds it’s kinder hard. Don't you set down on the steps. Poetic voice is defined as the the imagined role an author assumes as the speaker of the poem. The phrase "crystal stair" refers to clarity and perfection without any obstacles which isn't the case for the persona and by using allegory, she elaborated that her life "had tacks in it, and splinters, and boards torn up" which in this poem illustrates the sharpness and discomfort of life's obstacle and s plinters represented the inflammatory pain and the difficulties in removing and overcoming this pain in … Finally the poem ends where it started, describing the climbing of the stair case. Langston Hughes was an American poet. (2-7). It's had tacks in it, And splinters, And boards torn up, And places with no carpet on the floor - Bare. [4] The linguist John Rickford considers Hughes's use of African-American Vernacular English to be representative of "a convention of dialect writing rather than an accurate depiction of African-American speech". It's had tacks in it, And splinters, And boards torn up, And places with no carpet on the floor—. The speaker’s stairway has had tacks and splinters in it. "[3] The scholars Regennia N. Williams and Carmaletta M. Williams consider "Mother to Son" to most closely represent Hughes's relationship with his grandmother, Mary Leary Langston. In Mexico, he became a wealthy landowner and lawy… Poetic and literary devices are the same, but a few are used only in poetry. Don't you set down on the steps. Since the staircase is a metaphor for life, the speaker is saying that in life you are not protected, there is no cushioning, you are exposed to the world, to society. Bare. Explanation: In the poem, “Mother to Son”, the inference of the words splinters and tacks are trying to mean the hardships and rough spots in the life of the mother that she encountered always. She goes on to urge her son to not "turn back", but breaks the pattern established in the two previous sections by only repeating the concept three times, instead of four. It's had tacks in it, And splinters, And boards torn up, And places with no carpet on the floor— Bare. So how does this imagery affect the meaning of the poem? It’s had tacks in it, And splinters, And boards torn up, And places with no carpet on the floor— Bare. I'se been a-climbin' on, And reachin' landin's, And turnin' corners, And sometimes goin' in the dark. One critic notes that "it seems as though the mother’s spartan accommodation, hardscrabble life, and unadorned language all converge on the word bare. In the first six lines, the words "stair" and "floor" are slant rhymes, meaning that they have similar sounds but are not 'perfect' rhymes. And places with no carpet on the floor— All Rights Reserved. [9][10] W. Jason Miller describes these references as "overt" and argues that Barack Obama "inadvertently" alluded to the poem in his speech at the 2008 Democratic National Convention.[10]. [2] The poem was published in 1926 in The Weary Blues.[3]. It's had tacks in it, And splinters, And boards torn up, And places with no carpet on the floor --Bare. Don't you set down on the steps. So, boy, don't you turn back. [1] His poem "Mother to Son" was first published in 1922 in The Crisis. However, she still climbs on, reaching landings, turning corners, and persevering in the dark when there is no light. Hughes was born in in 1902 in Joplin, Missouri, to James Nathaniel and Carrie Mercer Langston Hughes, who separated shortly after their son’s birth. She first describes the struggles she has faced and then urges him to continue moving forward. Hughes’s mother had attended college, while his father, who wanted to become a lawyer, took correspondence courses in law. Langston has also employed some literary devices in this poem to show the courage and optimism of a mother. It’s had tacks in it, And splinters, And boards torn up, And places with no carpet on the floor— Bare. Well, son, I'll tell you: Life for me ain't been no crystal stair. Bare. But all the time I'se been a-climbin' on, And reachin' landin's, And turnin' corners, And sometimes goin' in the dark Where there ain't been no light. In S. D. Hatch (Ed. [6]:35, Martin Luther King Jr., an American civil rights activist and leader, referenced "Mother to Son" at least thirteen times in his public appearances, including during his "I Have a Dream" speech. The tacks and splinters may be thought of as figurative perils one could find on a real stairway in a broken, rundown building. Here are all the word lists to support the reading of Grade 11 Unit 5's texts from SpringBoard's Common Core ELA … But all the time I'se been a-climbin' on, 10 And reachin' landin's, And turnin' corners, And sometimes goin' in the dark Where there ain't been no light. Denied a chance to take the Oklahoma bar exam, Hughes’s father went first to Missouri and then, still unable to become a lawyer, left his wife and son to move first to Cuba and then to Mexico. So boy, don’t you turn back. Well, son, I’ll tell you: Life for me ain’t been no crystal stair. So boy, don'tyou turn back. But all the time I'se been a-climbin' on, And reachin' landin's, And turnin' corners, And sometimes goin' in the dark Where there ain't been no light. Readers of all backgrounds can come to this poem and feel themselves either in the shoes of the child or the mother, or perhaps both. Langston 2/1/1902 -- 5/22/1967 and turnin ' corners, and places with no carpet on floor—. And turnin ' corners, and places with no carpet on the steps Cause., she still climbs on, and reachin ' landin 's, and splinters may be thought of as perils. Courage and optimism of a situation you set down on the floor— Bare climb is also comparable to a,. 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