Question

Please asap and clear answer 40 points

Read the poem "Mother to Son" by Langston Hughes. Then, answer the question that follows.

Well, son, I'll tell you:
Life for me ain't been no crystal stair.
It's had tacks in it,
And splinters,
And boards torn up,
And places with no carpet on the floor—
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.
So boy, don't you turn back.
Don't you set down on the steps
'Cause you finds it's kinder hard.
Don't you fall now—
For I'se still goin', honey,
I'se still climbin',
And life for me ain't been no crystal stair.

In a paragraph of four or five sentences, explain how the theme of "Mother to Son" is developed through figurative language. Your response should


state the theme in a complete sentence
provide examples of figurative language from the text that support the theme
explain how your examples of figurative language relate to the theme

Answer 1

A paragraph of four or five sentences that explains how the theme of "Mother to Son" is developed through figurative language.

• The theme of "Mother to Son" is that life is hard, but it is important to keep going. The mother uses figurative language to develop this theme, such as the metaphor of life as a staircase. The staircase is a difficult climb, with tacks, splinters, and bare spots. However, the mother keeps climbing, and she encourages her son to do the same. The figurative language helps to make the poem more vivid and memorable, and it also helps to convey the mother's message of hope and perseverance.

Some specific examples of figurative language from the text that support the theme:

• Metaphor: "Life for me ain't been no crystal stair." The staircase is a metaphor for life. It is a difficult climb, but it is important to keep going.
• Simile: "It's had tacks in it, and splinters." The tacks and splinters represent the hardships and challenges of life.
• Personification: "But all the time I'se been a-climbin' on." The staircase is personified, giving it the ability to climb. This helps to emphasize the difficulty of the climb.

These are just a few examples of how figurative language is used in "Mother to Son" to develop the theme of life as a difficult but worthwhile journey.