Why langston hughes wrote mother to son

Here, the second line of the poem has been repeated where the mother says that life has not been a smooth and easy journey for her. Summary: The poem is a monologue by a mother where she is speaking to her son. The mother tells her son that life has never been easy or free of difficulties.

It has never been a smooth ride. She compares the journey of life to the upward climb on a staircase and says it has not been smooth like crystal. She talks about the various difficulties that one has to face in life like the broken parts and uncarpeted floors that make climbing a staircase difficult.

Despite all the challenges the mother kept moving forward and also faced times of confusion and uncertainty. She tells the boy to do the same and have the courage to move forward without ever turning back.

The mother also tells her son to not be misled or lose hope. She inspires her son by saying that she has always strived for a better life and even he must continue to do so.

Theme: The poem has been written in the early 20th century when the African Americans were under oppression and racial injustice. In the poem, the mother teaches her son about strength and courage. She tells him that one must possess the courage to move forward in life in spite of all the difficulties that might come his way. So, the main theme of the poem is that of perseverance. From the creators of SparkNotes, something better. Literature Poetry Lit Terms Shakescleare.

Download this LitChart! Question about this poem? Ask us. Cite This Page. Mother to Son Full Text. Lines It gathers to a greatness, like the ooze of oil Crushed. Everything you need for every book you read. I believe that this is the main theme of the poem, perseverance. The author most likely wrote the poem for the African American audience because it is written in an African American slang during the Harlem Renaissance. However, any minority group can relate to this creation because it is about people who are going through a difficult time.

Hughes describes the. She explains that even though life has given her many hardships, she continues forward and she urges her son to do the same. The theme. This literary era between the s to mids was a literary, artistic, and intellectual movement that created a breakthrough for black identity.

This greatly affected Hughes work where he would write about life as an African American. The mother is giving crucial advice about life influenced. However, while pursuing a dream its easy for one to lose sight of why they started in the first place.