Like all writers, langston hughes chooses words carefully and organizes them to share his insights with you, his reader. A metaphor is a comparison of two unlike itemsideas not using the words. His and marys daughter caroline known as carrie became a schoolteacher and married james nathaniel hughes. Langston hughes mother to son slideshow presentation 1 title slide 24 how to set up your interactive notebook 5 dreams poem by langston hughes 6 repetition 7 imagery 8 mother to son poem by langston hughes 9 title 10 langston hughes quote 11 vernacular 12. Mother to son langston hughes poem activities digital. Mother to son by langston hughes is a short address from a nameless mother to her son. It was first published in the magazine crisis in 1922. But all the time ise been aclimbin on,and reachin landins,and turnin corners,and sometimes goin in. Mother to son by langston hughes in this poem, hughes writes about a mother speaking to her son about lifes experiences. Mother to son by langston hughes is a monologue that conveys the idea of hope through simple imagery. I need help with a summary andor analysis of the poem mother to son by langston hughes. Biography of langston hughes james langston hughes was born february 1, 1902, in joplin, missouri. How do diction and imagery reinforce the theme in mother. After their marriage, charles langston moved with his family to kansas, where he was active as an educator and activist for voting and rights for african americans.
Langston hughes 19021967 was an american poet, activist, novelist, and playwright. Link in pdf these pdf and digital mother to son poem activities part of my langston hughes poem activities bundle will help students analyze extended metaphor, character, and theme in langston hughes beloved poem. A closer look at mother to son by jody pittock, cathy a. But all the time ise been aclimbin on, and reachin landins, and turnin corners, and sometimes. Mother to son the speaker of the poem mother to son, by langston hughes is a mother who is giving advice to her son. Create a miniargument in which you form a claim that explains the main difference. Mother to son langston hughes well, son, ill tell you. The theme of the poem can be depicted as a moral that one should have a solid. Langston hughes was a prominent writer during the harlem renaissance. Finish up by explaining why she is so insistent in lines 1720. As readers, we know this because the speaker talks about how life is a staircase and her staircase has had tacks and splinters in it line 34. Im not as scared as i used to be about somebody taking me. The imagery is chosen as the intrinsic element of literature and society as an extrinsic element of the poem.
If i hadnt had the girl with me, ma, we might have talked. The speaker, a mother, tells her son that though her life has had many challenges, she has continued to move forward, never giving up. Langston hughes mother to son poem analysis common theme mother to son, one of langston hughes s earliest poems, speaks on behalf of a weary mother about the concept of perseverance. The powerful message about a mother s love duration. This file includes printable pdf worksheets as well as a digital version. The crystal stair award has been established by school of social work to recognize natural social workers volunteers and professionals from any discipline who have worked passionately for social justice and. Save 20% by purchasing all the above items in this langston hughes poetry unit. Mother to son by langston hughes narration by viola. Mother to son langston hughes by pratishtha kumar on prezi. And reachin landins, symbolism tacks point of view theme symbolism imagery and turnin corners and sometimes goin in the dark. An opinion writing unit this 5lesson unit uses mother to son and a portrait to emphasize facts and opinions.
Both standards will be intentionally taught, discussed and practiced in. In lines 14 17, she is determined to let her son know. It starts off with the mother recounts to who we can surmise is her son, the she has suffered a variety of calamities in her life, telling him how her life aint been no crystal stair. Mother to son langston hughes digital poem activities. Mother to son langston hughes recites famous harlem renaissance poem duration. It had a long strap, and she carried it slung across her shoulder. A heavy georgia spring filled the morning air with sunshine and earthperfumes. In this dexterous use of fictional devices such as uncommon language, symbolism, images, repetition, in addition to the wise use of format, the author achieves to bring together the image of a mother lovingly. Langston hughes mother to son poem analysis common theme mother to son, one of langston hughess earliest poems, speaks on. Langston hughes, a famous american poet and columnist, wrote the poem mother to son as a famous dramatic monologue.
While there are difficult times, you must keep moving like you would while walking up a staircase. Mother to son by langston hughes about this poet langston hughes was a central figure in the harlem renaissance, the flowering of black intellectual, literary, and artistic life that took place in the 1920s in a number of american cities, particularly harlem. It was about eleven oclock at night, and she was walking alone, when a boy ran up behind her and tried to snatch her purse. Mother to son is a twenty line poem that is contained within one stanza of text. Figurative language common core standards elaliteracyrl61 cite textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text elaliteracyrl62 determine a theme or central idea of a text and how it is. Its had tacks in it,and splinters,and boards torn up,and places with no carpet on the floor bare. These pdf and digital mother to son poem activities part of my langston hughes poem activities bundle will help students analyze extended metaphor, character, and theme in langston hughes beloved poem. For further study mother to son was first published in the magazine crisis in december of 1922 and reappeared in langston hughes s first collection of poetry, the weary blues in 1926. The poem is a shorter poem written with ethnic dialect, and paints a picture of life as a beat up staircase, representing the hardship that. Mother to son by langston hughes poetry analysis essay. Save 20% by purchasing all items in the langston hughes poetry unit. This poem is from the perspective of a mother who uses the metaphor of stairs to describe her life to her son. Langston hughes lesson plans and teaching ideas free english learning and teaching resources from varsity tutors.
For ise still goin, honey, ise still climbin stairs crystal stair other. Lessons in this unit include the harlem renaissance and langston hughes, langston hughes mother to son, langston hughes harlem dream deferred, and langston hughes the negro speaks of rivers. The mother is not satisfied with just telling her son her story. Dear ma, i felt like a dog, passing you downtown last night and not speaking to you. A major poet, hughes also wrote novels, short stories, essays, and plays. Mother to son by langston hughes poetry foundation. The poem is about a mother giving advice to her son. He is also considered one of the leaders of the harlem renaissance, which was the cultural, social, and artistic movement of black artists that took place in harlem between the end of. After reading mother to son and an informational text on metaphors, write an essay for our class literary magazine in which you discuss how langston hughes use of metaphors contributes to an understanding of the theme of this poem.
Langston hughes cort person educaton in or ts tes a rts resere responding to literature preassessment 12 poetry has been defined as putting the best possible words in the best possible order. The elements tone point of view theme the theme is perseverance. But all the time ise been aclimbin on, and reachin landins, and turnin corners, and sometimes goin in the dark where there aint been no light. Mother to son by langston hughes uses the metaphor of a staircase to depict the difficulties and dangers one will face in life.
Well son ill tell youlife for me aint been no crystal stair. Mother to son name name of institution mother to son mother to son is a poem by langston hughes that demonstrates the concern and love that a mother has for her child, studentshare our website is a unique platform where students can share their papers in a. He is also considered one of the leaders of the harlem renaissance. Didnt give me a sign that you even knew me, let alone i was your son. In mother to son, a mother is urging her son to keep striving with assurance to have a more prosperous life than she had. Mother to son by langston hughes, famous family poem. The whole theme of langston hughes s mother to son is that it is necessary to keep working hard, to keep climbing, in order to get ahead.
Mother to son by langston hughes welcome to our presentation on the poem and the harlem renaissance by rebekah frye, erin curran, and tricia barnes 2. The diction choice of words and imagery of the poem. The reader gains a sense of sympathy for the mother as she tells her son about her misfortunes from the past. Langston hughes was born in joplin, missouri in 1902.
He was a wellknown poet during the harlem renaissance. A crystal stair serves as the central image of the poem mother to son by the 20th century african american poet langston hughes. In the poem mother to son, what is the tone of the mothers voice. By langston hughes she was a large woman with a large purse that had everything in it but hammer and nails. No alterations of any type may be made to this selection without the explicit permission of the holder. Too in this audio file langston hughes reads some introductory comments and the poem. Prose analysis with twist common core standards elaliteracyrl61 cite textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text elaliteracyrl62 determine a theme or central idea of a text and how it is conveyed. She tells her son about the challenges in her life, and challenges him to keep going, even when the going gets hard. Mother to son by langston hughes poetry andas translation. Mother to son analysis literary devices and poetic devices. Its had tacks in it, and splinters, and boards torn up, and places with no. The speaker of mother to son distinguishes between two different kinds of. To help you develop your claim, you may want to use one of the following.
In conclusion, hughes through this moving poem mother to son empowers the son and the reader with valuable words of wisdom. Mother to son langston hughes theme relating to life paraphrase langston hughes uses many different techniques including mood, poetic devices, syntax, etc. Analysis of mother to son by langston hughes poem analysis. Son a closer look at mother to literacy design collaborative. Mother to son by langston hughes english literature essay. Langston hughes, mother to son from the collected works of langston hughes. Father and son by langston hughes i colonel thomas norwood stood in his doorway at the big house looking down the dusty plantation road.
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