“Mother to Son” is a poem by Langston Hughes. It was first published in 1922 in The Crisis, a magazine dedicated to promoting civil rights in the United States, and was later collected in Hughes’s first book The Weary Blues (1926). 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. At the same time, the poem argues that Black people can overcome these difficulties through persistence, resilience, and mutual support.
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The Full Text of “Mother to Son”
1Well, son, I’ll tell you:
2Life for me ain’t been no crystal stair.
3It’s had tacks in it,
4And splinters,
5And boards torn up,
6And places with no carpet on the floor—
7Bare.
8But all the time
9I’se been a-climbin’ on,
10And reachin’ landin’s,
11And turnin’ corners,
12And sometimes goin’ in the dark
13Where there ain’t been no light.
14So boy, don’t you turn back.
15Don’t you set down on the steps
16’Cause you finds it’s kinder hard.
17Don’t you fall now—
18For I’se still goin’, honey,
19I’se still climbin’,
20And life for me ain’t been no crystal stair.
The Full Text of “Mother to Son”
1Well, son, I’ll tell you:
2Life for me ain’t been no crystal stair.
3It’s had tacks in it,
4And splinters,
5And boards torn up,
6And places with no carpet on the floor—
7Bare.
8But all the time
9I’se been a-climbin’ on,
10And reachin’ landin’s,
11And turnin’ corners,
12And sometimes goin’ in the dark
13Where there ain’t been no light.
14So boy, don’t you turn back.
15Don’t you set down on the steps
16’Cause you finds it’s kinder hard.
17Don’t you fall now—
18For I’se still goin’, honey,
19I’se still climbin’,
20And life for me ain’t been no crystal stair.
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“Mother to Son” Summary
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“Mother to Son” Themes
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Racism and Perseverance
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Line-by-Line Explanation & Analysis of “Mother to Son”
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Lines 1-2
Well, son, I’ll tell you:
Life for me ain’t been no crystal stair. -
Lines 3-7
It’s had tacks in it,
And splinters,
And boards torn up,
And places with no carpet on the floor—
Bare. -
Lines 8-13
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. -
Lines 14-16
So boy, don’t you turn back.
Don’t you set down on the steps
’Cause you finds it’s kinder hard. -
Lines 17-20
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.
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“Mother to Son” Symbols
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Crystal Stair
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“Mother to Son” Poetic Devices & Figurative Language
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End-Stopped Line
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Enjambment
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Alliteration
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Assonance
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Extended Metaphor
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Polysyndeton
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Anaphora
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Refrain
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“Mother to Son” Vocabulary
Select any word below to get its definition in the context of the poem. The words are listed in the order in which they appear in the poem.
- Crystal Stair
- Tacks
- Splinters
- Boards
- I'se
- A-Climbin'
- Landin's
- Kinder
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Form, Meter, & Rhyme Scheme of “Mother to Son”
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Form
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Meter
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Rhyme Scheme
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“Mother to Son” Speaker
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“Mother to Son” Setting
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Literary and Historical Context of “Mother to Son”
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More “Mother to Son” Resources
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External Resources
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Into to the Harlem Renaissance — A detailed history of the Harlem Renaissance—with links to other Harlem Renaissance writers and texts—from the Poetry Foundation.
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The Weary Blues — An article from the Academy of American Poets on The Weary Blues, Langston Hughes's first book of poems, which collected "Mother to Son."
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Langston Hughes's Life Story — A detailed biography of the from the Poetry Foundation.
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Hughes and the Harlem Renaissance — An article on Langston Hughes's influence on the Harlem Renaissance.
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The Poem Read Aloud — The actress Viola Davis and the poet Langston Hughes both recite "Mother to Son."
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LitCharts on Other Poems by Langston Hughes
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