Mother to son



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.

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### Key Themes and Analysis:

1. **Metaphor of Struggle**: The "crystal stair" symbolizes an easy, privileged life, while the mother’s stair—filled with *tacks*, *splinters*, and *darkness*—represents systemic hardships like poverty and racism .

2. **Resilience**: The mother’s repeated climb embodies perseverance despite obstacles, urging her son to persist .

3. **Historical Context**: Written during the Harlem Renaissance, the poem reflects African American resilience amid oppression .

4. **Dialect and Tone**: Hughes uses African American Vernacular English (AAVE) to authentically voice the mother’s wisdom and lived experience .