Ch.

1 Mother to son

Mother to Son
Summary
ln the poem "Mother to Son", a mother tells her son t.hat he will face many troubles and
challenges in life, and in spite ofall these adversities he must overcome them and keep going.
The mother compares thejourney mmfLU7Jl life to ascending a · . She says that for her
life has not been a · made ofcrystal. Rather it has been quite rough with protruding
nails and pieces ofwoodjutting out, boards tom up and places where the carpet was missing.
However, she has kq,t climbing, through · , comers and 11""'..,""" in spite of such
disconforts. She then asks the boy to walk in herfootsteps and keep movingforward without
t,..,.,,,,·.,,.., back or giving up because he finds the journey arduous. She wants him to take
inspirationfrom thefact that she is still going steady despite her life's hardships.

Mother to Son

~cstions and Answers

O!,; Who is speaking in the poem and to whom arc the words addressed?
Ans. A mother is speaking in the poem and her words arc addressed to her son.
~: What docs the speaker compare her life to?
Ans. The speaker compares her life to a flight ofworn down, dimly-lit stairs.
Q:3,. What does the speaker encounter under the stairs?
Ans. The speaker rncounkrs tacks, splinters, holes, bare boards, and patches of
darkness on the stairs.

~estions and Answers

Q!; Who is speaking in the poem and to whom are the words addressed?
Ans. A mother is speaking in the poem and her words are addressed to her son.
~ What does the speaker compare her life to?
Ans. The speaker compares her life to a.flight ofworn down, dimly-lit stairs.
03,. What does the speaker encounter under the stairs?
Ans. The speaker encounters tacks, splinters, holes, bare boards, and patches of
darkness on the stairs.
(4. Even though there have been obstacles in the way, what has the speaker
done to continue herjourney ?
Ans. She has kept dimhing up.
Qs,. Which three pieces ofadvice does the speaker give the boy?
Ans. The three pieces ofadvice the speaker gives to the listener in the poem are:
Don't tum back; don't sit down, and don'tfall
Q§. Which sentences are repeated in the poem?
Ans. The line, 'Lifefor me ain't been no crystal stair.' is repeated. The speaker also
repeats the message that she hasn't given up with the similar lines: Tse been
a-climhin' on' and 'l'se still dim.bin".

Qz. Which line is the shortest? Why do you think the poet made this line so
short?
Ans. The one-word line, 'Bare.' is the shortest. l think it is a starkfact that her life
has been hard, empty, and without con-forts. Another reason maybe
that she wanted lo pul emphasis on the word.
~- What is the mother's experience oflife?
Ans. Life for the mother has been very d@rult but she has not given up. Perhaps,
she wishes to share her experience with her son and encourages him to never
give up.

'29. Why do you think she is telling her son about her life in this way?
Ans. 1n the poem, she is telling her son about her life in this way because she
wants to encourage him to keep going and overcome the obstacles that he is
facing. By sharing her hardships with him, she hopes to help him overcome
his own challenges.