How Does Langston Hughes Use Literary Devices In Mother To Son

In Langston Hughes’ poem “Mother to Son” a mother, through whom Hughes intends to address struggling adolescents, is giving advice to her young son. She tells him of the hardships she has experienced throughout her life and entails that he will likely follow a similar path. Hughes utilizes various literary devices in order to reveal that one should persevere through their suffering.
In her monologue, the mother informs her audience that their lives will inevitably be difficult. She does so through an extended metaphor, explaining that “[l]ife for [her] ain’t been no crystal stair” (line 2). The mother contrasts her life with a crystal staircase to tell that she has not had her life handed to her; she has had to work for anything she has earned

and it has been strenuous. When describing her own life, the mother states, “It’s had tacks in it / And splinters/And boards torn up” (lines 3-5).

Tacks and splinters both have negative connotations because they have the ability to inflict pain. If one were to step on a tack or splinter, he would experience a small and sharp, yet continuous pain. In the context of the mother’s life, they represent the agony she has endured. Because of her near insufferable experiences, the mother can vouch that being put through stressful situations will create a more self-sufficient person. The “boards torn up” are a metaphor for the things she feels are missing from her life, such as a wasted opportunity or a tough loss. When a board is torn from the floor, the floor in its entirety is damaged and is no longer smooth and perfect. Its boards are torn up, and it has multiple holes, cracks and splinters. The mother makes her point that life can be exhausting yet again when she refers to her extensive ordeals in “[p]laces with no carpet on the floor” describing them as “[b]are” (lines 6-7). Hughes intentionally isolates the word “bare” in order to convey that the mother’s life was lived seemingly without

purpose. Her use of the phrase “no carpet on the floor” implies that she has lived a life with no cushion. In this instance, the carpet is a metaphor for something or someone to rely on. A floor without carpet is hard and rough and to collapse onto it would hurt. However, having nothing to fall back on eventually helps a person to develop because he will learn to depend upon only himself. Although the speaker wishes she could be there to support her audience at all times, she knows that there will be times in their lives when they will feel alone, and will need to know that they are strong enough to withstand them. The mother suggests that her audience be be prepared to endure the obstacles that life will bring on through her use of metaphor and diction as well as other literary devices.
The mother later emphasizes that her life has been extremely difficult, but that with determination, she was able to continue on.

After going into the jarring details of the hardships she has faced, she asserts, “But all the time/I’se been a climin’ on” (lines 8-9). The enjambment at the end of line 8 represents the ceaseless frustration and difficulties she has experienced. Because of her life’s erratic nature, she was never aware of where it would take her next. Through this enjambment, she is able to convey that although there may be some times that are more strenuous than others, they will eventually improve; however, this is only true if one should choose to proceed through them. Another example of her determination is when she explains how she has coped with her struggles and states, “I’se been a-climin’ on/And reachin’ landin’s/And turnin’ corners/And sometimes goin’ in the dark” (lines 9-12). Here, the mother uses the anaphora of ‘and’ in order to point out that life will always go on. She uses “landin’s” in order to demonstrate this as well. In the context of a staircase, a landing is a flat area between two sets of stairs. Though she has sometimes been able to catch a break, she is always aware of the seemingly bleak trek ahead, and is now able to pass on her wisdom to a younger generation. She uses “corners,” and “goin’ in the dark,” to communicate that the future is always unknown. One can never know what will be waiting for him around a corner, nor what he is to

encounter as he ventures into the dark. If one is not willing to take the next step because of his fear, he will never be able to achieve his full potential. The mother uses anaphora, diction and enjambment in order to accentuate how she has benefited from conquering her fears and obstacles, and to encourage her audience to do the same .
In his poem, Hughes uses the mother’s experience to warn his audience of the struggles they will inescapably face all through their lives. He achieves this by speaking through the voice of a mother who is addressing her son and employing several literary devices. By including the experiences of the mother in the poem, Hughes aims to further inspire his audience to keep going no matter how hard life gets.