1. The Poetry of Langston Hughes
“Mother to Son”
“Dreams”
“A Dream Deferred”
Language of Literature (Green Book) – P. 192 (“Mother to Son”)
Mirrors & Windows (Purple Book)– P. 481 (“Dreams”)
Mirrors & Windows (Purple Book)– P. 484 (“A Dream Deferred”)

2. Essential Question #1
How can readers distinguish between a poem’s author and a poem’s speaker?
The poet is the poem's author; he/she is the physical writer of the poem. The poem's speaker is the voice that speaks the poem's words--the individual who is presenting the idea through the poem. Sometimes, they are the same, but most often, they are not. In many cases, the poem's speaker is not obvious and is considered to be unknown.

3. Langston Hughes 1902-1967 Major poet during Harlem Renaissance
Writing focuses on
themes related to the
African-American
experience

4. “Mother to Son” Language of Literature (Green Book) – P
“Mother to Son” Language of Literature (Green Book) – P. 192 Facing Life’s Challenges
What kind of problems do people experience?
What kinds of barriers are difficult for them to overcome?

5. Copy the chart in your notes
Copy the chart in your notes. As you read, record your inferences about the speaker.
In order to understand the speaker of a poem, you need to make inferences –logical guesses or conclusions- based on clues in the poem.
Clue
Inference
The title is “Mother to Son”
The speaker is a woman.

6. Mother to Son 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.

7. SOAPS Title of Poem: “Mother to Son” Author & Facts: Langston Hughes
had a difficult life
wrote during the Harlem Renaissance
Subject: keep trying to overcome life’s struggles
Occasion: personal experience of life in Harlem
Audience: general audience; other African Americans
Purpose: to encourage readers to keep trying in life
Speaker: a mother is speaking to her son

8. Essential Question #2
Why do writers use figurative language like similes and metaphors in their poetry?
Writers use metaphors and similes to invite the reader to make a comparison between two unlike things and to note a surprising characteristic they share.

9. “Dreams” and “A Dream Deferred”
Think about goals you have set for yourself but are not sure you can achieve. How does the possibility of failure make you feel? What if someone told you that you couldn’t achieve your goals and dreams?

10. “Dreams” and “A Dream Deferred”
Mirrors & Windows (Purple Book)– P. 481
The poem “Dreams” warns of what happens when goals fall by the wayside.
Mirrors & Windows (Purple Book)– P. 484
The poem “A Dream Deferred” illustrates what could happen if you choose to put off your dreams or procrastinate.
As you read, think about how the speaker’s advice might influence their outlooks toward their futures.

11. Post-Reading Text to Text Connection
What similarities do you see between the poems “Dreams” and “A Dream Deferred”?
How are the poems different?
Use evidence from the poems to support your answers.

12. Figurative Language
Rhyme – the repetition of sounds at the ends of words (ex. soon, moon)
Free Verse – does not use consistent rhymes or rhythms
Imagery – language that enables the reader to create an image of an object or experience (ex. “white cattle under trees” and “midsummer moths”)
Repetition – a sound, word, phrase or line is repeated for effect or emphasis

13. Figurative Language
Alliteration – the repetition of consonant sounds at the beginning of words (ex. bright, blue bottle)
Simile – compares two things using “like” or “as” (She is as tall as a skyscraper.)
Metaphor – compares two things without using “like” or “as” (My house is a zoo.)
Personification – when something that is not human is described as if it were human (“I love bright words, words up and singing early;)

14. SOAPS Title of Poem: “Dreams” Author & Facts: Langston Hughes
Wrote during the Harlem Renaissance
Wrote about African-American life themes
Subject: keep trying to achieve your dreams
Occasion: personal experience
Audience: general audience; other African Americans
Purpose: to show you cannot live to your full potential if you let your dreams die
Speaker: unknown narrator-possibly poet

15. SOAPS Title of Poem: “A Dream Deferred”
Author & Facts: Langston Hughes
Lived a hard life
Knew that many African Americans felt dreams were the only thing they had
Subject: warning to people to not give up on their dreams or wait until later to achieve them
Occasion: personal experience
Audience: general audience; other African Americans
Purpose: to deny your dream is to deny your hope for a better future
Speaker: unknown narrator-possibly poet

16. Follow-up: Life Lessons
Choose one of the three poems by Langston Hughes. In your notes, write the life lesson that can be gained from reading this poem. Briefly describe the poem to help support your choice of lesson.