1. Mother to Son by: Langston Hughes

2. Biography of Langston Hughes
He was born in Joplin, Missouri, James Langston Hughes He attended Central High School in Cleveland, Ohio, where he began writing poetry in the eighth grade.

3. His father would discourage him from pursuing writing as a career, in favor of something 'more practical'. Langston's tuition fees to Columbia University were paid on the grounds that he study engineering. After a while, he dropped out of the degree course, but continued to write poetry. His first published poem, The Negro Speaks of Rivers. He received a scholarship to Lincoln University, in Pennsylvania, where he received his B.A. degree in He was a prolific writer.

4. I can…. By using the content, I can predict the outcome of the poem.
I can use visualization to imagine what is happening in the story.
I can make inferences about the meaning in the poem.
I can determine the speaker in the poem.

5. - E.E. Cummings, “who knows if the moon’s”
Metaphor Review
A metaphor is a comparison of two things that have some quality in common. Unlike a simile, a metaphor does not contain an explicit word of comparison, such as like or as. To what is the moon being compared in the following lines?
who knows if the moon’s a balloon, coming out of a keen city in the sky – filled with pretty people?
- E.E. Cummings, “who knows if the moon’s”

6. Mother to Son by: Langston Hughes
Voices off!
1. what do you think this poem will be about?

7. Mother to Son by: Langston Hughes
Student sharing:

8. Mother to Son by: Langston Hughes
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.

9. Mother to Son by: Langston Hughes
Voices off! 2. what do you think is going on in the poem?

10. Mother to Son by: Langston Hughes
Student sharing:

11. Mother to Son by: Langston Hughes
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.

12. Mother to Son by: Langston Hughes
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

13. Mother to Son by: Langston Hughes
Voices off!
3. what do you think is happening now in the poem?

14. Mother to Son by: Langston Hughes
Student sharing:

15. Mother to Son by: Langston Hughes
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.

16. Mother to Son by: Langston Hughes
Don’t you fall now – For I’se still goin’, honey, I’se still climbin’,

17. Mother to Son by: Langston Hughes
Voices off! 4. how will this story end?

18. Mother to Son by: Langston Hughes
Student sharing:

19. Well, son, I’ll tell you: Life for me ain’t been no crystal stair
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’,

20. 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.

21. Mother to Son by: Langston Hughes
Voices off! 5. What do you think of the ending?

22. Mother to Son by: Langston Hughes
Write a 4-line stanza that would pick up from the end of the original poem and finish it, with the son’s response.

23. Mother to Son by: Langston Hughes
Student sharing: Mother to Son Audio

24. Mother to Son by: Langston Hughes
6. How old is the mother?
7. How old is the son?
8. Does age matter?
9. Could this conversation be shared between the two more than once? Why or why not?
10. Is this advice important? Why or why not?

25. Speaker
The voice the reader “hears” while reading the poem – like the narrator in a short story – is called the Speaker. In some poems, the speaker expresses the feelings of the poet. When reading a poem, it is usually important to get a sense of who the speaker is in order to fully understand the work.

26. Another poem/song of advice “Umbrella” by Rihanna
Without speaking, write out these answers:
From what you already know…..What will this poem/song be about?
2. What is the poem’s advice?
3. Who is the speaker?
4. Who is the listener?

27. Create a poem filled with advice!
Who do you want to give advice to? (sibling, friend, parent)
What is the purpose of your poem?
What do you hope to help your audience do?
This poem should be 7-10 sentences long.

28. Idea Suggestions….
You are a coach during time-out at a basketball game with five seconds left to play and your team is losing by one point.
You are a mom walking into a messy room after she has asked four times to have it cleaned up.
You are a student who forgot to do today’s math homework and is trying to get a classmate to share their answers.

29. Additional Idea Suggestions…
You are a pet lover and are giving advice for the caretaker on to handle a pet while you are gone on vacation.