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 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.
1.What words or phrases are used to extend the comparison?
2. What images indicate that the joruney through life has been difficult?
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Here is a good website to use for finding the meanings and examples of various literary terms, including comparison (metaphor), imagery, etc.
http://www.tnellen.com/cybereng/lit_terms/terms/
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1. The speaker uses "and" to extend the comparison/
2. We can tell that the journey has been diffcult because she compares it to walking on a staircase with tacks, splinters, torn-up, and in the dark.
1. The words and phrases used to extend the comparison of life being difficult are "tacks," "splinters," "boards torn up," "places with no carpet on the floor," and "life for me ain't been no crystal stair." These words and phrases highlight the obstacles and hardships that the mother has faced in her life.
2. The images that indicate the journey through life has been difficult include "tacks in it," "splinters," "boards torn up," "places with no carpet on the floor," and "where there ain't been no light." These images illustrate the challenging and rough conditions the mother has encountered on her path.