Mother To Son

Life. What a simple word, yet it is probably the most difficult thing known. People have many problems they go through and not necessarily ones they share. Never mistake a smile for happiness. Mother to Son by Langston Hughes is one of the most appreciated poems around for a reason. What can be implied by the title, is that it is a poem about a mother speaking to her son. But as you read further, is that really the case? It can be interpreted in many ways and no single one is solely correct. And that just adds to the poems beauty. 


Life for me ain't been no crystal stair. 
The crystal stair, for what it may or may not be representing, is a perfect life. When I think of crystal, I think of beauty, perfection. Flawlessness. Of course, no one is perfect, thus no life will ever be perfect. But this particular woman's life must have been one of the hardest of all. Her stairs can be described as having: 
Tacks in it, 
And splinters, 
And boards torn up, 
And places with no carpet on the floor- 
Bare. 
She's been through a lot of pain. There have been obstacles which have made her life harder to get on with, making the journey harder. She's had no luxuries to make the climb smoother and less hurtful as carpet can provide. It isn't necessary, but it is a luxury some people are lucky enough to have. Unfortunately, she was not as lucky and she was unable to have these luxuries. She had to deal with life- or her climb up the stairs- for what it really was. And that would include all the pain and misfortune being felt.


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. 
The strongest person, will not be the person who works out at the gym 24/7, but the person who keeps going in life. Their motivation, whatever it may be, will keep them going. No matter what life throws at them, they're still going, aiming for that goal. It makes them stronger knowing that they're still going and they aren't giving up and that truly is my inspiration from this poem.


So don't give up. "For I'se still climbin', And life for me ain't been no crystal stair."