Life for me ain't been no crystal stair. Life for me ain’t been no crystal stair." So boy, don’t you turn back. What is the meaning of life for me Ain't been no crystal stair? However, she still climbs on, reaching landings, turning corners, and persevering in the dark when there is no light. Therefore, it can be said that this line is a refrain. Symbolism is the use of specific symbols to denote concepts and perceptions. For instance the line, “life for me ain’t been no crystal stair” reappears twice in the poem with exactly the same expressions. (…) And places with no carpet on the floor— Bare. The first words, “Well, son, I’ll tell you:” sets up the conversation as informal but also important. 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. Life for me ain’t been no crystal stair. b. she wishes she had a crystal staircase in her house. If you’re a human longing for a fairer, more equal world, I’d argue the above poem is as relevant today as it was the moment Hughes first typed it … She explains to the son that life has never been easy for her. If you’re a writer or simply a marketer that understands the power of the written word, Hughes is worth studying. The stair is bare. Symbolism. The literal meaning of the word is different from the figurative meaning. - "Mother to Son" by Langston Hughes. The poem opens with the mother speaking to her son or like she is answering a question that he might have asked. She clearly has something she needs to … With this storyboard, students should choose 3-5 important lines from the text and depict their figurative meaning. The mother says to her son that life has not been a “crystal stair” – it has had tacks and splinters and torn boards on it, as well as places without carpet. In the first section of lines, Hughes begins with the speaker addressing her son. Below each image, have students provide a brief explanation of the image they chose to represent. For example, “Life for me ain’t been no crystal stair”, “And places with no carpet on the floor” and “Don’t you set down on the steps.” Allusions: Allusion is a belief and an indirect reference to a person, place, thing or idea of a historical, cultural, political or literary significance. The mother says her life has not been a smooth ride. The speaker in Langston Hughes’s poem “Mother to Son” says that for her, “Life for me ain’t been no crystal stair,” meaning that a. she knows that life should be like a beautiful story. The metaphor "life for me ain't been no crystal stair" in Langston Hughes'Mother to Son poem represents how life isn't easy and that you have to keep going. What do the Tacks, and Splinters Symbolize? Here ‘crystal stair’ symbolizes smoothness or beauty. It’s had tacks in it, And splinters, And boards torn up, And places with no carpet on the floor— Bare. 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