vocabulary
A small thin sharp piece of wood, that has broken off a larger piece.
What is a splinter?
A universal message that can apply to real-life or other stories.
What is a theme?
The narrator speaking in the poem, "Mother to Son."
Who is the mother?
From what point of view is the poem told?
What is first person point of view?
A rug, heavy fabric covering the floor
What is a carpet?
When a word or object is used as a symbol to represent something else.
What is symbolism?
Who is the author of "Mother to Son"?
Who is Langston Hughes?
In "Mother to Son," the mother says she is
What is still climbing?
without anything covering it
What is bare?
What's "inferring"?
What is reading between the lines?
The most likely the reason the poet includes lines 14-15.
14 “So boy, don’t you turn back.
15 Don’t you set down on the steps”
What is to tell her son to never give up?
What is the extended metaphor in the poem?
What is "Life for me ain't been no crystal stair"?
A short, sharp, pointed nail
What is a tack?
A direct comparison between two things to suggest a likeness?
The line from the poem that also tells her son to never give up.
A. “And reachin’ landin’s,” (line 10)
B. “For I’se still goin’, honey,” (line 18)
What is “For I’se still goin’, honey,” (line 18)?
What does the quote "And reachin' landin's, and turnin' corners" show about the speaker in the poem?
What is she is able to overcome her obstacles?
The floor at the top of a set of stairs
What is a landing?
What are the 3 steps for determining a theme?
What is
1. Review Key Details
2. Identify Big Ideas
3. Write the theme statement?
The detail best supports the correct answer to the theme of the poem, "Mother to Son."
A. “It’s had tacks in it,” (line 3)
B. “Don’t you fall now—” (line 17)
What is “Don’t you fall now—” (line 17)?
How does the author's use of metaphor effect the reader's understanding of the poem?
What is the metaphor of the staircase conveys to the reader that life isn't always easy?