"Mother to Son" Comprehension Check

1. Who is the speaker of the poem?

• The speaker is a son.

• The speaker is a mother.

• The speaker is a carpenter.

• The speaker is a rich person.

2. What point of view is the poem written from?

• First person

• Second person

• Third person limited

• Third person omniscient

3. The first person point of view helps the reader...

• Understand the struggles faced by the mother

• Understand why the son is currently struggling

• Build empathy for the son

• Develop the mother and son's relationship

4. The poem compares life to a staircase, which is an example of which literary device?

• Simile

• Metaphor

• Allusion

• Personification

5. Which statement best captures the meaning of the extended metaphor used in the poem?

• The narrator feels lost and alone on her difficult journey, as symbolized by having to climb the stairs in the dark.

• The narrator is working hard to accomplish her goals in life, as symbolized by the phrase "crystal stair."

• The narrator is moving up in social class, as symbolized by change from a wooden staircase to a crystal one.

• The narrator continues to overcome personal hardships in life, as symbolized by the action of climbing.

6. The author opens and closes the poem with the phrase, "Life for me ain't been no crystal stair." What does the word crystal mean in this phrase?

• Beautiful and dangerous

• Transparent and slippery

• Clear and smooth

• Expensive and desirable

7. Which of the following statements best represents the author's perspective?

• Always keep your family close by

• Respect your elders

• Persevere when life isn't easy

• Never lose hope

8. Which lines from the poem best capture the speaker's message to her son?

• "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."

• "I'se a been a-climbin' on, / And reachin' landin's, / And turnin' corners,"

• "So boy, don't turn your back. / Don't you set down on the steps, / 'Cause you find it's kinder hard. / Don't you fall now - / For I'se still goin' honey,"

9. Which word best describes the tone of the speaker in the poem?

• Apologetic

• Disappointed

• Empathetic

• Humble

10. This poem is an example of what reading signpost?

• Words of the Wiser

• Again and again

• Contrasts and contradiction

• Memory Moment