Mother to Son Poem

What does the "S" stand for in the S-A-T strategy?

• Suspect

• Speaker

• Stanza

• Strategy

What does the "A" stand for in the S-A-T strategy?

• Actor

• Analyze

• Attitude

• Awesome

What does the "T" stand for in the S-A-T strategy?

• Tone and Theme

• Topic

• Theme

• Topic and Theme

Who is the speaker in the poem "Mother to Son"?

• The mother

• The daughter

• The son

• The father

What is the "attitude" of the poem?

• Negative

• Positive

• Negative and Positive

• Neither

What is the topic of the poem?

• Crystal Stairs

• Life

• Light

• Dark

In the poem, whom is the speaker addressing and about what?

• A mother is telling a story to her child about her own childhood.

• A mother is describing for her son the climb up a crystal staircase.

• A son us recounting a conversation with his mother about his struggle to earn a comfortable living.

• A mother is warning her son about the difficulties of life and the struggle to presevere.

Which of the following best explains the significance of the staircase in the poem?

• The narrator describes a tiring climb up a beat-up staircase which represents her persistence through difficulties and challenges in life.

• The narrator describes a crystal staircase, which symbolizes her goals and the hard work she has done to accomplish her dreams.

• The narrator describes her climb up a dirty staircase that transforms into a crystal stair, which represents her ability to rise above difficulties.

• The narrator describes herself going down a staircase that is falling apart, which represents her fleeing a difficult life.

Part A: Which of the following statements best describes a major theme of the poem?

• Never forget your family

• Presevere when life isn't easy

• Hope is the answer to all challenges

• Respect your elders

PART B: Which of the following quotes best supports the answer to Part A?

• "Well, son, I'll tell you: / Life for me ain't been no crystal stair." (lines 1-2)

• "It's had tacks in it, / And splinters, / And boards torn up, / And places with no carpet on the floor--/ Bare." (lines 3-7)

• "I'se been a-climbin' on, / And reachin' landin's, / And turnin' corners" (lines 9-11)

• "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" (lines 14-18)