"Mother to Son" Review

Who is the speaker of the poem?

• A Mother

• A Son

• A Carpenter

• A Rich Person

How does the speaker describe her life in the first seven lines?

• as a luxurious and beautiful staircase

• as a difficult and painful climb

• as flawless and without pain

• as a strange, spiral staircase

What would it be like to climb a strange staircase "in the dark?"

• sad and devastating

• boring and unexciting

• exciting and adventurous

• frightening and confusing

What does the speaker tell the boy?

• to keep going up the stairs because she is still going

• that he will not be able to reach the top of the stairs without a lot of help

• that he will fall down the stairs if he is not careful

• that crystal stairs are not hard to climb if he doesn't turn back

What does the speaker tell the boy?

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

• A mother is speaking to her son about climbing a crystal staircase.

• A son is recounting a conversation his mother had with him about the gerneal struggle towards earning a comfortable living.

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

What does the speaker tell the boy?

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

• The narrator compares a crystal staircase to her own life, symbolic of her own goals and the struggle towards them.

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

• The narrator describes herself going down a decrepit staircase, a figurative depiction of her continued problems.

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

• Never forget your family.

• Persevere when life isn't easy.

• Hope is the answer to all challenges.

• Respect your elders.

Which excerpt from the poem best captures the speaker's message to her son?

• "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)

• "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).

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