Mother to Son Text Based Questions

Who is the speaker?

• The speaker is a son.

• The speaker is a mother.

• The speaker is a carpenter.

• The speaker is a rich person.

Tags

CCSS.RL.1.6

CCSS.RL.5.6

CCSS.RL.6.6

CCSS.RL.7.6

CCSS.RL.8.6

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 bizarre, or strange, spiral staircase

Tags

CCSS.RL.7.10

CCSS.RL.7.4

CCSS.RL.7.5

CCSS.RL.8.5

CCSS.RL.8.4

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

Tags

CCSS.RI.1.1

CCSS.RI.2.1

CCSS.RI.3.1

CCSS.RL.2.1

CCSS.RL.3.1

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 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

Tags

CCSS.RL.7.10

CCSS.RL.7.4

CCSS.RL.7.5

CCSS.RL.8.10

CCSS.RL.8.5

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 speaking to her son about climbing a crystal staircase.

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

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

Tags

CCSS.RL.7.10

CCSS.RL.7.4

CCSS.RL.7.5

CCSS.RL.8.10

CCSS.RL.8.4

What is the central metaphor utilized in the poem?

• 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.

Tags

CCSS.RL.7.10

CCSS.RL.7.4

CCSS.RL.7.5

CCSS.RL.8.10

CCSS.RL.8.5

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.

Tags

CCSS.RI. 9-10.9

CCSS.RL.5.2

CCSS.RL.6.2

CCSS.RL.7.2

CCSS.RL.8.2