The following version of this poem was used to create this guide: Hughes, Langston. “Mother to Son.” Poetry Foundation, https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/47559/mother-to-son.

Note that all parenthetical citations within the guide refer to the lines of the poem from which the quotations are taken.

This poem is one of Langston Hughes’ earlier works and reflects his challenges as a Black artist finding his way in a white-dominant society. The mother of the poem is believed to have been inspired by Hughes’ grandmother, Mary Leary Langston. However, the character is also an allegorical persona who represents an entire generation passing wisdom on to the next. The poem describes two contrasting staircases, each symbolizing either a path of privilege or a path of hardship. The mother encourages her son to continue moving forward through life, even when it is challenging.