Poetic Devices

Poetic devices help shape a poet's work and give the reader a better understanding of what is being said. In Hughes' "Mother to Son" there are many poetic devices evident. The use of metaphors is arguably the most utilized device found in this poem. The narrator compares the trials of her life to a decaying house and her life in general to a crystal stair. She represents her hardships by describing them as stairs with no carpet, with splinters and dark corners. The tone is brutally honest but wise and caring which can be determined through her diction. She calls her son "honey" and "son" revealing her caring side. She also uses a lot of slang such "aint" and "i'se." because she is not trying to pretend to be something she is not. The form of the poem is open, because there is not set pattern or rhyme scheme. The theme of this poem overall is that life is hard, but you can get through it. It deals with the harsh realities one faces but the mother encourages her son to carry on, because if she can do it so can he.