Life Isn’t Always What You Expect It to Be

     In the short poem Mother to Son by Langston Hughes there’s much figurative language used.  An example would be "Life for me ain't been no crystal stair." The poet means by this that his life was not perfect or luxurious. I believe the purpose of this metaphor was to create a visual in the readers mind to think of a time that they had to overcome an obstacle in life. Furthermore it tells the reader how difficult Hughes past was and makes it easier to understand from the reader’s point of view. In this touching poem the mood is very solemn and the tone is very moving because this poem is told from the mother’s point of view, so it’ saying how to never give up when life gives you hard times and complex obstacles.