Langston Hughes was a profoundly talented African American poet who flourished during the Harlem Renaissance. He was only twenty-one years old when he wrote the poem “Mother to Son”. Even at a young age Hughes was able to use a simple exchange between a mother and son to convey a much deeper meaning. Through the use of imagery and metaphor Hughes eloquently paints a portrait of the struggles African-Americans have overcome throughout the history of the United States and the commitment to perseverance members of that race will need to survive.
The poem begins with a mother who has
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