Response to "Mother to Son"

The piece "Mother to Son"  has several metaphors.  For example, the splinters.  The splinters stood for those people that annoy you and are complete pains in the foot.  Another example is "And sometimes goin' in the dark Where there ain't been no light."  This meant that there will be situations where you don't know what you're getting yourself into.  A third metaphor is "So boy, don't you turn back. Don't you set down on the steps."  This meant that you have to keep pushing yourself and continuing on in life.  You can't just give up.  You have to keep going.  The tone of this poem was loving, but firm and encouraging. The mood of this poem was very inspirational.  This mother kept going and never stopped or took a break.  Her sheer determination was what I found so inspiring.  I was impressed by how well the author was able to carry that through the piece.