"Mother to Son" Ideas Web

Another way for students to study the poem’s figurative meaning is to explore multiple interpretations of Hughes’ symbolic language. While it is clear that the staircase in the poem represents life, the specific meaning of the “tacks”, “carpet”, “landings” etc. is left to the reader’s imagination. Have students build analytical skills by focusing on a single line and imagining several symbolic interpretations for it. The storyboard above provides an example.

"Mother to Son" Ideas Web

"It's had tacks in it"

• The tacks could represent times she was in physical pain.

• The tacks could symbolize emotional pain.

• The tacks might represent obstacles that she had to avoid.

Student Instructions

1. Click "Start Assignment".
2. Choose a line from the poem and write it in the title box of the spider map.
3. Write three symbolic interpretations for the line in each description box.
4. Illustrate each using appropriate scenes, characters, items, and dialogue.
5. Save and Exit