A great way to engage your students is through the creation of storyboards that examine Tone, Word Choice, Imagery, Style, and Theme. This activity is referred to with the acronym “TWIST”. In a TWIST, students focus on the close reading of poem to look deeper at the author’s meaning.
Using the full text of “Mother to Son” or just a few lines, students can depict, describe, and analyze the way poetic elements work together to create a central message or theme.
| T | TONE |
Grim yet determined: The speaker has struggled much in life, yet still pushes forward. |
|---|---|---|
| W | WORD CHOICE |
Hughes includes many words and phrases with negative connotations: tacks, splinters, boards torn up, no carpet, bare, dark, no light, kinder hard |
| I | IMAGERY |
“Life for me ain't been no crystal stair. It's had tacks in it and splinters, and boards torn up...” The staircase the speaker describes is an old, rickety, dangerous staircase, representing the difficulties of her life. |
| S | STYLE |
The simple dialect of the speaker suggests a life with limited educational access. The varied line lengths mirror the ups and downs of the staircase and the path of life. |
| T | THEME |
Despite the difficulties of her life, the speaker keeps going. The central theme that this creates is the importance of persevering in the face of hardship. |
(These instructions are completely customizable. After clicking "Copy Activity", update the instructions on the Edit Tab of the assignment.)
Student Instructions
Perform a TWIST analysis of a selection from "Mother to Son". Remember that TWIST stands for Tone, Word Choice, Imagery, Style, Theme.
Differentiate your approach by providing sentence starters and graphic organizers to help all students access each TWIST element. This supports learners at varying reading and writing levels, ensuring everyone can engage meaningfully with the poem.
Demonstrate each TWIST component using a think-aloud. Verbally unpack how you identify tone, word choice, imagery, style, and theme in “Mother to Son”. This gives students a clear example to follow and builds confidence.
Organize students into small groups to discuss and annotate the poem together. Encourage each group to focus on a different TWIST element, then share insights with the class. This promotes collaboration and critical thinking.
Use images, storyboards, or drawing activities to help students visualize the poem’s imagery and themes. Visual aids make abstract ideas more concrete and accessible, especially for visual learners.
Check for comprehension by asking students to jot down one insight or question about a TWIST element before leaving. Review their responses to inform future instruction and address misunderstandings.
A TWIST analysis is a method for closely reading poetry by examining five elements: Tone, Word Choice, Imagery, Style, and Theme. It helps students understand how these aspects work together to create deeper meaning in a poem.
To do a TWIST analysis for “Mother to Son,” read the poem and identify the tone (grim yet determined), analyze word choice (negative connotations), find examples of imagery (the rickety staircase), notice the style (simple dialect, varied lines), and determine the theme (perseverance in hardship).
TWIST analysis gives middle school students a clear, structured way to break down poetry. It encourages deeper reading, critical thinking, and connects poetic elements to the poem’s overall message.
Each letter in TWIST stands for a poetic element: Tone, Word Choice, Imagery, Style, and Theme. These guide students in analyzing and understanding poems more thoroughly.
Start with a short poem like “Mother to Son,” model each step, use storyboards or visuals for engagement, and encourage students to describe the importance of each TWIST element in their own words.