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.