1. B LINGER M ONDAY 2/4/13 Well, son, I'll tell you: Life for me ain't been no crystal stair. It's had tacks in it, And splinters, And boards torn up, And places with no carpet on the floor— Bare. But all the time I'se been a-climbin' on, And reachin' landin's, And turnin' corners, And sometimes goin' in the dark Where there ain't been no light. So, boy, don't you turn back. Don't you set down on the steps. 'Cause you finds it's kinder hard. Don't you fall now— For I'se still goin', honey, I'se still climbin', And life for me ain't been no crystal stair “Mother to Son” Langston Hughes 1.Who is the speaker of this poem? Describe her in detail. 2.What is the topic of this poem? How does the speaker feel about this topic? 3.The poet is Langston Hughes, a man. What is his attitude toward the topic?

2. ATTITUDE/TONE Speaker: The persona or character speaking in the poem. Remember, the speaker is at the will of the poet and can be used to accomplish the poet’s goals or to convey the poet’s message. Questions to ask: What is the subject of the poem? How does the speaker feel about that subject? Poet: The creator of the poem. Has a purpose or a message he/she wishes to convey to the reader. Questions to ask: What is the poet’s purpose? How does he/she feel about the subject of the poem? How does he/she feel about the reader? Usually determined by word choice and connotation.

3. Sharded in black, like beetles, Frail as antique earthenware One breath might shiver to bits, The old women creep out here To sun on the rocks or prop Themselves up against the wall Whose stones keep a little heat. Needles knit in a bird-beaked Counterpoint to their voices: Sons, daughters, daughters and sons, Distant and cold as photos, Grandchildren nobody knows. Age wears the best black fabric Rust-red or green as lichens. At owl-call the old ghosts flock To hustle them off the lawn. From beds boxed-in like coffins The bonneted ladies grin. And Death, that bald-head buzzard, Stalls in halls where the lamp wick Shortens with each breath drawn.

4. GroupPoem Briana, Martinez Success Emily Dickinson Hadley, Christina I, Too, Sing America Langston Hughes Kam, John When I Was One-and-Twenty A.E. Houseman Evan, Sam, Ryan Dandelions Deborah Austin Elena, Connor Pity This Busy Monster,Manunkind e.e. cummings Ashley, Syleria When I Think About Myself Maya Angelou James, Jack, Josh The Mask Paul Laurence Dunbar Lana, Jake Some Days Billy Collins Anne, MyannaBarbie Doll Marge Piercy