Question

Read the lines from ‘Mother to Son’ and answer the questions that follow. Each question carries one score.

Well, son, I’ll tell you :

Life for me ain’t been no crystal stair.

It’* 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’ Iandin’*,

And turnin’ corners,

And sometimes goin’ in the dark

Where there ain’t been no light.

So, boy, don’t you turn back.

I. Who is the ’I‘ referred to here?

II. What does the speaker compare her life to?

III. What is the speaker’* advice to her son?

IV. What impression do you get about the speaker from these lines?

Answer 1

I. ‘I’ referred to here is ‘Mother.’

II. The speaker compares her life to crystal stair.

III. The Speaker’ advice to her son that he should work on her footsteps and take inspiration from the fact that she is still going steady despite life’ hardships.

IV. The impression we get about the speaker from these lines is that life was difficult for her but she worked hard and faced the challenges of life.