Prof. McGee
ENG 126 GH1
February 17, 2015
Point of Contrast between “
Mother to Son” by Langston Hughes and
“Morning Song” by
Sylvia Plath
The poem “Mother to Son” by Langston Hughes presents the mother being very compassionate, caring and fond of her son. There seems to be a very true and personal connection between the two because she’s advising him through her personal experience throughout life. She’s encouraging her son and assuring him that he will get through the hardships that come his way.
The connection between the two is very pure and nurturing. In the poem “Morning Song” by
Sylvia Plath, the mother appears more distant with the child. She compares the child to a statue, which has no human feelings and attachment. She says “I’m no more your mother than the cloud that distills a mirror to reflect its own slow/ Effacement at the wind’s hand,” comparing her relationship to the newborn as nothing but something nature created/intended. If we were to pay close attention, one text implies that a mother to child relationship is nurturing, caring, and full of love, whereas the second text implies, that love grows throughout time. This shows that as a person progresses from their childhood years to their older years as a teenager and older, the relationships in their life grow deeper. Their existence is no longer a mere natural thing, but holds a purpose, a meaning that they constantly strive to achieve.
Point of Comparison between “
Mother to Son” by Langston Hughes and
“Morning Song” by
Sylvia Plath
Both poems present the theme of giving up. The mothers in both poems are well aware of how hard and disappointing life can be thus both show that you need to keep moving forward. In “Mother to Son,” the mother tells the son “Don’t you turn back, don’t you set down on the steps, cause you find it’s kinder hard, don’t you fall now.” She’s advising her son, through her personal