Throughout history, people have been discriminated against due to their race. This persecution has inspired some very thought-provoking work. The poetry and writing of Langston Hughes, an African-American poet, social activist, novelist and playwright, is an example.
The following poem is written exactly as it would be spoken.
Mother to Son By Langston Hughes
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 fl oor— 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 fi nds 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.
Focus on ... writing phonetically
Phonetic writing is writing that is written as it sounds, instead of using the correct spelling. Phonetic writing can be used to illustrate the accent of a speaker.
