The stairs in the poem are figurative, symbolizing the journey of life. The stairs are used by the poet as an extended metaphor to show that life is a weary climb for every generation. The speaker describes the stairs as being “crystal,” making the stairs seem unreal and appealing. As appealing as the staircases sound with the smooth “crystal” climb, it is deceiving for not everyone had a “crystal” climb with no obstacles. People need to be aware that life is a struggle, even if parents have made it easier for them in some ways. The stairs; “It's had tacks in it, And splinters, And boards torn up, And places with no carpet on the floor.”Some things in life cannot be made easier by the previous generation. Everyone has to learn to endure their own experiences with life’s setbacks. They will have to suffer the deaths of loved ones, failures in love, business, and life, and struggle to go forward.
The speaker in the poem uses various aspects of the staircase to symbolize these different problems. It is not easy to climb the staircase and “sometimes goin' in the dark where there ain't been no light,” which can symbolize hopelessness or even a lack of understanding as to where she is climbing, and what the purpose of the climb is. The tone of the poem is uplifting because it points out that mothers always want the best for their children. In the poem, the mother is trying to encourage her son to keep climbing. Although life is not a “crystal staircase,” one can pave his way. The poet’s message being “don't you turn back,” keep going and do not give up. One has to keep climbing because going ahead is the only way out.
One question intrigues the reader; if the mother is still climbing, then she must not have reached her destination so how can this inspire the son to keep trying? Maybe what the author is trying to say is that life is not easy, but it does not matter – the only alternative to giving up and lying down and dying is to climb in the hopes of reaching the next level or even the top.
