The poet presenting a comparison between the mother’s life and a crystal stair in order to show that her life has not been easy and perfect. Crystal is seen as beautiful, pure, clear and valuable. The mother explains that her life is not any of these things. She also showcases her life as being bare, filled with splinters and torn up boards. But Langston Hughes also shows this mother's refusal to give up and stop, and makes the case for fighting through even the unknown as seen below