Hi Everyone!! This article will share Up-Hill Stanza-Wise Summary.
The poem Up-Hill is written by Christina Rossetti who is best known for her ballads and her mystic religious lyrics. Born on 5th December, 1830, Rossetti started writing from an early age and today, she is regarded as a major Victorian poet. Now, let’s see the stanza-wise summary of Up-Hill. In one of my previous posts, I have shared the Stanza-Wise Summary Of The Man He Killed so, you can check that post as well.
Up-Hill Stanza-Wise Summary
Stanza – 1
“Does the road……………………….night, my friend.”
The poem is in a question-answer form. In the poem, the traveller is confused and nervous about the journey so, he/she asks a series of questions from the guide and the guide answers him patiently.
In the first stanza, the traveller who metaphorically represents man is questioning to the guide (God) that whether the road (the path of life) is winding up-hill all the way, which means is it filled with difficulties all the way till we reach the end of the journey – death? Also, whether the journey would take the whole day from morning till night?
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Stanza – 2
“But is there……………………………….miss that inn.“
In the second stanza of the poem Up-Hill, the traveller asks about accommodations along her journey. She asks if there is a place to rest for the night and is assured by the guide that she will find shelter from the darkness. She again asks whether the darkness will obscure the said resting-place from her view which implies that she has the fear of missing her destination. The guide assures that the resting place now referred to as an ‘inn’ is impossible to miss. By the phrase impossible to miss, it seems certain that the inn would be so brilliant and aglow with lights that the traveller can’t possibly miss it.
Up-Hill Stanza-Wise Summary
Stanza – 3
“Shall I meet……………………………………..standing at that door.”
In the third stanza, the traveller asks her fifth question that whether she will meet other travellers at the inn, where she is supposed to take rest. Whether some other travellers would also be taking shelter at that inn at night. She again asks whether she has to knock or call once she is near the inn. This indicates her underlying fear that whether the door will be locked for her. The guide gave a very calm and clear answer that the door will open immediately allowing her to enter and she will not have to keep standing at the door.
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Stanza – 4
“Shall I find comfort……………………………………for all who come.”
In the last stanza of the poem Up-Hill, the traveller asks if she would find comfort and a bed to rest in the inn as she would be weary and weak from the journey. The guide assured her that there will be many to ease her burdens and share her labours and there will definitely be rest for the weary traveller. The final question that she asks that whether there will be a bed for her and for all those who seek shelter at the inn which implies that she is asking whether all the weary travellers attain salvation after undertaking the difficult journey. The guide assures that there will be beds for all whose journey ends at the inn. This indicates that after death, when the journey is completed and an individual finds a final resting place, there he will find many hands to relieve his burdens and there he will get plenty of time to rest.
So, this was the stanza-wise summary of the poem Up-Hill.