Hi Everyone!! This article will share Up-Hill Questions & Answers.
In my previous posts, I have shared the questions & answers of The Lady With The Lamp, The Luncheon and The Flying Sikh so, you can check these posts as well. I have also shared the Up-Hill Stanza Wise Summary so, make sure to check that.
Up-Hill Questions & Answers
Question 1: What does the traveller ask the guide in the first stanza?
Answer: In the first stanza, the traveller asks the guide whether the road is difficult and up-hill all the way and if the journey would take all day long.
Question 2: Read and answer the questions:
(a) Explain the metaphorical meaning of the first line.
Answer: In the first line, the traveller who metaphorically represents man is questioning God who is the guide, that the road which is life’s path is winding up-hill all the way, that means it is filled with difficulties all the way till we reach the end of journey – death.
(b) How long will the day’s journey take?
Answer: The journey will take the whole day from morning till night.
Question 3: Read and answer the questions:
(a) What is the significance of the ‘inn’? Explain.
Answer: The traveller is told that she ‘cannot miss that inn’ that stands at the top of the hill and offers rest for those who have spent the entire day climbing. Literally, the fact that it stands out in the darkness of the night indicates that the light that it sheds is powerful and will not be overpowered. Metaphorically the ‘inn’ represents security. It is a place of welcome and rest at the end of the journey.
(b) How would you describe the journey up-hill?
Answer: The journey up hill is very difficult and arduous. There are many areas that are un known and confusing. The traveler is anxious and wants to know what he would encounter on the way. So, we can say that the journey up hill is a metaphor for the journey of life.
Question 4: Read and answer the questions:
(a) What reply does the guide give to the traveller when he asks if he would get comfort after a tired travel?
Answer: The guide tells that for all the labour that he has done he would definitely get the reward for it.
(b) Do you think the traveller will be welcomed to a comfortable place as the journey ends? Why?
Answer: Yes, the traveller will be welcomed to a comfortable place as the journey ends. For the guide tells that in the end there would be beds for all who arrive at the inn.
Up-Hill Questions & Answers
Question 5: What are the poet’s views on life and death?
Answer: The poet’s views on life and death are that life is like a difficult up-hill road and death is the final resting place where the traveller finds comfort after the difficult journey of life.
Question 6: Explain ‘Of labour you shall find the sum.’
Answer: Rossetti asks if there will be rest and finality in heaven after a tiring journey.
Question 7: Explain: ‘You cannot miss that inn.’
Answer: This phrase means that the guide tells the traveller that one cannot miss that inn, at the top of the hill. The hill represents security and also stands for God’s heart which welcomes all and never turns anyone away.
Question 8: Read and answer the questions:
(a) Who is the speaker and to whom is she asking the question?
Answer: The traveller or Christina Rossetti is the speaker. She is asking the question to the guide.
(b) What does the speaker want to know?
Answer: The speaker wants to know if she will get a resting place for the night.
(c) How does the person answer the question asked in the above extract?
Answer: The guide answers the question by assuring the speaker that she will not be able to miss the inn.
(d) What does the poem symbolize?
Answer: The poem symbolizes the journey of life from birth to death.
Question 9: Read and answer the questions:
Those who have gone before.
(a) Who do you think the speaker is talking about?
Answer: The speaker is talking about people who had gone before on the same journey.
(b) Where do you think they have gone?
Answer: They have reached the inn before the traveller in the poem.
(c) Do you think it helps the traveller to know that he/she is not the only one on a journey?
Answer: Yes, it helps the traveller to know that everybody has to meet their end.
Question 10: What is the main theme of the poem ‘Up-Hill’?
Answer: The main theme of the poem is the journey of life from birth till death. This poem is paralleled with life. Over the course of a journey, the narrator asks her guide eight questions about the road ahead. The narrator asks if the road is all up-hill and if the journey will take all day which metaphorically means that whether the journey of life will be difficult and strenuous all the way. The guide explains the length of the traveller’s journey or life using morning to represent birth and night to represent death.
Question 11: Why did Rosetti name the poem ‘Up-Hill’?
Answer: Rosetti names the poem ‘Up-Hill’ because the climb up the hill is very difficult like the journey of life from birth to death which is also full of hardships. One has to take a lot of effort to climb a hill to reach the top. Similarly, one has to undertake the journey of life in which one has to face many problems and finally, reach heaven where one can finally rest after overcoming the struggles of life.
So, these were Up-Hill Questions & Answers.