Uphill

Uphill
-- C.G.Rossetti
Substance
A wanderer wants to know if the way turns zigzag all along uphill, and is answered in the
affirmative. After the daylong journey, the traveller will obviously find a shelter without any
inconvenience in the darkness. There she will come across other wanderers who will heartily
welcome her in the inn. The fatigued traveller will be provided with cosy bed and sufficient
comfort.
Central idea
In the poem the poetess has presented the journey of life in the form of an uphill journey. The
material life is a complex and zigzag way of journey. The inn on the top of the hill signifies the
eternal abode of rest and peace of the soul because it is the real home of every being. God is ever
merciful and compassionate to every creature. Therefore, death is nothing to fear about; it is the
divine embrace and eternal bliss.
Title

The poem describes an arduous journey of a traveller up to the peak of a hill. The traveller is
anxious whether she will get shelter at the end of her journey when night will already cover up
the nature. She is feeling strangeness about the new place. The traveller is worried about a
secured shelter and other provisions. Allegorically also, the life's journey ends when the soul
reaches heaven where God is ready to give peace and rest to the fatigued soul. Hence, the title is
matched with the theme.