Subject: English

Class: 8

Poem: Up-Hill by Christina Rossetti

TEXTBOOK QUESTIONS
1. Answer the following questions:
a) What is the main theme of the poem ‘Up-Hill’?
The poem is a metaphor for the journey of life, from birth to death.

b) Why did Rossetti name the poem ‘Up-Hill’?

It is named ‘Up-Hill’ because the climb up the hill is very hard and difficult.Similarly, the journey of life
from birth to death is also very difficult and full of hardships. Just as one has to work hard to climb a hill,
similarly in life one has to face problems and overcome them.
c) What are the poet’s views on life and death?
Life is like a difficult uphill road and death is the final resting place where the traveller finds comfort after
a difficult uphill journey of life.
d) Who are the people taking part in the conversation?
The traveller who is asking the question and the guide who is answering the questions are taking part in
the conversation.
2. Explain with reference to context:
a) ‘You cannot miss that inn.’
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.
b) ‘Of labour you shall find the sum.’
This line suggests that many hands have been at work in building heaven and that countless hands/people
will be ready to comfort the weary new arrival.It could also mean that you build your rewards in heaven
based on what you do on earth. Literally, it means that the kind of work you have done on earth will
determine how comfortable you will be in heaven. If your actions have been good, you will be suitably
rewarded but if you have sinned, you will be punished.

WORKBOOK QUESTIONS
1. Read the extracts and answer the questions that follow:

1.But is there for the night a resting-place?

A roof for when the slow dark hours begin.
May not the darkness hide it from my face?
You cannot miss that inn.

a) What is the significance of the ‘inn’? (refer to textbook answer Q 2 a)

b) How would you describe the journey ‘up-hill’?

The literal meaning of the journey ‘up hill’ is that this journey would be difficult and arduous. It will
be full of obstacles which must be overcome. The metaphorical meaning refers to the journey of life
which is full of trials and tribulations which must be faced.

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Subject: English
Class: 8

2.Does the road wind up-hill all the way?

Yes, to the very end.
Will the day’s journey take the whole long day?
From morn to night, my friend.

a) Explain the metaphorical meaning of the first line?

Rossetti uses the road as a symbol of life, and she can't imagine how long it takes before life ends.

b) How long will the day’s journey take?

The poet views life as a journey up a hill that will take a long time. A day could last from ‘morn’ to
‘night’ or could mean the journey of a person which starts at birth and ends in death.

3. Shall I find comfort, travel-sore and weak?

Of labour you shall find the sum.
Will there be beds for me and all who seek?
Yea, beds for all who come.

a) What reply does the guide give to the traveller when he asks if he would get comfort after a
tired travel?

The guide tells the weary traveller that countless hands will be ready to comfort the weary new
arrival.The guide reassures the traveller that he/she will be rewarded in heaven based on what he/she
did on earth.
b) Do you think the traveler will be welcomed to a comfortable place when the journey ends?

Yes, there will be a comfortable resting place at the end, a place where the weary traveler will be
welcomed and meet "Those who have gone before" (people who have died earlier). In other words, the
uphill struggle of life will lead at last to heaven, where we will "find the sum" for our "labour" (where
we will receive the reward for the effort we have put forth as we lived our lives).