UPHILL - POEM ANALYSIS
Introduction:
"Uphill" is a religious and metaphorical poem written by Christiana Rossetti. The poem religiously describes the arduous journey of a human life until death; by cleverly camouflaging it through images of a road, an uphill trek, a welcoming Inn, etc. The poem appears trivial at first glance, but it has religious beliefs and deep philosophies veiled in analogies.
Structure:
The poem comprises of sixteen lines, which are uniformly divided into four quartet stanzas. The poem is, therefore, taut and neatly structured, without any spare lines or phrases.
Rhyming:
The poem follows a uniform rhyming scheme of "a b a b" throughout its length. The first and the third lines of each quartet end with rhyming words, so do the second and fourth lines. The same pattern can be observed in all the four stanzas.
Metre:
The poem is written in Iambic metre; with the exception of the opening line, which is in Trochaic metre. The lines of the poem are either Trimeter or Pentameter. There is no specific repetitive pattern to be observed in the number of syllables in each line.
Language:
The language of the poem is very plain and simple. There is no usage of heavy and complicated words or phrases. The language is easy to understand as it only makes use of simple words of daily usage.
Tone/ Mood:
The tone of the poem is that of curiosity, assurance and friendliness. The poem has a quiet and serene ambiance. There are no signs of rudeness, loudness or brashness anywhere in the poem. The mood of the poem is warm, genial and tranquil; befitting it's religious nature.
Speakers:
The poem is, infact, a conversation between two people, presented in verse form. Though the speakers are not mentioned, it is made obvious that the poem is actually a dialogue between two people; where one poses questions and the other answers them. The question - answer format follows a specific pattern; wherein the first and third lines of each stanza are questions and the second and fourth lines are answers. As we are not introduced to the speakers, we can make certain assumptions based on the religious nature of the poem. The one posing questions can be thought of as a common man i.e., an ignorant pupil or a humble devotee. The one answering the questions can be a holy sage, a seer or even God himself.
Images:
The poem can be said to be one big analogue in itself. It has both; a literal / superficial meaning and a deep / philosophical meaning. The strenous task of journeying up a hill is used as an image of the journey of human life, which is full of trials and tribulations. The "Ultimate Refuge" or "Heaven" is referred to as a resting place or an inn; which always readily welcomes people and never runs out of "beds" for refugees. These are the simple but powerful word pictures which are aptly made use of in the poem.
Literal Meaning:
The outer / superficial meaning of the poem can be summarised as follows:
*The seeker seeks to know if the road winds all the way to the top of the hill; to which the respondent answers that it does lead to the very end.
*The seeker then asks if the journey takes a whole day to be completed; to which the respondent says that it takes the whole time from morning to night to complete the journey.
*The seeker then enquires about the availability of a resting place for the night. The respondent assures him that there is definitely a roof for the nighttime up there.
*The seeker doubts that darkness may hide the shelter from his sight, to which the respondent says that it is impossible for him to miss that shelter.
*The seeker then questions if he shall meet other travellers up there; to which he is answered that he shall surely meet others who have gone there before him.
*The seeker then asks if he must knock at the door or call out when the inn is in sight. He is answered that he will not be kept standing at the door i.e., he will be welcomed without delay.
*The seeker is then doubtful whether he would find comfort there, when he reaches there in a weary and sore state. He is said that he shall find the sum of his labour there.
*Finally, the seeker doubts about the availability of beds for everyone who seek shelter there; to which he is assured that beds are always available for all those who come there.
Thus, all the queries of the seeker are satisfactorily answered.
Inner Meaning:
The deeper or philosophical meaning of the poem can be summarised as follows:
*The devotee seeks to know if the journey of life will finally lead to the Divine Abode; to which the seer replies that it will definitely lead to the Abode at the very end.
*The devotee then wants to know about the duration of the journey; which is answered to be his whole lifetime.
*The devotee is then keen to know about the "Resting Place" i.e., Divine Abode. He is informed that there is indeed a roof for the Dark Hours (After Death) up there.
*The devotee is scared that he may not be able to find it; to which he is assured that he cannot miss that place i.e., one will always find The Divine Abode after death.
*The devotee then asks about the people he is likely to meet up there and is answered that he will meet all those who have gone before him i.e., his ancestors.
*The devotee then asks if he has to pray or call out (to God) at the door of Heaven; to which he is assured that no one will be kept waiting (or left unattended) at the door of Heaven and he will be welcomed inside.
*The devotee is then doubtful if he would find comfort up there; after leading a long and tiring life on Earth. He is answered that his labour (the work he and done) on Earth will be paid for in Heaven i.e., he will experience the fruits of his virtues and sins in Heaven.
*Lastly, the devotee doubts if there is enough room for everyone in Heaven. He is replied to saying that there is always enough room to accommodate any number of people in Heaven i.e., Heaven is Boundless.
Thus, the devotee is enlightened about the mysteries of the "After Life" and "Heaven".
Analysis:
Critically speaking, the poem may seem a bit orthodox, old fashioned and too heavily philosophical for the modern readers. At its core, the poem relies heavily on orthodox beliefs and cliches; such as life after death, Heaven, enjoying fruits of labour up there, etc. These may not appeal to the modern readers; the poem may seem too bland and insipid for them. The poem fails to engage or intrigue the readers in a typical manner. The poem must be read bearing in mind that it is a religious / philosophical one. Only then can a reader fully appreciate the depth and philosophy of the poem.
Conclusion:
To conclude, "Uphill" can be said to be an old - time religious poem, which is to be appreciated for masking mythological doctrines in simple but powerful allegories. The poem should be read with a conservative lens. The poem holds its own old world charm and serenity; and needs to be appreciated for that.
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