Class 9 English Unit 10: Reading II: Up-Hill by Christina Rossetti

 

Reading II: Up-Hill by Christina Rossetti

Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vznLL73cJes

About the Poet

Christina Rossetti (1830–1894) was a famous English poet known for her deeply emotional and spiritual poetry. She belonged to a literary family—her brother Dante Gabriel Rossetti was a painter and poet. Christina often wrote about themes like faith, death, love, and the afterlife. Her strong Christian beliefs influenced much of her work, and many of her poems read like prayers or moral reflections. Despite personal struggles and illnesses, she produced some of the finest religious and lyrical poetry of the Victorian era.

Summary of the Poem

"Up-Hill" is a short poem written as a question-and-answer conversation between a traveler and a guide. The traveler asks if the road is all uphill and if it will take all day to reach the end. The guide answers yes, the road is hard and long, symbolizing life’s journey, which is full of challenges and effort. The traveler wonders if there will be a resting place at the end, and the guide assures that there will be an inn to rest in—this represents heaven or peace after death. The traveler asks if others will be there and if they will be welcome, and the guide says yes, those who lived faithfully will be warmly received.

The poem is filled with religious meaning. The uphill road is life, the journey is our struggles, and the inn is eternal rest or heaven. The poem gives hope and comfort, promising that although life is difficult, there is rest and reward at the end for the faithful.

Vocabulary

·        up-hill /ˌʌpˈhɪl/ - adjective - sloping upward

·        morn /mɔːn/ - noun - morning

·        inn /ɪn/ - noun - a small hotel or lodging place

·        wayfarers /ˈweɪˌfeərəz/ - noun - travelers on foot

·        travel-sore /ˈtrævəl sɔː/ - adjective - weary from traveling

·        seek /siːk/ - verb - to search for

·        sight /saɪt/ - noun - something seen or a view

A.   Match the words in column A with their meanings in column B. (Answers only)

Column A                      Column B

a.      wind                          to have many bends and twists

b.     morn                         morning

c.      inn                             a small hotel, usually in the country

d.     wayfarer                     person who travels on foot

e.      seek                           look for

B.    Complete the summary of the poem by using suitable words or phrases given below.

The road ahead          up-hill         someone     a place        a journey

In the affirmative       on the way  everyone     fellow travelers     an inn

 

The speaker is making a journey with our guide. She asks the guide eight different questions about the road ahead The first question is if the road is all up-hill and if the journey will take all day. The guide replies in the affirmative. Next, she asks if there is a place to rest for the night. The guide informs the speaker that there is an inn that she won't miss. The speaker's fifth question is whether she will meet the other travelers on the way.  At the inn, the speaker asks if she should knock or call her fellow travelers. The guide replies that someone will open the door. Lastly, the speaker asks if there will be a bed for her. The guide tells her that there are beds for everyone.

C.    Answer the following questions.(Answers only)

a.      According to the guide, the road uphill is so far away that takes a whole day to travel.

b.     The speaker doubts if there is a resting place for the night.

c.      The wayfarers have traveled the road before.

d.     The speaker's seventh question is if she will find comfort when she is tired and weak on the way.

e.      I think someone opens the door. 

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