English POEM Uphill

 Uphill

Date- 8/6/21

Topics Taught- Explanation of poem.

New Words

1.wayfares

2. travel-sore

Textual exercise

Q 1	Read the extracts given below and answer the questions that follow.
a)
i.	The speaker is the traveller. He/She is asking the question to the guide.
ii	The speaker wants to know if he/she will find a resting place for the night or will he/she miss it.
iii	The guide answers the question by assuring the traveller that he/she will get shelter and will not miss the inn.
iv	slow
b)
i	The speaker wants to know if he/she will find comfort because he/she will be tired and weak after travelling.
ii	The speaker rests in the one place and everyone gets a resting place in the journey of life.
iii	At the end of the journey, everyone gets a resting place in the journey of life. The sum of labour means that a person will get rest from the difficult labours of life.
iv	seek
Q 2	Answer the following questions in 30-40 words.
a.	The speaker is a traveller who questions a guide about the journey that he/she is on. He/She asks and receives answers about whether the journey will wind up-hill all the way and take all day long, whether he/she will recognise the place to rest, and will there be others on a journey and if a kind reception awaits him/her.
b.	The inn stands at the top of the hill and offers rest to those who have spent the entire day climbing. It stands out in the darkness of the night and sheds a

 

	powerful light. It represents security.
c.	The traveller is reassured that the door will be opened upon his/her arrival and those who have gone before will be ready to greet him/her. So the traveller won’t have to wait for long when he/she reaches the inn.
d.	The traveller is promised ‘beds for all who come’ to the inn. The image of the beds indicates rest, comfort, shelter and security. After a long struggle, the idea of resting is all that the speaker can look forward too.
Q 3	Answer the following questions in 100-120 words.
a.	The road winds uphill all the way because the road of life is a continual journey upwards. In the poem, the poetess draws on the imagery of flames, mountains, stairs and hills to emphasise on the upward progression of the spiritual journey. She suggests that the soul is moved upwards away from the earth and its pleasures as it learns more of God and heaven. The poetess emphasises on the idea that the upward progression of the soul is not a simple and easy process. Lots of distractions, concerns and doubts can weigh a person down and the upward movement can turn into one of a struggle instead one of joy.
b.	The road symbolises the journey the traveller takes because instead of being straight, the fact that it is winding and uphill suggests that the path is long and difficult. However, there is actually a road leading up the hill indicates that plenty of others have already taken the route that the traveller is contemplating. The speaker will not have to carve or find his/her own path since it has already been revealed to him/her. The road can be interpreted as literally as a long unseen destination; metaphorically, as representing the path that life takes; and a pathway and journey of faith.
Q 4	Choose the synonyms that match the words that are in italics as they are used in the original text: (a)       Does the road wind uphill all the way? Yes, to the very end. (i)        difficult                                (ii)  sloping to the hilltop WORKBOOK 1. Match the columns.             A   B     a) wind   i) morning     b) morn   ii) tired of travelling     c) comfort   iii) repeatedly twisted   d) travel-sore iv) hard work     e) labour   v) peace, relief   Answers:   a) _________ b) _________ c) _________ d) _________ e) _________   a) iii b) i c) v d) ii e) iv   2.   Answer the following in 30 to 40 words.     a) What is the significance of the ‘inn’? Explain. (6 lines)   The traveller is told that she cannot miss the inn that stands at the top of the hill and which 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? (4 lines)   The journey up-hill is very difficult and arduous. There are many areas that are not known and confusing. The traveller 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 to the journey of life. c) Explain the metaphorical meaning of the following line: (4 lines) Does the road wind up-hill all the way? Here, 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, which means is filled with difficulties all the way till we reach heaven or death. d) Do you think the traveller will be welcomed to a comfortable place when the journey ends? Why? (3 lines)   Yes, the traveller will be welcomed to a comfortable place when the journey ends. For the guide says that in the end there would be beds for all who arrive at the inn.