In her poem, Up
Hill, Christina Rossetti uses many literary devices to display her feelings and
perspectives throughout the poem. This is useful to figuring out what the
meaning of the work as a whole is.
In
the first stanza Rossetti uses the question in the first line “Does the road
wind up-hill all the way?” this sets up a scene of a hill which the whole poem
reflects on. Rossetti’s feelings in this stanza show that she is willing to
take this road as long as it goes. This stanza also show the beginning of a
longer effect of this road which is the way of the mourning of an old friend.
The
second stanza gives the audience a perspective of a part that is farther down
the road. Trying to find a resting place shows that the speaker is getting
exhausted and needs a place to rest, and become a new for the new days to
come. Rossetti uses personification of a
“slow dark night” to show how the speaker is tired at the end of all of this
traveling. After spotting an inn within the darkness the speaker proceeds
towards it.
Stanza
three gives the perspective of right outside the inn begging the question of
meeting new people within this inn “Shall I meet other wayfarers at night?”
With the use of word wayfarers the speaker sets the image that these are
wanderers or vagabonds that just come and go.
The use of the slogan “They will not keep you standing at that door.”
the speaker plants the image of a very successful business. This also gives the
feeling of warmth and homeliness to this inn full of vagabonds.
This
fourth stanza uses some figurative language to show the ending of a life by
finally getting into the inn at the end of the road and laying down for a final
rest. Even though this figurative language is used the literal perspective of
the inn is simplistic and showing a sense of home.
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