"Up-Hill" is a short poem comparing life to a journey. It
contains two voices. One poses questions, the other answers. The voice asking the
question sounds worried and leary of the end of the journey, and seeks solace in hearing
that the end contains a peaceful rest.
As in many of
Christina Rossetti's poems, a prominent theme of "Up-Hill" is the idea of life and
death, with a particular focus on the worry about what happens at the end of life. Some
have suggested Rossetti's Anabaptist background contributed to her fascination of life
after death. Others suggest that as a female poet in the 19th century, Rossetti might
have adopted the idea of many female authors at that time, which was to become isolated
in order to be successful (or viewed as successful) in the art of writing. This
isolation resulted in introspective and often morbid writing.
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