An Analysis of "Uphill"

The first two lines offer compensation for labor: the fact that the Questioner can only find as much comfort as much as he puts in labor. A few final thoughts on the poem as a whole: the poem, entitled "Uphill" is a dialogue between two unknown characters: one the Questioner and the other the Answerer. ------------------------------------------------------------------------**Bibliography**. The two speakers, the Questioner and the Answerer, have been discussing a journey and in doing so, the Answerer has had to calm the Questioners nerves by giving him hope of future comfort. It almost seems as thought the answers are interrupting the questions. "Will the day's journey take the whole long day?" is answered by "From morn to night, my friend". This is a firm proponent of the idea that the Answerer is God. To begin with the Questioner asks, "But is there for the night a resting-place?" which is answered by "A roof for when the slow dark hours begin". Though this poem is not to be one that scares a person, because of the constant reassurance that "it's gonna be ok", the final line does offer a slightly chilling vision. From these two questions we also find that the Questioner is asking about aspects of living and the journey of life. The last and fourth stanza holds perhaps the most comforting lines in the whole poem. After the journey of the Questioner is over and he is "travel-sore and weak", the Questioner arrives at this place of the beds that are "open to all who come". This place can either be an event of rest, such as easy times in life, or something of that sort. This is followed by "May not the darkness hide it from my face" which is then responded by "You cannot miss that inn". These may be old people, saturated in their own wisdom, or may be naturally wise people such as a father.