The poem by Christina Rossetti involves a conversation between two speakers. One asks questions and the other responds to those questions. The answer to the question of how long the journey will take depends on the interpretation of the poem. When the question is asked, the response is that the journey will take "from morn til night." Taken literally, this means that the journey along the uphill road will take an entire day. The destination at the end of the journey is an inn. However, by examining a different interpretation, the question takes on a new meaning. If the uphill road is considered the journey one takes throughout life, then the amount of time the journey takes would be equivalent to one's life span. In this case, the inn at the end of the destination could symbolize death.

"Up-Hill" is a short poem written by Christina Rossetti. The poem is broken up into four separate stanzas; however, those stanzas are split between two speakers. The first line is a question being asked by speaker number one, and the next line is the answer being spoken by speaker number two. This line by line question and response format makes up the entire poem. The answer to the question can be found in the first stanza. The first question asks about the road on the hill. The speaker wants to know if the road goes all the way up. Yes, the road goes up the entire way. The second question asks about the length of the trip. The speaker wants to know if the trip will last the entire day. The answer is that the trip will take the entire day. The answer is specific in saying that the trip will last from morning until night.

Does the road wind up-hill all the way?
Yes, to the very end.
Will the day’s journey take the whole long day?
From morn to night, my friend.