Vocabulary in Uphill

The word “seek” frames the questioner’s path as a spiritual journey: a quest for salvation, for a bed at road’s end. To “seek” implies a high degree of intention. The guide’s reply is cryptic. There are “beds for all who come.” Whether “all” refers solely to seekers or encompasses non-seekers as well is unclear. This lack of clarity is part of the poem’s purpose. There are no simple answers to spiritual questions.

The word “wayfarer” comes from Germanic roots: “way” means “road”; “farer” means “goer” or “traveller.” In archaic use, the verb “to fare” was used to signal a departure from life. This meaning is highly relevant to Rossetti’s poem, in which the wayfarers are travellers along a metaphorical road through life into death.

“Resting-place” in this line holds a double meaning. On one level, the speaker is literally looking for a place to rest for the night before continuing their great journey the next day. On another level, “resting-place” can also be read as a final or eternal “resting-place,” like a grave.