Climbing the Great Wall (Sonnet and Analysis)

Climbing the Great Wall

When hiking on a cloudy, windy day,
Careful steps one-by-one, avoiding falls.
Glued with rice and mud, dried in the sun’s rays,
Slippery stones, the backbone of the Wall.
Trying to keep balanced, lunging forward,
I trip and stretch for the metal railing.
Pulling myself up from looking awkward,
I learn to move with the wind like sailing.
Twists and turns curving around and around.
Steep steps up to Heaven and down to Earth.
Body shivers seeking warmth from the ground.
Legs shake, some moans, snot drips and little mirth.
From up high we see the Wall far and wide,
A dragon dancing on the mountainside.

Analysis of Climbing the Great Wall

Seeking success is not always an easy task when reaching your goals. In Climbing the Great Wall, the Wall is a metaphor for a person’s life. The Wall can be separated into sections and each section can represent a goal in that person’s life. This sonnet describes the physical struggle someone may experience when physically climbing the Wall. The physical climb is a metaphor for the mental thoughts and emotional feelings one may feel when struggling through any challenge. In the end, the hiker must realize that accomplishing goals is a wonderful adventure.
In a struggle, someone may feel they are in a gloomy atmosphere as if “when hiking on a cloudy, windy day.” We already know the place of the physical hike from the title “Climbing the Great Wall.” The setting is completed with the first line because it tells what kind of day or journey it is. The Great Wall is obviously extremely long, but even a small part is a difficult climb. In life, there are many challenges. Hiking and climbing are more difficult than walking, so journeys and challenges are not easy. “On a cloudy, windy day,” the journey is even more difficult. The atmosphere is cold and the wind and clouds are foreboding.
The approach a person ought to take in the search for success is with “careful steps one-by-one, avoiding falls.” Most people would say that a person must take baby steps to achieve. However, the hiker does not define the size of the steps, only that he/she must take them consciously. In life, a person may have a plan and try not to risk making mistakes.
The Great Wall of China was “glued with rice and mud, dried in the sun’s rays.” This description is almost like one for a sand castle. Sand castles may look sturdy, but they can easily be destroyed. The Great Wall may seem firm, but to someone who thinks it is absurd to build a large structure with only rice and mud may feel a bit insecure. In life, someone may feel safe, but really there are times to be paranoid or unstable because life is not secure.
The “slippery stones” intensifies instability. Knowing someone can slip and fall on the Wall or in life depresses the journey. Rice, mud, and stones are reasons why to approach the situation consciously.
The hiker is determined to move forward as if on the Wall when “trying to keep balanced, lunging forward.” Lunging is defined as “ a sudden forward thrust of the body, typically with an arm outstretched to attach someone or seize something,” according to the Oxford Dictionary. In life, when conquering obstacles, a person needs to attach the situation.
Even if you push and never give up, mistakes are still open in life. When climbing the Great Wall, someone may “trip and stretch for the metal railing.” Stretching for the metal railing in life can be searching for support or a guide to keep you focused for reaching your destination.
Tripping may be embarrassing on the Wall. Making mistakes or failing may be humiliating in life. Anyone in that position can only be “pulling myself up from looking awkward.” The hiker truly shows his/her determination when trying to pull his/herself together to continue the journey. You might need the “metal railing.”
After almost facing defeat, a person can overcome it. This is the turning point for the hiker in the sonnet, on the hike, or in life. Lessons are learned through out the journey like, “ I learn to move with the wind like sailing.” Mistakes may happen, but as the hiker has already proved to his/herself that he/she can overcome obstacles. Sailing is considered a relaxing sport. When reaching goals, a person needs to stay relaxed and flow along.
Someone may feel lost on a journey. They may ask themselves why they attempted to reach this goal and even if the journey is worth the trouble. They may feel as if going in “twists and turns curving around and around.” This physical motion can be related to frustration when achieving goals.
A person may feel tired from climbing’ steep steps up to Heaven and down to Earth.” Heaven and Earth are two places that are drastically far from each other. No one knows where Heaven is, although it is painted in the clouds hovering above Earth. In the beginning, we were told to take careful steps. Steps from Heaven to Earth seem large. After mistakes and struggles, the hiker may find it is okay to take risks. This contradicts with what the hiker intended to do in the beginning. The hiker tried to avoid falls, but now he/she is opened for anything. The feeling of confidence contrasts with the feeling of frustration described in twists and turns. Lessons are learned in any journey. The hiker continues even with these mixed emotions.
Through this struggle and learning new lessons along the way, a person still needs support. When the hiker’s “body shivers…” he/she needs to be “seeking warmth from the ground.” When reaching goals, you need a support system. This may be your family, friends, or others. Most importantly, the hiker needs support from his/herself by recalling all of the experiences and reminding his/herself the importance of reaching the goal. Earlier in the sonnet, the metal railing was the metaphor for the support system. The difference between the metal railing and the warmth from the ground is that the metal railing was also served as a guide, but warmth only serves for comfort. This part of the sonnet symbolizes that the hiker is more stable and can carry his/herself.
Any way to strike a goal the hiker needs to perform the best to his/her abilities. The hiker is committed even during times when “legs shake, some moans, snot drips and little mirth.” In the darkest times, the hiker has greater strength than before and he/she will see the harsh journey is worth it in the end.
“From up high we see the Wall far and wide, a dragon dancing on the mountainside.” These are the last lines left in the sonnet, the hike, and the battle to success. They are the reward. If someone were really climbing the Wall, this image would have been so captivating hat you would have forgotten the struggle. The reward is overpowering the harsh times of the journey. One last lesson is taught in the last line with the word “dancing.” Dancing is exciting and blithe. When struggling for a goal, keep in mind to dance. Do not stress out because it is not needed. On a hike or in any challenge in life, the hiker must remind his/herself that this journey is an adventure and not a struggle after all. In the beginning, we were given the image that the journey was unstable and depressing, but with changes in perspective and attitude, the hiker can dance all the way.
Do not worry about failing and never give up. Many lessons will be learned. Concentrate on the goal while enjoying the adventure. Succeeding and the actual adventure will be the reward for climbing the Wall.