Question

climbing up
do not climb so fast, my brother,
take your time and go it slow;
stop and meditate a little,
stop and think before you go.
then when starting do not hurry,
take it slowly as you climb;
stop awhile and rest a little,
start again but take your time.
when at last youve reached the summit,
you will have no vain regrets;
for youve measured well the journey,
and each difficulty met.
take it slow.
(\climbing up\ by myra vois wins)
these lines are from the poem,
\when at last youve reached the summit,
you will have no vain regrets;
for youve measured well the journey,
and each difficulty met.\ (lines 9 - 12)
what does the phrase reached the summit mean in the poem?

1. completed a challenging hike
2. sacrificed for a lifelong dream
3. decided to stop trying so hard
4. achieved an important life goal

Explanation:

In the poem, "reached the summit" is a metaphor. The context of the poem is about life's journey (implied by "the journey" and "each difficulty met"). A summit in a literal climbing sense is the top, the goal. Metaphorically in life, it represents achieving an important life goal. Option 1 is too literal (just a hike), option 2 has no indication of sacrifice in the lines, option 3 is contrary to the positive tone (no vain regrets implies success, not stopping trying).

Answer:

1. achieved an important life goal