Descriptive Question Answers from the poem "Meeting at Night"

1. Describe the lover’s journey to meet his lover in the poem “Meeting at Night”.

Ans.⇒    Robert Browning’s “Meeting at Night” describes the journey of a lover to meet his lady love secretly at night. The lover undertakes a journey by sea and by land to meet his beloved. First, he sails in the grey sea. In this course of his journey, the moon has been described as large and low and the very active waves as dancing in joy. And they look like firey ringlets. When the lover reaches the sea beach his boat hits the slushy sand. He covers the second half of his journey first by walking a mile on the sea beach and then by crossing three fields. At last, he reaches his destination, a farmhouse where his beloved is waiting for him. He taps at the window pan and his beloved lights a match. Then they hug each other and their hearts beat against each other.  Thus the lover completes his journey to meet his lady love by overcoming all obstacles.

 2. Justify the title of the poem “Meeting at Night”.  

Ans.⇒ Browning’s poem “Meeting at Night” deals with a nocturnal journey of a lover to meet his beloved.  He voyages the ‘grey sea’ in the darkness of night. The moon is described as large and low. When he reaches the land, he walks a mile on the sea beach and then covers three fields.  At last, he meets his beloved in a farmhouse. Those imageries, used in the poem such as ‘grey sea’, ‘the long black land’, the large and low’, ‘yellow half-moon’, imply that there is a risk in this meeting. On the other hand, the night is not only the ideal time for this meeting but it also gives us a feeling of secrecy. Since the meeting that takes place in this poem is evidently a secret one. Thus the title “Meeting at Night” for this poem is appropriate.

3. What does the lover observe in the course of his journey? What does he do as he reaches the farmhouse? 

Ans.⇒  In “Meeting at Night”, Browning gives a detailed description of the sceneries the lover across in the course of his journey to meet his ladylove in a farmhouse. The sea has been described as “grey sea” and the land as “long black land”. A very common cosmic object of night-sky, the moon, has been as “yellow half-moon large and low”. While sailing in the sea the lover sees the ripples of the sea which have been described as leaping in fiery ringlet. Finally, the sand, which is slushy, slowdowns the speed of his boat. Then the lover walks a mile warm sea-scented beach and three fields to reach the farmhouse to meet his beloved.

 

          When he reaches the farmhouse he knocks at the windowpane to inform her of his arrival.

 4. “And a voice less loud, through its joys and fears” – Why is the voice less loud? Give the significance of the line. 

Ans.⇒  In the poem “Meeting at Night”, a lover and his beloved decide to meet secretly. Therefore to keep their meeting secret, the ladylove speaks in a voice less loud. After a long tiresome journey, the lover reaches the farmhouse where his ladylove lives. Hearing the tap on the windowpane she becomes aware of his arrival and becomes impatient to meet him. Finally, when they meet, their hearts filled with love and joy. But as they are meeting secretly they have the feeling of fear as well. Ultimately the lovers unite and are locked in a passionate embrace having both the feeling, joy and fear. 

Created by Minhajuddin Mondal 

Date : September 5, 2021

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