Strange Meeting Poem Summary, Questions and Answers
Strange Meeting Poem Long Answer Questions
Question 1.
Write a critical appreciation of Strange Meeting.
Or
Question 2.
“The Poetry is in the pity Show how Owen has expressed the “pity of war” in his poem Strange Meeting.
Answer:
Strange Meeting is the grim account of Owen’s terrible experience in the First World War. Published in 1920 in a volume entitled Poems, two years after Owen’s death in 1918, the poem brings together two young, former, enemy-soldiers a British and a German one who meet, after they have died on the battle field. The German soldier however speaks at length of his earnest desire to live more and unveils the tragic futility of war.
The poem opens with the soldier-poet’s illusion that he has escaped out of the battlefield “down to some profound dull tunnel”, where in the midst of the corpse of warriors, one suddenly leaps up as he is “probed” by the soldier-poet. He continues staring at the soldier-poet with pitiful eyes and lifts up his hands as if to bless the soldier-poet.
By his grim smile on face, the soldier-poet realises that he has after all reached hell where silence reigns everywhere since the sound of battle field is no more audible. The soldier-poet observes the face of the dead soldier disfigured with fear and pains. He consoles the dead soldier saying that there is nothing to mourn for in hell.
The dead soldier begins his monologue bemoaning his early death. He says that had he survived more, he might have enjoyed life, chasing things that are beautiful. Such things are more sublime and subtler than the beautiful eyes and braided hairs of women and makes fun of time as it steadily passes by. What grieves his heart is that his life is cut short and hell offers no joy of aesthetic pursuit.
One can only enjoy eternal sleep in hell. Hence, the dead soldier laments that the truth of war now remains untold. The truth being massive death toll that war claims. Men will now continue fighting, either satisfied or dissatisfied with the results of the war. The dead soldier had both courage and wisdom to counsel the warriors against the horrors of war. He could have given up his life to heal the world of its evils but, would not have lost his precious life in foolish warfare.
Towards the end of the poem, the dead soldier reveals that he was the enemy who was killed by the soldier poet on the other day. He recognizes his slayer by the frown in his eyes. Yet, he addresses the British soldier his “friend” since after death what remains of an individual is only the human identity. In other words, we lose all other identities that separate us from others.
Owen here must be suggesting the barrier of narrow political boundary which the both German and the British soldier overcome after death. Hence, the enemy solider who ‘jabbed and killed’ the German soldier, can be safely called a ‘friend’.
Question 3.
Describe with close reference to the poem Strange Meeting the lament of the German solider
Answer:
The German soldier leaps up from among the heap of corpses, imagined to be dumped in hell. He then painfully lifts up his hands as if to bless the soldier poet though being killed by him. As the soldier poet counsels him not to mourn in hell, the German soldier continues speaking at length about the perilous effect of war on mankind. He says that he feels sad all because of his early death.
Had he survived more, he might have enjoyed life, chasing things that are beautiful and more sublime than the ephemeral beauty of women’s eyes and their braided locks of hair. Owen however lends a human touch as he explores the aesthetic sense of beauty in the German soldier. This however implies that soldiers are not without human feelings which Owen suggests in many of his poems.
However the German soldier also bemoans that if he lyre-have, at least he could have revealed the truth of war which nCVy remains untold. The truth being massive death toll that war claims. Men will now continue fighting, either satisfied or dissatisfied with restricts-of the-war The German soldier had both courage and wisdom to counsel the warriors against the horrors of war. He could have given up his life to heal the world of its evils but, would not have lost his precious life in foolish warfare.
As he is now helplessly inactive in hell, he welcomes the soldier poet as his “friend”. He reveals the soldier-poet that he was the enemy who was killed by the soldier-poet on the other day. He has recognized his slayer by the frown in his eyes. Yet, he addresses the British soldier his “friend” since after death what remains of an individual is only the human identity. In other words, we lose all other identities that separate us from others.
Owen here must be suggesting the barrier of narrow political boundary which the both German and the British soldier overcome after death. Hence, the enemy solider who ‘jabbed and killed the German soldier, can be safely called a ‘friend’. The German soldier invites him to sleep together as they are far removed from every animosity that humans promote against each other.
Strange Meeting Poem Short Answer Questions
Question 1.
What impression of the British soldier do you form based on your reading the poem.
Answer:
The British soldier is the first speaker of the poem. He bc9ino me poem-MTcr. This fancy of entering into a deep, dark tunnel where dead soldiers are huddled together.
As he pokes them, one of the dead soldiers suddenly leaps up and continues staring at the British soldier with pitiful eyes. The dead solider is a German warrior who painfully lifts up his hands as if to bless the British soldier.
By his grim smile, the British soldier realises that he is in hell. Silence reigns everywhere around since the sound of the battlefield is no more audible. The British soldier observes that the face of the German soldier is disfigured with fear and pains. He consoles the German soldier saying that there is nothing to mourn for in hell.
The German soldier, who is the second speaker of the poem, recognises the British soldier and welcomes him as his friend. He says that he was once the enemy of the British soldier and now his friend since after death what remains of an individual is only the human identity.
Hence, the British soldier who ‘jabbed and killed’ the German soldier in the battlefield is called a friend and both of them agrees sleeping eternally together as they are removed from every animosity that humans promote against each other.
Question 2.
What picture of hell is presented by Owen in his poem Strange Meeting.
Answer:
Hell isn’t described exhaustively like Milton in his Paradise Lost or Dante in his Inferno. Owen just lends a succinct picture of hell once the British soldier escapes out of the
Strange Meeting Poem Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs)
Question 1.
Who are the speakers in the poem Strange Meeting?
a. French and German soldiers
b. British and French soldiers
c. Indian and British soldiers
d. German and British soldiers
Answer:
d. German and British soldiers
Question 2.
Why is the meeting called strange?
a. Because it was not pre-planned
b. Because the meeting occurred in hell
c. Because the meeting occurred in heaven
d. Because the meeting occurred in dream
Answer:
b. Because the meeting occurred in hell
Question 3.
What did the British soldier say to the German soldier the moment he meets him?
a. He said that he killed the dead soldier last day
b. He said that he was surprised to see him in hell
c. He said that there is nothing to mourn for in hell
d. He said nothing
Answer:
c. He said that there is nothing to mourn for in hell
Question 4.
Why does the German soldier mourn in hell?
a. Because he couldn’t reach heaven
b. Because of his untimely death
c. Because he couldn’t kill the soldier poet before dying
d. Because hell is so unpleasant
Answer:
b. Because of his untimely death
Question 5.
What is the pity of war?
a. That war is an essential part of human civilization
b. That war kills young lives
c. That war is encouraged by politicians
d. That war encourages hatred among nations
Answer:
b. That war kills young lives
Question 6.
What did the German soldier want to tell mankind about war?
a. That war is necessary for ensuring peace
b. That there is no heroism associated with war
c. That war must be promoted for better future
d. That one must give up his life in war
Answer:
b. That there is no heroism associated with war
Question 7.
Why does the German soldier addresses the British soldier as his friend?
a. Because the British soldier helped him to reach hell
b. Because the British soldier saved his life
c. Because the British soldier woke him up in hell
d. Because both of them are dead and they have lost their identity of two different nations.
Answer:
d. Because both of them are dead and they have lost their identity of two different nations.
Question 8.
What does the German soldier ask the British soldier to do?
a. To go away from hell
b. To remain in hell
c. To sleep forever with him
d. To rejoice in hell
Answer:
c. To sleep forever with him
Question 9.
What is kind of poem is Owen’s Strange Meeting?
a. Heroic
b. Poem of friendship
c. Anti-war
d. Poem of love
Answer:
c. Anti-war
Strange Meeting Poem Summary
Strange Meeting Poem Introduction
Strange Meeting is an anti-war poem which records Owen’s grim experience of the First World War. The poem was written during the course of the World War I and was published in 1920, in a volume entitled Poems, two years after Owen’s death in 1918. The poem brings together two young enemy-soldiers – a British and a German who meet, after they have died on the battlefield. The German soldier speaks at length, his earnest desire to live and unveils the tragic futility of war.
Strange Meeting Poem Summary
The soldier-poet imagines that he has escaped from the battlefield into a deep, dark tunnel where dead soldiers are huddled together. As he pokes them, one of the dead soldiers leaps up and continues staring at the soldier-poet with pitiful eyes. He then painfully lifts up his hands as if to bless the soldier poet and by his grim smile, the soldier poet realises that he is in hell.
Silence reigns everywhere around since the sound of battlefield is no more audible. The soldier-poet observes the face of the dead soldier disfigured with fear and pains. He consoles the dead soldier saying that there is nothing to mourn for in hell.
The dead soldier bemoans for his early death. He says that had he survived more, he might have enjoyed life, chasing things that are beautiful. Such things are more sublime and subtler than the beautiful eyes and braided hairs of women and makes fun of time as it steadily passes by. What grieves his heart is that his life is cut short and hell offers no joy of aesthetic pursuit.
One can only enjoy eternal sleep in hell. Hence, the dead soldier bemoans that if he were alive, at least he could have revealed the truth of war which now remains untold. The truth being massive death toll that war claims. Men will now continue fighting, either satisfied or dissatisfied with the results of the war.The dead soldier had both courage and wisdom to counsel the warriors against the horrors of war. He could have given up his life to heal the world of its evils but, would not have lost his precious life in foolish warfare.
The dead soldier now reveals the soldier-poet that he was the enemy who was killed by the soldier poet on the other day. He has recognized his slayer by the frown in his eyes. Since he is killed, he now wants profound and undisturbed sleep. He also invites the soldier-poet to sleep with him as they are no more the enemy of each other.
Strange Meeting Poem Paraphrase
Lines 1 to 14:
The soldier-poet imagines that he has escaped from the battlefield into a deep, dark tunnel where dead soldiers are huddled together. As he pokes them, one of the dead soldiers suddenly leaps up and continues staring at the soldier-poet with-pitiful eyes.
He then lifts up his hands as if to bless the soldier poet and by his grim smile, the soldier poet realises that he is in hell. He notices that the face of the dead soldier is disfigured with fear and pains. He consoles the dead soldier saying that there is nothing to mourn for in hell.
Lines 15 to 39:
The dead soldier pow mourns for his early death. He says that had he survived more, he might have enjoyed life. Even he too had the desire for the beautiful things of life which was beyond physical something more sublime and subtler than the beautiful eyes and braided hairs of women. And what grieves his heart is that his life is cut short and hell offers no joy of aesthetic pursuit.
One can only enjoy eternal sleep in hell. Hence, the dead soldier bemoans that if he were alive, at least he could have revealed the truth of war which now remains untold. The truth being massive death toll that war claims.
Men will now continue fighting, either satisfied or dissatisfied with the results of the war.The dead soldier had both courage and wisdom to counsel the warriors against the horrors of war. He could have given up his life to heal the world of its evils but, would not have lost his precious life in foolish warfare.
Lines 40 to 44:
The dead soldier now reveals the soldier-poet that he was the enemy who was killed by the soldier poet on the other day. He has recognized his slayer by the frown in his eyes. Since he is killed, he now wants profound and undisturbed sleep. He also invites the soldier-poet to sleep with him as they are no more the enemy of each other
Strange Meeting Poem Annotations with Comments
Lines 1 to 14:
It seemed : It seemed that the entire episode of an experience in the dungeon hell came to the soldier-poet in a vision
out of battle : out of the battle-field
escaped : went out
profound : deep
dull : dark
tunnel : opening cut through a hill
long since scooped : dug out long before
granites : rocks of granite stone
titanic : terrible
titanic wars : devastating wars that the Titans waged against their children
groined : vaults
encumbered sleepers : dead soldiers huddled together
encumbered : crowded
groaned : made cries of pain in sleep
Too fast in thought : deeply absorbed in thought
death : senselessness
bestirred : woken up
probed : poked stared with
piteous eyes : stared with distressing signs in his looks lifting distressful
hands, as if to bless : raising his hand painfully as if to bless the soldier-poet
sullen hail : gloomy and dark tunnel
dead smile : smile with a mere grin
thousand pains : the face of the German soldier was marked with the lines of thousand sorrow
vision’s face : face of the figure seen in the vision
grained : lined
blood : bloodshed on the battle-field
thumped : boomed
flues : passages for smoke over chimney
no cause to mourn : no real cause for lamenting in hell (or after-life).
Comment:
Titanic : Titans are the children of Uranus and Gaes. They, often called the Elder Gods, were deities of the early Greeks. They represents either primitive forces of nature or abstract qualities. Titans were originally six males and six females.
Later writers also placed some of the children of Titans among the Titans. The Titans, with the exception of Oceanus, revolted against Uranus, disposed him, and made Coronos ruler of the world. The adjective Titanic therefore refers to some monstrous warfare. – From The Wordsworth Dictionary of Classical Allusion.
undone years : years of his life lie in total ruin in hell
hopelessness : despair
Whatever hope …. life also : The German soldier says that his life was full of hope like the soldier-poet’s
hunting : searching
wild : indefatigably
wildest beauty : most romantic beauty
which lies not calm in eyes : the beauty that he searched for did not lie in the serene eyes or the braided hair of a young girl.
mocks : outpaces
steady : slow and regular
running of the hour : passage of time But mocks the steady
running of the hour: This beauty is eternal if it grieves: If the beauty pursued
Is the cause of sorrow grieves ….. than here: If the beauty pursued is the cause of sorrow, it has greater cause to grieve in this world than it has here
glee: joy
many men have laughed: many people could have been made happy
weeping : mourning
And of my ….. left : sorrows that he suffered in the battlefield yet remains in the world
Which must die now : since he is dead, the sorrows will remain untold to the world
I mean the truth untold : the truth of war will remain untold to the world
Pity of war : the sense of pathos that a right view of the foolish waste of life warfare creates.
Lines 26 to 33:
Now men …. Spoiled : Now when the German soldier is dead and the truth of war remains untold, men will feel complacent with what they did in the war
Spoiled : plundered
boil bloody : rage and fret and grow red in the face
spilled : involved in blood shed, like boiling liquid
brimming over and spilled on the ground
swift : burning with the desire to kill. None will break ranks: no nation will dissolve its army and give up fighting
Treak: march away from
I had mystery : I gained deep insight into the mysteries of life
mystery : mystic knowledge of hiden truth
mastery : excellence
To miss : so that he could easily live apart from the erring world and wait for the opportune moment to come out and heal it by giving it the truths
retreating world : degeneration of civilization, day after day
citadels : forts
That walled : into the unprotected fortress.
Comment:
Into vain citadels that are not walled: Citadel is the symbol of civilization and the word ‘not walled’ means open to attack. Owen perhaps suggests that the civilization is under threat.
Lines 34 to 39:
blood : bloodshed in battlefield
clogged : obstructed
when…..their chariot-wheels : when nations have shed enough of blood and despaired of achieving any good out of hatred suspicion and warfare
I would go up : he would go forward
wash them : wash the wounds of nations
sweet wells : the truth about war
taints : stain
that taints : that cannot be corrupted by vicious doctrines of hate and warfare
I would…spirit : had he lived he would have given his life and soul
without stint : liberally
But not.., wounds : but no dying from the effects of wounds received warfare
cess: forced realization
Foreheads……wounds were : the innocent youth with clean foreheads, compelled to fight and are slaughtered merciless.
Comment:
Foreheads …….. wounds were: There ‘may be just a passing allusion in this line to the foreheads of Christ bleeding because of the crown of thorn thrust upon him:
Lines 40 to 44:
enemy : refers to the German-soldier
know : recognize, identified.
Dark : dark hell
frowned : looked gloomfly
through me : into face
jabbed : stabbed
parried : prevented
but my… cold: when the German soldier was killed by the soldier-poet. He could not defend himself, as he felt disinclined to give him counter-stroke and his hands were cold through exposure
Let us sleep now : The two soldiers now will not be any use to the world. They are dead forever. Hence, the German soldier asks the soldier-poet to enjoy sleep forever.
Comments:
Let us sleep now: The word “us” perhaps suggest that the soldier-poet too dead. I am the enemy you killed, my friend: ‘The two antithetical words ‘enemy and ‘friend suggest the difference between thed entity of a human being before and after death.
Before death, there might be some antagonism between the man of two different nations. But after death the Identity as a human being is larger than any other identity, Hence, the enemy who ‘jabbed and killed’ the German soldier can now safely be called a ‘friend’.