Meeting-at-Night Important Long Question-Answer
Meeting at Night
Robert Browning
Long Questions Answers
1. Describe the lover’s journey at night to meet his beloved.
or,
Give an account of the lover’s journey to his beloved in ‘Meeting at Night’.
or,
How does the poet in “Meeting at Night” meet his beloved.
| Ans: “Meeting at Night” describes a lover’s journey to his beloved. The lady love stays in a secluded farmhouse across the bay. The lover rows at night and travels across the grey sea with the yellow half moon above his head. He rows on until his boat reaches the slushy sand of the bay. Then the lover walks a mile on the sea scented beach and reaches the dark land. He crosses three fields until he reaches his destination which is a farmhouse where his lady love is waiting for him. Finally, he is reunited with his lady love proving that love conquers all odds and the barriers of time and place. |
2. Consider Browning’s poem, ‘Meeting at Night’ as a love poem.
| Ans: Browning’s poem ‘Meeting at Night’ is a very popular love poem in English Literature. The speaker undertakes a challenging journey at night to meet his beloved. He journey across the sea and land to meet his lady love. His passion is emphasized by the yellow half-moon the slushy sand, the startled waves and grey sea. He walks a mile on the beach after reaching the bay and then crosses three fields in the dark before he finally reaches the farm house where his lady love stays. He taps at the window pane and his lady love immediately responds by scratching a match to light the candle. It signifies that his lady love was equally eagerly waiting for his response. Their voice becomes a whisper of joy and fear fading away only to the sound of beating hearts to be heard at that time of the hour. Thus the poem is an exquisite representation of the burning passion of love which can overcome all odds. |
3. What does the speaker observe in the course of his journey to the farmhouse in the poem “Meeting at Night”? What does he do as he reaches the farmhouse?
| Ans: In Robert Browning’s poem “Meeting at Night” the speaker undertook a long journey to meet his ladylove. While he was going through the sea, he observed the grey sea, long black land and the yellow half moon which was large and low. He also observed the fiery ringlets leaping out on the sea water with the movement of his boat. He felt the warmness of the sea scented beach also. The speaker’s ladylove was waiting for him in the farmhouse. After reaching there, he tapped on the windowpane to signal his beloved about his arrival. |
4. Justify the title of the poem “Meeting at Night”.
| Ans: Browning’ poem “Meeting at Night” deals with a nocturnal journey of a lover to meet his beloved. The title emphasizes this sense of secrecy. The lover overcomes all obstacles to meet his beloved. He sails on a boat then walks a mile on the beach, crosses three fields until he reaches a farmhouse where his beloved stays. Ultimately the long-cherished meeting between the two lovers is completed. And to keep their meeting secret, the love partners exchange no words only non-verbal expressions. The title quite completely hints at this central theme of meeting between the lovers and hence it is appropriate. |
5. Evaluate “Meeting at Night” as a love poem.
| Ans: Robert Browning’s “Meeting at Night” is a famous love poem. The speaker lover undertakes a challenging journey at night to meet his beloved. The lover overcome all hurdles to meet his ladylove. He rows his boat over the grey sea, walks a mile on the sea-scented beach and crosses three fields. Ultimately he meets his beloved. He taps the window. The ladylove who was eagerly waiting for him, responds to him by scratching a match. The words, such as the yellow half-moon, fiery ringlets, startled waves and slushy sands indicate the lover’s soaring passion of love. In this way the poem talks about love and passion, longing excitement in very suggestive way. |
6. “And a voice less loud, through its joys and fears, Than the two hearts beating each to each!” -Whose voice is referred to here? Why is the voice full of joy and fear? Describe the meeting.
| Ans: The voice here refers to the feeble voice of ladylove whom the lover poet meets in the farmhouse in Robert Browning’s “Meeting at Night”. The voice is full of joy because the lover’s desire is fulfilled by meeting at night. At the same time, the voice of lady love expresses fear because they are meeting secretly. They are feared to be discovered or caught. After a long journey the lover reaches the farmhouse and taps on the windowpane. His ladylove responds by lighting a match inside the house. Then she whispers in joy and fear. As they reunite, the speaker feels his and his lover’s hearts beat together. |
7. How does the mood of the poet in the first stanza of “Meeting at Night” differ from the second stanza?
| Ans: The two stanzas in the poem “Meeting at Night” are different in mood. The lover’s journey is a journey from despair to hope. In the first stanza there is a description of the journey by the sea under the gloomy night. There is a longing in the mind of the lover who is going to meet his ladylove. All things around him are dark, grey and even black. But in the second stanza the lover is full of hopes and joys. Now the beach turns warm and sea-scented. His beloved is anxiously waiting for him. Ultimately the two lovers meet with each other and become very excited. |
8. “As I gain the cove with pushing prow
And quench its speed I’ the slushy sand”- Who is the speaker? What is cove? What does the phrase, ‘quench its speed’ signify? How is the speaker’s journey continued after gaining ‘the cove’?
| Ans: The speaker here is the lover poet, who undertakes a journey to meet his ladylove secretly in the poem “Meeting at Night” by Robert Browning. Here the ‘cove’ is an inlet. It means that the speaker has reached the shore. The phrase ‘quench its speed’ signifies the fact that the speaker slows down the boat as it reaches the shore. After getting down from his boat the lover continues his journey through the warm and sea-scented beach for a mile. The he crosses three fields to reach farmhouse where his ladylove resides. |
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Meeting-at-Night Important Long Question-Answer
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