1. What is the
symbolic significance of the ‘Three-fields’ described in Meeting at
Night?
Answer: Getting
down from the ship, the poet-lover, warm with feelings at the hope of meeting the
beloved after so long a time as stated in Meeting at Night by Robert Browning, walks
a mile on the beach. Then he crosses three fields. These three fields are symbolic
of the three socio-personal aspects which cause obstruction in continuing the
love affair. They are the prohibition of Elizabeth’s father, the disparity in
the social-classes between Browning and Elizabeth, and finally the geographical
difference between London and Florence where the poet-lover and the lady-love
are respectively living at this time. At last the poet comes to the farm where
his beloved is supposed to live.
2. “And a voice
less loud, thro' its joys and fears,
Than the two
hearts beating each to each” - explain the lines.
Answer: Meeting
at Night narrates how the lyrical voice sails across the sea to reach his/her beloved
one. The poem constructs a sense of movement that imitates the lyrical voice’s longing
to reunite with his/her lover. After the "tap at the pane" and the
lighting of the match, a voice speaks. Based on what we all know of such
"meetings at night" from fairy tales and the like, it looks possible
that the voice is that of the woman in the house.
However, the
voice is less loud than the hearts of the two lovers. That sounds quite strange
(we do not
typically think about heartbeats as something so loud we can hear), but it
suggests that the two lovers are so excited that their hearts beat louder than
a human voice. Moreover, Meeting at Night allows the reader to experiment the
point of view of the lyrical voice, showing his passions and emotions and how
they affect his/her point of view.
3. Describe the
nocturnal journey the lover has undertaken to meet his beloved
in Meeting at
night.
Answer:
Browning’s poem, “Meeting at Night”, is primarily an account of a lover’s
journey to meet his ladylove secretly at night. The lover takes up a long
journey in the sea and on land to reach his destination. First, he sails in a
boat in the grey sea. The land looks black. The speaker moves on towards the
land. The yellow moon is rising. It looks large and low. The waves are very
active and playful and dancing in joy. They look like fiery ringlets. The speaker
moves on until his boat hits the slushy sand. He lands on the beach, walks a
mile on the sea beach and crosses three fields to reach his destination, a farm
house where his beloved lives.
There, he taps
at the window-pane. His ladylove responds by lighting a match within. In this way,
the lovers overcome all obstacles and finally meet his beloved.
4. Describe the
Nocturnal Atmosphere in Meeting at Night.
Answer: Robert
Browning gives a vivid description of the nocturnal atmosphere in his
poem “Meeting
at Night”. A lover undertakes a long journey at night to meet his beloved. He sails
in a boat in the sea. The shadows of the dark night are falling rapidly and the
sea appears grey. When he reaches the beach, darkness engulfs the atmosphere
and the land appears long and black. The moon appears ‘yellow’, ‘large’ and
‘low’. Evidently the rising of the moon in the early evening has been
suggested. The sea beach is still warm after getting the scorching heat of the
sun throughout the whole day. The feeling of the nocturnal atmosphere is
heightened by the silence and darkness. The silence is so reformed that even a sharp
scratch of match stick on match box or a gentle tap on the window pane is
clearly heard. The darkness is so intense that the blue light of the match
stick is visible. The ladylove’s voice comes in a whisper. The eager beating
hearts of the lovers make a sound louder than the voice of the ladylove. Thus,
the atmosphere of the night helps in augmenting the effect of the poem.
5. Briefly
discuss the images that we find in Browning's poem "Meeting at
Night".
Answer:
Browning's poem "Meeting at Night" is loaded with images that enhance
the
sensuousness of
the narrative. The images found in the poem are those of the "grey
sea", "long black land", "yellow half-moon",
"startled... waves", "slushy sand", "warm sea scented beach",
and "three fields" together make the description enchanting,
adventurous, passionate, daring and sensuous. These images help Browning to
catch the longing desire of the couple to meet one another. The speaker makes
an excellent effort to overcome all the obstacles in the way and is rewarded
with a meeting with his beloved. With these images and with the daring effort
of the narrator, the poet brings home the truth: Amor Vince Omnia which means
love conquers all.
6. How does the
poet describe the sea in the poem "Meeting at Night"? How
does the poet
describe the night?
Answer: In the
poem "Meeting at Night", the poet describes the sea as both
enchanting and romantic. The sea appears to be grey and therefore the waves are
startled at the disturbance created by the boat of the narrator. There is a cove
and slushy sand that is followed by a heat ocean scented beach.
The night is
additionally attractive with a yellow half-moon that makes the sea look grey
and therefore the land look dark. It is the time when there's no one around and
solely those who have a mission to accomplish venture out. In the dark night,
the blue spurt of a lighted match could be seen clearly. Undoubtedly, lighted
match is a symbol that the darkness of the land has ignited the passion of the
lovers who meet secretly under the cover of the night.
7. "As I
gain the cove with pushing prow / And quench it's speed in the slushy
sand" what
is a cove? What do you mean by “quench its speed "?
Answer: Cove
may be defined as a sheltered place in the shore. In this poem it signifies
that the narrator has reached the shore. By the expression "quench its
speed", here the poet means the gradual slowing down and eventually
stopping of the boat of the lover. The lover, in his mission to meet his
beloved has travelled all the way to the shore in his boat and now he pulls the
boat in the slushy sand by taking it out of the water. The word
"quench" means gratification of the thirst. Taking out the boat from
the sea disconnects it from water source.
Hence it has
been poetically referred to as quenching of speed.
8. Explain the
significance of the title of the poem "Meeting at Night" by Robert
Browning
Answer: The
poem "Meeting at Night'' describes the lover's secret meeting with his
beloved in a distant farmhouse. The lover undertakes a long journey across the
sea and the land at night. The lover overcomes hardships and obstacles to
fulfill his mission of love. He lands on the beach and walks a mile along the
warm sea- scented beach. Then he crosses three fields to reach the farmhouse
where his beloved lives. The lover makes his presence felt by taping at the
window pane. Then his beloved lights a match and stars whispering with him.
They are locked in warm embrace in the midst of joys and fears. The secret
meeting of the two lovers is symbolically suggested by the title. Hence, the
title of the poem is quite justified.
9. Write the
substance of the poem Meeting at Night.
Answer:-The
Robert Browning’s poem, Meeting at Night as the title shows it, is about a
meeting at
night of a couple who are in love with each other. To meet the woman, the man should
do a very long journey through the sea with his boat, walking through three
fields, until he arrives at a farm. Still, he has to be very careful when
meeting her because exactly they are not allowed to meet each other. That’s why
the person comes at night and they should talk with a very soft voice. This
poem is telling us about the process of a relationship.
When someone
could not find his love, he would feel so lonely in life. Robert Browning
represented it
with the phrase “the grey sea and the long black land”. Love can be aimed to someone
or dream. Then, to be able to reach his love, he passed through many challenges
and restrictions. However, he did it happily since he is optimistic. After all
the hassles, he succeeds to find what he’s been looking for. The loneliness
then is gone and turned into brightness “And blue spurt of a lighted match”.
Finally, he got what he had been dreaming about.
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