1)Justify the title of the poem ‘Meeting at Night’.[5] [Annual Exam. Class 11 – 2015, 2018]
Ans. Robert Browning’s ‘Meeting at Night’ describes the two lover’s earnest desire to meet at night secretly. The poem shows how a lover surpasses all the obstacles only to meet his beloved. Perhaps some socio-personal problems create obstacles to their love affairs. That is why they decide to meet at night secretly. The lover undertakes a hard journey through the grey sea. Then he walks a mile of warm sea-scented beach and crossed three fields. At last, he reaches his destination, a farmhouse where his ladylove lives. To keep their meeting secret, the love partners exchange no words only non-verbal expressions and ultimately meet one another amidst joy and fear. Thus the poem connects to the theme of the poem and hence it is appropriate.
2) “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.[1+2+2 = 5] [Annual Exam. Class 11 – 2019, 2020]
Ans. The feeble voice of ladylove in Robert Browning’s ‘Meeting at Night’ is referred to here.
The voice is full of joy because the lovers’ 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 undertaking a strenuous journey and overcoming the obstacles, the lover reaches his destination, a farmhouse where his ladylove lives. He taps the window. The ladylove who was eagerly waiting for him signals him by scratching a match. Finally, they meet and sense the pleasure of meeting. Their passionate and excited hearts surpass their voices.
3)Give an account of the lover’s journey to his beloved in ‘Meeting at Night’.[5] [Annual Exam. Class 11 – 2017]
Ans. The lover in Browning’s Meeting at Night undertakes a strenuous journey to meet his beloved. It is a secret meeting at night. He takes a boat and voyages through the grey sea. The land is long and black. He looks at the yellow moon which is large and low. The waves which are sleeping now leap in fiery ringlets with the movement of the boat. Then he reaches the cove and anchors the boat in the slushy sand. After that, he walks a mile on the warm sea-scented beach. He crosses three fields and reaches his destination, a farmhouse. By tapping the window pane, he informs his arrival.
4)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 reaches the farmhouse? [3+2 = 5] [Annual Exam. Class 11 – 2014]
Ans. The lover in Browning’s ‘Meeting at Night’ undertakes a strenuous and 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 in the sky. Again the lover observed the little waves which were still sleeping, now leapt in fiery ringlets from their sleep with the movement of the boat. He felt the warmness of the sea scented beach while walking on it.
He taps the window pane immediate after reaching the farmhouse and signals his arrival.
5)Evaluate ‘Meeting at Night’ as a love poem.[5] [Annual Exam. Class 11 – 2016]
Ans. Robert Browning’s ‘Meeting at Night’ is a famous love poem. The lover in the poem overcomes all the obstacles to meet his ladylove. He undertakes a long and hard journey through the grey sea. Then he walks a mile on the sea-scented beach and crosses three fields. At last, he reaches his destination, a farmhouse where his ladylove lives. He taps the window. The ladylove who was eagerly waiting for him, responds to him by scratching a match. Finally, they meet and enjoy the pleasure of meeting. The beating of their passionate hearts suppresses their voices. The words such as the yellow half-moon, fiery ringlets, startled waves, and slushy sands indicate the lover’s soaring passion for love. So, all these signs that ‘Meeting at Night’ is a love poem.
6) How does Browning use images and symbols in the poem ‘Meeting at Night’. [5] [Annual Exam. Class 11 -2022]
Ans. Robert Browning’s Meeting at Night is full of images and symbols. He uses these images and symbols to describe the landscape, his journey to his beloved and his passion.
The poet uses visual images like ‘grey sea’, ‘long black land’, ‘yellow half-moon’, ‘startle little waves’, ‘ blue spurt of a lighted match,’ etc. We find the aural images in the phrase like ‘tap at the pane’, ‘sharp scratch’, ‘hearts beating’ etc. ‘Slushy sand’ is an example of a tactile image and ‘warm sea-scented beach as an olfactory image.
The colour ‘grey’ in the phrase ‘grey sea’ represents loneliness. ‘Half-moon’ symbolises the poet’s unfulfilled desires. The leaping of the waves suggests the intense swelling passion of the poet. ‘Blue spurt of a lighted match’ suggests the flamed up passion of the lovers. And the ‘two hearts beating each to each’ indicates the accomplishment of their desires.
Read more about: ‘Meeting at Night’ by Robert Browning, questions and answers(S.A.Q.), class 11, WBCHSE
In the last line answer of the 1st Question, I think it will be title in place of poem. Thus the title connects to the theme of the poem.
Describe the voyage of the lover that he undertakes to meet his beloved in the poem ” meeting at night”