Browning’s Meeting at Night: A Journey into Love and Imagery
About the Poem
“Meeting at Night” is a romantic love poem by Robert Browning that depicts the journey of a lover to meet his beloved.
The poem is set at night and is full of vivid imagery and symbols.
It conveys the message that nothing can be a barrier in the way of true love.
The main themes include struggle for love, challenges, and the secret meeting of lovers.
Word-Meanings
startled – surprised
leap – jump
fiery – made of fire
ringlets – small rings
cove – narrow cave
prow – the front part of the boat
quench – slow down
slushy – muddy
tap – knock
pane – a single sheet of glass in a window
scratch – sound
spurt – blaze or flame
ransom – money paid to free someone who is captured
consent – permission
grief – sadness
jesting – making fun
astonishment – amazement
exuberance – liveliness
Substance of the Poem
Robert Browning’s “Meeting at Night” describes the secret journey of a lover through sea and land. The sea appears grey and the land black under the half-moon. Sailing through the rippling waters, the lover observes how the waves shimmer like fiery ringlets in the moonlight.
Upon reaching the shore, the lover’s boat slows down in the slushy sand. He walks a mile of warm, sea-scented beach, crosses three fields, and finally reaches a farmhouse, where his beloved awaits. He taps on the windowpane, and she lights a match — the blue spurt of the light symbolizes their burning passion amidst the surrounding darkness.
The lovers whisper joyfully and fearfully, their beating hearts louder than their voices. The meeting celebrates love’s triumph over distance and obstacles.
Central Idea
The central idea of “Meeting at Night” is the urgency and intense desire of the lover to meet his beloved. Life’s actions overflow the beauty of art, proving that passion and love can conquer all odds.
The poem captures the lover’s struggle, his overcoming of physical barriers, and finally, the emotional union with his beloved. The excitement of the meeting transcends spoken words, celebrated through the sound of beating hearts.
Meeting at Night: Short Answer Type Questions
1. When does the lover make his journey?
Ans: The lover makes his journey at night.
2. How does the poet describe the sea, land, and moon?
Ans: The poet describes the sea as grey, the land as long and black, and the moon as yellow, large, and low.
3. How does Browning describe the half–moon?
Ans: Browning describes the half–moon as yellow, large, and low.
4. How does the poet describe the land?
Ans: The poet describes the land as long and black.
5. What does the phrase ‘fiery ringlets’ signify?
Ans: It signifies the burning passion of love in the speaker.
6. What do you mean by the word ‘Prow’?
Ans: ‘Prow’ means the front part of a boat.
7. What does the word ‘slushy sand’ mean?
Ans: ‘Slushy sand’ refers to soft and muddy sand.
8. How long is the ‘sea-scented beach’?
Ans: The beach is a mile long.
9. How many fields must the poet cross before reaching the farm?
Ans: He must cross three fields.
10. How are the fiery ringlets formed?
Ans: They are formed when the moonlight falls on the leaping waves, making them look bright and glistening.
11. Where does the boat slow down?
Ans: The boat slows down in the slushy sand near the beach.
12. Where does the beloved live?
Ans: The beloved lives in a farmhouse.
Meeting at Night: Long Answer Type Questions
1. Write a note on the significance of the title of the poem “Meeting at Night”.
Answer:The title “Meeting at Night” emphasizes the sense of secrecy and urgency. It reflects the lover’s secret journey to his beloved under the cover of night. The imagery of the grey sea, black land, and yellow half-moon all heighten the mystery and risk of the meeting. Thus, the title perfectly captures the essence of love, secrecy, and yearning.
2. “As I gain the cove with pushing prow / And quench its speed in the slushy sand” – Who is the speaker? What is a cove? What happens when the speaker gains the cove? What do you mean by “quench its speed”?
Answer:The speaker is the lover himself. A cove means a sheltered place on the shore. Upon reaching it, the lover pushes the boat into the mushy sand, slowing down (“quenching”) the boat’s speed. This act signifies the nearing end of his journey towards his beloved.
3. Describe the journey of the lover in the poem “Meeting at Night”.
Answer:The lover sails across a grey sea under a yellow half-moon, observing rippling waves like fiery ringlets. His boat slows at the slushy shore, and he then walks a mile-long sea-scented beach and crosses three fields to reach his beloved’s farmhouse. A tap on the window and the lighting of a match symbolize their passionate reunion.
4. “A voice less loud…” – Whose voice is referred to here? What does it express? Why does it become less loud?
Answer:The voices referred to are those of the poet and his beloved. Their whispers express both joy and fear during their secret meeting. Their heartbeats, filled with passion, become louder than their spoken words, highlighting the intense excitement of their reunion.