Strange Meeting : ASSEB (AHSEC) Class 12 Alternative English Notes

Who is the speaker in 'Strange Meeting'?

The speaker in 'Strange Meeting' is a soldier who has died in World War 1.

When did the speaker realise that he was in hell?

The speaker realised that he was in hell when the other soldier whom he met in the underworld smiles with a 'dead smile'. revealing the real nature of their surroundings.

What does the poet mean by 'chariot wheels'?

By 'chariot wheels' the poet means powerful force of war. It recommends the vehicles of war, for example, tanks or artillery which have become clogged with bloodshed.

What does the speaker discover in the underworld?

In the underworld the speaker discovers a fellow soldier, his former opponent , whom he had killed in war. This experience prompts a more profound comprehension of the shared mankind and the worthlessness of war.

What do you mean by war poetry?

War poetry means the poetry that highlights the experiences, feelings, and consequences of war. It frequently reflects the real factors of war, the mental effect on soldiers, and critiques the uselessness and destruction of war

What are the poetic devices often used by Wilfred Owen in his poems?

The poetic devices often used by Wilfred Owen in his poems are imagery, simile; metaphor, personification, alliteration, and onomatopoeia. These devices improve the distinctiveness and profound effect of his descriptions, permitting readers to engage with the horrors and experiences of war.

Why is the meeting between the two soldiers called a 'strange meeting?

The meeting between the two soldiers is known as a 'Strange meeting' because it happens in eternity, where enemies become friends and understand their shared humankind. It is strange meeting because when they were alive, they fought against one another, however in death, they track find understanding sympathy and the worst result of the war.

What does the poet mean by "titanic wars?

By 'titanic wars' the poet means to the gigantic and colossal scale of the wars fought during World War I. The word 'titanic' suggests the magnitude and intensity of the battles, explaining that they were of great extents, including tremendous destruction and loss of lives.

Let us sleep now. What does sleep signify in the poem?

In the above line "Let us sleep now", the word sleep signifies the want of peace and rest in the afterlife. Sleep represents an escape from the pain, suffering, and horrors of war. It explains a longing for an end to the pain and an expectation for eternal peace, where the both the soldiers can at last find relief from the horrible experiences they endured.

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What is the significance of the title 'Strange Meeting'?

The title 'Strange Meeting' describes the meeting between two soldiers who were once enemies on the battle field. The meeting is described as strange because it happens in eternity, which is beyond limits and hatred. It points the irony and futility of war, where soldiers who were place against each other once find the common place and same thought. Thus, the title of the poem ‘Strange Meeting’ is truly a significant one.

Write a brief note on Wilfred Owen's representation of the underworld to explore the horrors of war in 'Strange Meeting

The underworld symbolizes the psychological and emotional aftermath of battle, where soldiers are caught in a never-ending condition of injury and regret. In Strange Meeting,' Wilfred Owen represents the underworld as a dark, desolate place that serves as a metaphor for the horrors of war. The "profound dull tunnel" and the soldiers' description of it as a 'Sullen hall" or 'Hell" portrays the somberness and gloom coming from the brutality and enduring of war.

I parried; but my hands were loath and cold. Let us sleep now..." What is the significance of the last two lines in "Strange Meeting?

The significance of the last two lines in 'Strange Meeting' lies in their investigation of rest, peace, and escape from the suffering of war. The line I parried; but my hands were loath and cold" tells that regardless of the soldier's attempt to defend himself, he was reluctant and incapable to hurt the other soldier. The final line let us sleep now.." can be explained as a desire for peace, reconciliation, and release from the torments of war. It mirrors a longing for rest and respite from the pain experienced on the battlefield.

How does Strange Meeting' challenge the traditional view of as noble and heroic?

The poem 'Strange Meeting' challenges the traditional view of war as noble and heroic by uncovering the genuine horrors and the result of war. Owen's depiction of the soldiers as victims rather than heroes features the pointlessness and misuse of human life in war. The poem underlines the psychological and emotional toll war takes on people, undermining the romanticized thoughts of boldness and honor related with war. Through the meeting of the two opponent soldiers , the poem passes on a message of empathy, solidarity, and the common suffering of humankind eventually challenging the glorification of war and advocating for peace.

Bring out the central idea of 'Strange Meeting'

The central idea of 'Strange Meeting' is to portray the devastating psychological and emotional effect of war and to feature he pointlessness and foolishness of conflicts. Through the meeting between two dead soldiers who fought against one another in the battlefield the poem investigates the common mankind and the common encounters of soldiers from opposing sides. The meeting in the eternity permits them to rise above the obstructions created by war and ponder the grievous outcomes of their activities. The poem recommends that war isolates people and countries, prompting a cycle of violence and destruction. The soldiers' acknowledgment that they were the two victims of the war stresses the point that war is eventually vain and that the division and hostility it makes are artificial. They express a craving for peace and reconciliation, recognizing that the pursuit of war just prompts suffering and loss.

... Whatever hope is yours, Was my life also: went hunting wild After the wildest beauty in the world...' How does the poet portray the hopelessness of war in 'Strange Meeting'? Illustrate your answer in the context of the above lines.

In the above lines the speaker reflects on the opportunities that are lost and unfulfilled dreams that war has looted from them. The phrase "Whatever hope is yours” proposes that any hopes and aspirations the soldiers had before the war are now insignificant and unreachable. The line "I went hunting wild /After the wildest beauty in the world" expresses a want for a vibrant and fulfilling life, a quest for something remarkable and sensational. However, war has denied them of these potential outcomes, leaving just distress and depression. By comparing the idea of hunting for beauty with the real factors of war, the poet features the unmistakable difference between the human longing for a significant and blissful presence and the cruel truth of war. The poem conveys a feeling of significant misfortune as the soldiers’ lives have been eclipsed by the viciousness and obliteration of war, smothering their expectations and desires. This depiction stresses the sadness and heartbreaking outcomes of war, illustrating the central theme of the poem.