Get notes, line-by-line explanation, summary, questions and answers, critical analysis, word meanings, extras, and pdf of the poem Strange Meeting by Wilfred Owen which is part of ISC Class 11 English (Rhapsody). However, the notes should only be treated for references and changes should be made according to the needs of the students.
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Line-by-line explanation of the poem
It seemed that out of battle I escaped
The speaker, who is probably a soldier, talks about getting away from the horrors of a battlefield. The word “escaped” makes you think of a desperate fight to get away from the terrible reality of war.
Down some profound dull tunnel, long since scooped Through granites which titanic wars had groined.
The speaker goes into a tunnel, which is a symbol for a place between life and death or a way out of the harsh reality of war. The tunnel is said to be deep and dull, which gives it a sad and gloomy feeling.
Yet also there encumbered sleepers groaned, Too fast in thought or death to be bestirred.
The “sleepers” the speaker meets may be other soldiers who have died in battle. Their groans show that they were still in pain even after they died, which shows how traumatic war is. Their fast sleep in thought or death shows that they can’t respond or act, which may be a sign of how war makes people feel numb.
Then, as I probed them, one sprang up, and stared With piteous recognition in fixed eyes, Lifting distressful hands, as if to bless.
One of the soldiers who had been killed gets up and shows signs of life. The “piteous recognition” in his eyes shows that he recognises the man as a fellow soldier and understands that they have both been through pain. His raised hands could mean that he was trying in vain to bless or forgive the speaker, which would show the irony and tragedy of war.
And by his smile, I knew that sullen hall,— By his dead smile I knew we stood in Hell.
The soldier’s “dead” smile shows that he knows he is going to die. The words “sullen hall” and “Hell” are used to describe the setting. These words add to the dark and gloomy atmosphere by making the place sound like a realm of the damned, which is a metaphor for war.
With a thousand fears that vision’s face was grained; Yet no blood reached there from the upper ground, And no guns thumped, or down the flues made moan.
Even though there are no obvious signs of war on the soldier’s face (like blood, guns, or moaning), his face shows a thousand fears. This shows that war doesn’t just hurt people physically; it also leaves deep psychological scars.
“Strange friend,” I said, “here is no cause to mourn.” “None,” said that other, “save the undone years, The hopelessness. Whatever hope is yours, Was my life also; I went hunting wild
The speaker calls the dead soldier a “strange friend” to emphasise that they had similar experiences and a strange bond that was made when they both faced death. The soldier says that he doesn’t feel sad about his death, but about the years he didn’t get to live and the feeling of hopelessness he has. This shows how war causes everyone to lose their potential and lose hope.
After the wildest beauty in the world, Which lies not calm in eyes, or braided hair, But mocks the steady running of the hour, And if it grieves, grieves richlier than here.
The dead soldier thinks about how war cut short his search for beauty in life. The beauty he was looking for wasn’t in how he looked, but in the fleeting moments of life. He had lost that beauty.
For by my glee might many men have laughed, And of my weeping something had been left, Which must die now. I mean the truth untold, The pity of war, the pity war distilled.
The soldier thinks about the happiness and sadness he’s lost with his death. He talks about the “truth untold,” which is the real meaning and sadness of war that is often hidden.
Now men will go content with what we spoiled. Or, discontent, boil bloody, and be spilled. They will be swift with swiftness of the tigress. None will break ranks, though nations trek from progress.
These lines show how angry and disappointed the soldier is with war. They also say that people will keep going to war, whether they are happy with what it has destroyed or not. The word “tigress” means that war is like a predator, and the phrase “nations trek from progress” means that war is a step backward for civilization.
Courage was mine, and I had mystery; Wisdom was mine, and I had mastery: To miss the march of this retreating world Into vain citadels that are not walled.
The soldier thinks back on his bravery and wisdom, which are now useless since he is dead. His use of the phrase “vain citadels that are not walled” may be a reference to useless defences and the false sense of safety that comes with war, showing the ultimate pointlessness and deception of war.
Then, when much blood had clogged their chariot-wheels, I would go up and wash them from sweet wells, Even with truths that lie too deep for taint.
The soldier says that he wants to wash away the effects of war and find the pure truths that are buried deep beneath the dead bodies. This could be seen as a longing for purity and truth, which is different from the lies and destruction of war.
I would have poured my spirit without stint But not through wounds; not on the cess of war. Foreheads of men have bled where no wounds were.
The soldier is sad that the wounds he got in war took away his spirit instead of putting it to good use. The phrase “Men’s foreheads have bled where there were no wounds” vividly describes the psychological damage caused by war, which is just as deep and hurtful as any physical injury.
Glossary/word meaning
Battle: A fight between two armed forces, typically of different nations or groups.
Profound: Deep, intense; often used in a metaphorical context to denote seriousness or significance.
Tunnel: A passageway through or under something, typically underground.
Granites: A type of hard rock, used metaphorically here to signify a strong or impenetrable barrier.
Groined: An architectural term referring to the curving intersection of two vaults. Here it’s used metaphorically to describe the destructive impact of war.
Encumbered: Hindered or burdened.
Bestirred: Stirred up, provoked to action.
Piteous: Deserving or arousing feelings of pity or compassion.
Sullen: Gloomy, resentful.
Hell: In Christian belief, the place of eternal punishment for the wicked after death. Used here metaphorically to describe the brutal and torturous reality of war.
Mourn: Express sorrow for a death.
Undone: Not done or finished; left incomplete.
Spoiled: Ruined, destroyed.
Mastery: Superior skill or knowledge.
Retreating: Moving back or withdrawing.
Citadels: Fortresses, usually on high ground, protecting or dominating a city.
Taint: A trace of a bad or undesirable quality or substance.
Cess: A tax or levy. Used here metaphorically to refer to the costs of war.
Parried: Ward off an attack, especially with a countermove.
Loath: Unwilling, reluctant.
Summary of the poem
“Strange Meeting” by Wilfred Owen is an anti-war poem which describes a strange encounter between two soldiers of opposing sides in a war.
The poem begins with the speaker, a British soldier, who feels as if he’s escaped the battle and finds himself in a deep, dark tunnel. This tunnel is symbolic of his mental state, full of darkness, fear, and trauma from the war. The tunnel seems to have been hollowed out by the weight of numerous wars that have left their deep impact.
Inside the tunnel, he comes across many sleepers who seem too deep in their sleep to be disturbed. As he explores further, one of them wakes up. The soldier who wakes up is clearly distressed, his eyes full of recognition and his hands lifted as if blessing the narrator. The narrator recognizes the soldier’s smile and realizes that they are in Hell, signifying the realization of the horror and the senselessness of war.
Despite the fear that engulfs him, the narrator finds no blood or sounds of guns in this space. It’s eerily calm, a stark contrast to the battleground. The narrator addresses the awakened soldier as a “strange friend” and tells him there is no cause for sorrow.
In response, the awakened soldier speaks about the years wasted in war, the despair, and the lost hopes. He shares that his life was once filled with the same hopes as the narrator. He used to seek beauty and joy in the world, a beauty that can’t be found in superficial appearances but in the essence of life itself. He speaks of how his joy could have made many men laugh and how his sorrow could have left a mark on the world.
His words bring to light the untold truth and the pity of war – how it has spoiled mankind’s potential for joy and contentment. He discusses the persistence of war and the unwillingness of men to break their violent routines, despite the stagnation of progress.
The dead soldier reveals his courage, his wisdom, and his capability. Yet he regrets the wasted opportunities, his inability to change the course of the destructive world, and his participation in pointless battles. He says he would have loved to cleanse the war-torn world with truths, to pour out his spirit to heal, but not through wounds or the filth of war. He highlights the pointless suffering caused by war, where men bleed without even being wounded.
In the end, the soldier reveals that he is the enemy the narrator killed. Despite this, he addresses the narrator as a friend, showing the futility of their enmity. He reflects on how the narrator had killed him the previous day. Although he had tried to defend himself, his hands were unwilling and cold. He suggests they should now rest, implying the desire for an end to the conflict and an eternal peace.
The poem ends on a sober note, highlighting the futility and horror of war and underscoring the shared humanity that binds us all, even those labeled as ‘enemies’. The ‘strange meeting’ serves as a haunting reminder of the common dreams, hopes, and human potential that are wasted in the act of war.
Critical analysis of the poem
“Strange Meeting” by Wilfred Owen is a thought-provoking poem that explores the brutalities of war and the shared humanity between soldiers, even those on opposite sides. The poem is deeply reflective and presents a critique of war, which was a recurring theme in Owen’s works as he served as a soldier in World War I.
The title itself, “Strange Meeting,” indicates a bizarre encounter, setting the stage for the unexpected interaction that occurs in the poem. The strangeness of this meeting is deepened by the setting – a dim, dismal tunnel, a metaphorical representation of the underworld, or hell.
The speaker in the poem appears to be a soldier who, after escaping the horrors of a battle, finds himself in this tunnel filled with groaning sleepers – likely representing soldiers who have died in the war. He awakens one, and they begin a conversation. The use of dialogue in this poem creates a more personal connection and adds depth to the emotions expressed.
The soldier who awakens reveals that he is the enemy the speaker killed, but he bears no hostility. Instead, he speaks with a mournful understanding. The recognition between the two soldiers, the intimate conversation they share, challenges the idea of ‘us’ versus ‘them’ often seen in war narratives. Owen suggests that these divisions are superficial, pointing to the shared humanity that transcends national or political boundaries.
The dead soldier’s reflections about his life before war and the hopelessness of the current situation serves as a critique of the senseless violence and destruction caused by war. He speaks of wasted years and lost opportunities for joy and beauty. His words “the pity of war, the pity war distilled” underscore the tragedy and the deep sorrow associated with war, reminding us that those involved are human beings with emotions, dreams, and potentials that are cruelly cut short.
In the end, the enemy soldier invites the speaker to “sleep,” suggesting a longing for peace and an end to the conflict. This poignant end adds a layer of sadness to the poem, emphasizing the desire for an end to suffering.
The poem is a critique of war, portraying it not as a heroic or glorious endeavour but as a destructive force that causes immense suffering and wastes human potential. By humanizing the so-called ‘enemy,’ Owen forces readers to challenge their perceptions about war and its supposed ‘enemies.’ The raw emotion and stark reality presented in the poem offer a powerful anti-war sentiment. The poem urges us to see past the divisions that lead to war and to recognize and value our shared humanity.
Themes of the poem
Horrors of War: This is a central theme of the poem. Owen portrays war not as glorious or heroic but as a brutal and destructive event. He uses vivid imagery and metaphor to reveal the brutal realities of war. The fact that the soldiers meet in a place described as “Hell” reinforces the notion that war is an unimaginably terrible experience.
Shared Humanity: Owen challenges the idea of ‘us’ versus ‘them’ often seen in war narratives. Despite being enemies on the battlefield, the two soldiers share a moment of understanding and empathy in the poem. This theme suggests that all soldiers – regardless of the side they fight on – share a common human experience.
Loss and Regret: This theme is apparent in the lament of the dead soldier who mourns the waste of life and potential caused by the war. The phrase “undone years” suggests opportunities and experiences that were lost due to the war. It expresses regret over lives lost and potential unfulfilled because of the conflict.
Critique of War: Owen critiques the concept of war itself. The dead soldier’s words, “the pity of war, the pity war distilled,” imply that war is nothing but a distillation of pity and sadness. It’s a stark critique of the human capacity to inflict harm on each other.
Desire for Peace: The final lines of the poem suggest a longing for peace. The dead soldier invites the speaker to “sleep,” symbolizing an end to suffering and conflict. This theme underscores the longing for an end to the violence and horrors of war.
Truth and Reality: The poem also talks about the unspoken truths of war. The dead soldier expresses that the real tragedies and sorrows of war are often left untold. This theme underscores the importance of acknowledging and confronting the harsh realities of war.
Figure of speech
Metaphor: The poem starts with the speaker metaphorically escaping from the battle down a tunnel, which represents a journey to the underworld or Hell. This sets the tone for the rest of the poem.
Personification: In the lines “Yet also there encumbered sleepers groaned, / Too fast in thought or death to be bestirred,” the ‘sleepers’ (dead bodies) are given human qualities, groaning and being too fast in thought. This emphasizes the horror of war, and the human toll it takes.
Simile: The line “They will be swift with swiftness of the tigress” uses a simile to compare men’s actions in war to the speed and ferocity of a tigress. This portrays the violent nature of war and the animalistic behavior it can bring out in humans.
Paradox: The line “I am the enemy you killed, my friend” is a paradox, combining contradictory concepts. This highlights the absurdity of war where a person could kill another who might have been a friend in a different circumstance.
Hyperbole: The speaker’s desire to cleanse the world’s war-tainted reality with “truths that lie too deep for taint” is a form of exaggeration or hyperbole. This signifies the extent of the devastation caused by war, which has permeated even the deepest truths.
Alliteration: In the line “Foreheads of men have bled where no wounds were,” the repetition of the ‘w’ sound in ‘where’ and ‘wounds’ and ‘were’ provides emphasis on the unseen mental and emotional injuries caused by war.
Synecdoche: In the line “Then, when much blood had clogged their chariot-wheels”, the term “chariot-wheels” represents the whole war machinery. This figure of speech indicates how the violence and bloodshed have impacted every aspect of the war.
Workbook solutions/answers
Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs)
1. The ‘profound deep tunnel’ was filled with
(a) sleepers
(b) distressful hands
(c) enemies
(d) soldiers
Answer: (a) sleepers
2. The meaning of ‘fast’ in the line ‘Too fast in thought or death to be bestirred’ is
(a) move at great speed
(b) caught up
(c) eaten no food
(d) firm
Answer: (b) caught up
3. Name the figure of speech in ‘with piteous recognition’.
(a) Metaphor
(b) Personification
(c) Foreshadowing
(d) Oxymoron
Answer: (c) Foreshadowing
4. How did the speaker know that he was in Hell?
(a) From the dead soldier’s smile.
(b) From the dead man’s hand raised to bless him.
(c) From the signs of recognition in the ‘other’s’ eyes.
(d) All of the above.
Answer: (a) From the dead soldier’s smile.
5. According to the poet Hell is ________.
(a) a bloody place
(b) a peaceful place
(c) a noisy place
(d) a smoke-filled place
Answer: (b) a peaceful place
6. Why is the ‘truth untold’?
(a) The nations trek from progress
(b) The essence of the war is pity
(c) The march of this retreating world
(d) The enemy soldier’s quest for beauty
Answer: (b) The essence of the war is pity
7. Name the literary device used in the following lines:
And by his smile, I knew that sullen hall,-
By his dead smile I knew we stood in Hell.
(a) para-rhyme
(b) Caesura
(c) alliteration
(d) All of the above.
Answer: (d) All of the above.
8. Identify and name the literary device in the following lines
Courage was mine, and I had mastery;
Wisdom was mine, and I had mastery:
(a) Parallelism, Caesura
(b) Para-rhyme, alliteration
(c) false Heroic couplet, end-stopped
(d) All of the above.
Answer: (a) Parallelism, Caesura
9. What does raising hands ‘as if to bless’ imply?
(a) The enemy soldier forgives his killer
(b) The enemy soldier is a priest
(c) Rigor mortis has set in the enemy soldier’s body.
(d) All of the above.
Answer: (a) The enemy soldier forgives his killer
10. What is ‘war distilled’?
(a) Spirit without stint.
(b) Pity of war
(c) Nation’s trek from progress
(d) All of the above.
Answer: (b) Pity of war
11. What would the soldier wash ‘from sweet wells’?
(a) The chariot wheels
(b) Blood clogging the instruments of war
(c) The pity of war
(d) The bleeding foreheads of men.
Answer: (b) Blood clogging the instruments of war
12. Had the enemy soldier been alive what would he give up to stop the primal violence of war?
(a) His soul/spirit
(b) His quest for beauty
(c) His courage
(d) His wisdom
Answer: (a) His soul/spirit
13. Which adjectives describe the tunnel?
(a) Dark
(b) Dull
(c) Profound
(d) All of the above.
Answer: (d) All of the above.
14. How were the sleepers in the tunnel?
(a) Immobile
(b) Moaning
(c) Piteous
(d) All of the above.
Answer: (d) All of the above.
15. How would the enemy soldier ‘pour his spirit’?
(a) Not through friendship
(b) Not through his life
(c) Through wounds of men
(d) Not through violence
Answer: (d) Not through violence
Complete the sentence
1. The tunnel was ancient because ______
Answer: it was cut deep into the granite bedrock as a result of past “titanic wars” that caused destruction on a massive scale.
2. The vision’s face was marked because ______
Answer: it was grained with the anguish and a thousand fears born of the painful memories and stress of war.
3. There was no cause to mourn in Hell because ______
Answer: it was a place free from the violence of the battlefield, with no blood, no sound of pounding artillery, and no moaning of dying soldiers.
4. Both the soldiers were without hope because ______
Answer: their lives were ended abruptly by the war, robbing them of their future years and leaving them with the despair of unfinished work and unfulfilled dreams.
5. The enemy went hunting wild because ______
Answer: he was passionately and recklessly pursuing the “wildest beauty,” which was not a person but a grander ideal of peace and harmony on earth.
6. The soldier refers to the ‘other’ as ‘strange friend’ because ______
Answer: the other soldier was a stranger, or “unfamiliar,” yet in the shared territory of Hell, away from the conflict, he could be considered a friend.
7. According to the enemy soldier men will become ‘discontent, boil bloody, and be spilled’ because ______
Answer: they will become angry about a soldier’s death and use it as a justification for more violence, losing their humanity in the process.
8. None will break ranks’ because ______
Answer: the acts of violence perpetuated by nations demand conformity, which diminishes people’s capacity to protest or speak out against their country’s actions.
9. The world is said to be ‘retreating’ because ______
Answer: it is moving backward toward primitive violence instead of making progress toward peace and harmony.
10. The world is turning into ‘vain citadels’ that are not walled because ______
Answer: nations are descending into a warlike state based on false ideals like aggressive nationalism and military supremacy, which offer no real protection.
11. The ‘truth’ remains ‘untold’ because ______
Answer: the soldier who learned the truth—that the essence of war is pity—has died and taken this knowledge with him to his grave.
12. The enemy soldier could recognise the speaker because ______
Answer: the speaker frowned at him in the dark tunnel, just as he had frowned the day before on the battlefield while he jabbed and killed him.
13. The enemy soldier could not defend himself because ______
Answer: when he tried to parry the fatal blow, his hands were too slow, loath, and cold.
14. ‘I am the enemy you killed, my friend’; the enemy is now a friend because ______
Answer: in death, their status as enemies is void; their shared humanity and common experience have removed the divisions of war, allowing them to be friends.
Short answer questions
1. The poem ends ‘Let us sleep now….’ What does this suggest?
Answer: The final line suggests that the two soldiers, who were enemies in life, have achieved a form of peace and reconciliation in death. Having met in Hell, they are now free from the conflict that divided them. All the anguish of war is lost, and they can enter a timeless, eternal sleep together. This sleep represents a final rest where they are no longer enemies but can be friends, having found a common ground in their shared fate and wasted lives.
2. Describe trench warfare as depicted in the poem.
Answer: The poem depicts trench warfare as an experience of immense horror, suffering, and trauma. It is a world filled with the sound of artillery pounding and the moans of dying soldiers. Life in the trenches involves dodging bullets, facing poison gas like chlorine and mustard gas, and watching friends die. The physical environment itself is a result of destruction, with trenches described as tunnels dug deep into the bedrock by ‘titanic wars’. The conditions lead not only to physical wounds but also to deep psychological damage, such as shell-shock, which left a lasting mark on the soldiers.
3. How can the death of a soldier lead to discontent boil bloody and be spilled?
Answer: The death of a soldier can lead to a cycle of violence because it is often used as a justification for more fighting and killing. People may become angry about the soldier’s death and, in their rage, lose their humanity and act like violent animals. This tribal mentality of ‘us’ versus ‘them’ ignores the shared humanity of soldiers on opposing sides. A soldier’s death is then used to infuriate other young men, motivating them to join the war and cause more death and carnage, thus perpetuating the conflict.
4. What does the enemy combatant plan to do to about blood that ‘clogged the chariot wheels’?
Answer: The enemy combatant fantasizes that if he had lived, he would have washed the blood that clogged the chariot wheels using the truth. The chariot wheels symbolize the instruments of war, and the blood represents the destruction they cause. He would use the ‘truth untold about the pity of war’ to cleanse these instruments and repair the damage caused by the conflict. He compares these truths to water from ‘sweet wells’, which have the power to wash away the results of violence and possibly prevent future wars.
5. Comment on the ‘beauty’ that the soldier went hunting wild?
Answer: The ‘beauty’ that the soldier went hunting for was not physical attractiveness but a much grander concept. It represented an intense and passionate search for peace and harmony on earth. This beauty is described as something that mocks the passage of time, existing beyond the normal limits of human life. Had the soldier survived the war, he would have dedicated himself to spreading the message of this beauty, which was essentially the message of peace, to all of mankind.
6. Comment on the use of foreshadowing in ‘recognition’ in the beginning of the poem.
Answer: The ‘piteous recognition’ shown by the second soldier at the beginning of the poem serves as foreshadowing for the final revelation. This early sign of recognition hints that the two men have met before, creating a sense of mystery. It prepares the reader for the climactic disclosure that the speaker is the very man who killed the second soldier on the battlefield. The recognition is therefore not of a stranger, but of his own killer, and this foreshadowing builds towards the poem’s central paradox of the enemy who is also a friend.
7. Briefly describe any two allusions mentioned in the poem.
Answer: One allusion is to the ‘Titanic wars’. This refers to Greek mythology, where the giant Titans fought against the gods on Mount Olympus. The Titans were defeated and cast down into Hell. This allusion connects the massive, destructive wars of humanity to a mythological scale of conflict and ruin.
Another allusion is to ‘Hell’. This does not refer to the Christian concept of a place of punishment but to the underworld visited by the hero Odysseus in the ancient Greek epic, ‘The Odyssey’. In that story, Hell is a place for reflection where the hero learns about the cruelty and injustice of war. Owen uses this idea of Hell as a setting for reflection and reconciliation between the two dead soldiers.
8. The enemy soldier says ‘the pity war distilled’. How is the war distilled? What is pity? What does he intend to do with the distillate? How?
Answer: The war is distilled when all of its complexities, justifications, and glories are stripped away, leaving only its purest essence. The literal product of distillation is a pure spirit, and in this case, the poem suggests that war is reduced to the single, overwhelming feeling of pity.
The pity of war is the ‘untold truth’ that war is not heroic or glorious, but is instead the most unfortunate part of human experience, filled with senseless suffering and waste. It is the core reality of war that is often hidden behind patriotic ideals.
The soldier intends to use this distillate, the pity of war, to repair the damage caused by the conflict. He would have given up everything, including his soul, to spread this truth and prevent future violence.
He would do this by pouring out his spirit ‘without stint’, meaning without restriction. This would be done not through causing more wounds or injury, but by spreading the healing truth about war’s futility, which he believes could wash the world clean of its violence.
9. According to Owen, soldiers are ‘Christ-like’ in dying for others. Comment.
Answer: The poem suggests that soldiers are ‘Christ-like’ through the allusion in the line ‘Foreheads of men have bled where no wounds were’. This line directly references the suffering of Jesus Christ, whose forehead bled from the crown of thorns that was thrust upon it. By drawing this parallel, the poem portrays innocent soldiers as figures who, like Jesus, sacrifice their lives for others. Their suffering and death are elevated to a form of martyrdom, highlighting the immense and innocent sacrifice made by young men in war.
10. How does the poet deflate the hollow romanticism and chivalry associated with war?
Answer: The poet deflates the romanticism of war by presenting its grisly and realistic details, focusing on the horror, suffering, and senseless death it causes. He rejects the traditional idea that it is noble or sweet to die for one’s country, instead depicting war as a nightmare. This is structurally supported by his use of failed, half-rhyming couplets instead of traditional heroic couplets, which denies the reader the satisfaction of a perfect rhyme and reflects the broken and disconcerting nature of war. The poem shows no chivalry or honour, only suffering, thereby stripping war of its glorified illusions and warning against its false romantic appeal.
Long answer questions
1. The poem’s description of a soldier’s descent to Hell and his meeting an enemy combatant is a critique of war. Comment.
Answer: The poem’s description of a soldier’s transcendental descent to Hell where he meets an enemy soldier he killed is a critique of war. The poem recounts a dramatic meeting between two dead soldiers who had fought on opposing sides. In this setting, the dead man ruminates on the horrors of war and the inability of those involved to grasp the essential ‘truth’ of the situation.
Hell is presented as a safer place than the battlefield, which makes the reality of war seem even more horrifying. The poem ridicules the flawed idealisation of war by showing in grisly, realistic details the kind of horror and senseless death that war causes. The enemy soldier’s long speech is a reflection on the senseless destruction of war and its futility in the modern world.
The final reconciliation between the two soldiers, where the one who was killed forgives his killer, suggests that friendship, not enmity, is the natural state of human beings. This idea that reconciliation and solidarity are an antidote to the horrors of war serves as a powerful critique of the entire enterprise of war.
2. The use of various literary devices add to the melancholy of the poem. Comment.
Answer: Various literary devices in the poem contribute to its melancholy feeling by depicting the trauma and damage of war. The poem uses failed heroic couplets with para-rhymes, where consonants rhyme but vowels do not, such as in ‘grained’ and ‘groined’. This failure at rhyming shows the poet’s intention to depict the damage brought by war instead of its supposed grandeur. The poem’s bad rhymes echo its general disillusionment with war, making the poem itself seem as wounded as the soldiers it describes.
Irony is used to show that Hell provided the two soldiers relief from the battle, making it a place of reconciliation where they could confront each other and recognise their shared humanity. This makes the battlefield seem worse than Hell. The paradox in the line “I am the enemy you killed, my friend” is at the heart of the poem, showing how war unnecessarily divides men who could be friends.
The oxymoron “dead smile” combines two contradictory ideas, creating an unsettling feeling. A caesura, or a pause, in the line “I am the enemy you killed, my friend,” separates the words ‘friend’ and ‘enemy,’ drawing attention to the unnatural division created by war. Together, these devices convey the piteous human expenses of war and add to the poem’s sad quality.
3. Justify the title of the poem.
Answer: The title “Strange Meeting” is appropriate and justified because the meeting described in the poem is strange in every aspect: the people involved, the location, and the circumstances.
The meeting is a chance but extraordinary encounter between two enemy combatants. The location is strange, taking place in a deep underground tunnel which the speaker realises is Hell, a place far away from the blood and destruction of the battlefield.
The circumstances of the meeting are the strangest part. The speaker comes to the revelation that the stranger is an enemy he had killed the previous day. However, in death, they are no longer enemies and have enough in common to become friends. The title is also an allusion to a poem by P.B. Shelley, but in Owen’s poem, the reconciliation happens after death, making the meeting even more strange and fitting for the title.
4. ‘I am the enemy you killed, my friend.’ Explain the paradox.
Answer: The line “I am the enemy you killed, my friend” is a paradox because the words ‘enemy’ and ‘friend’ are opposites. One would not expect a person to call the man who killed him a friend. This paradox is central to the poem’s message about war.
The enemy soldier’s statement implies that the two men were only enemies because their countries had decided to fight each other. Their enmity was not a natural state but an artificial one created by war. Now that they are dead, their national identities, which forced them into conflict, have been stripped away. In death, they can finally see their shared humanity and realise their natural relationship, which is one of friendship.
The paradox suggests that war unnecessarily divides people and forces them into violent conflict against those with whom they have no personal quarrel. The use of a caesura in the line physically separates the words ‘enemy’ and ‘friend,’ drawing attention to this unnatural division that war creates between human beings.
5. How is war the force that destroys landscape as well as humans?
Answer: The poem presents war as a destructive force that damages both the physical landscape and the human beings who participate in it.
War’s destruction of the landscape is shown from the beginning. The setting is a deep, dark tunnel that was “scooped” and “groined” through “granites” by “titanic wars.” This imagery suggests that the trenches and tunnels of the battlefield are permanent scars on the earth, created by the violence of war. The poem states that war itself created this “Hell.”
War also destroys humans. The violence of battle has deprived the enemy soldier of his full humanity, reducing him to a “vision” or a spectre. His face is “grained” with a “thousand fears,” a permanent etching of the trauma he endured. War turns people who might have been friends into mortal enemies and robs them of their lives and futures. It is described as a force that permanently damages and diminishes both the landscape and the people who fight in it.
Additional questions and answers
1. How does the speaker describe the hall they stand in?
Answer: The speaker describes the hall they stand in as a ‘sullen’ place, indicating a gloomy, dismal, or melancholy atmosphere.
20. How would you feel if you were in the place of the speaker, confronted with an enemy you killed in the afterlife, as depicted in the poem?
Answer: This is a subjective question and the response could vary based on personal viewpoints. However, one might feel a mix of guilt, remorse, and shock if confronted with an enemy killed in the afterlife, as depicted in the poem. It would likely bring to the forefront the reality of the shared humanity that was overlooked or obscured in the context of war. The realization that the ‘enemy’ was as much a victim of the circumstances as oneself could lead to profound introspection and regret.
Additional MCQs
1. What does the speaker first notice about the ‘strange friend’ he encounters?
A. His bright smile
B. His furious expression
C. His piteous recognition in fixed eyes
D. His joyous laughter
Answer: C. His piteous recognition in fixed eyes
20. What is the overall tone of the poem?
A. Joyful and triumphant
B. Sad and regretful
C. Fearful and anxious
D. Bitter and resentful
Answer: B. Sad and regretful
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