Introduction:
‘Meeting at Night’ is one of the less well- known and less discussed poems of Browning. It is a love poem. It was probably composed soon after the poet’s marriage with Elizabeth Barret. A note of secrecy in this meeting of lovers at night at a secluded place suggests that there may be some autobiographical flavour in it. Anyway, the vigorous style of the poem, and its somewhat abrupt ending makes it a representative poem of Browning. The poem was first published in the collection Dramatic Romances and Lyrics in 1845.
Important suggestion:
Short objective type Questions:
Each Question mark – 1
1) Who wrote the poem Meeting at Night?
Ans- Robert Browning wrote the poem Meeting at Night.
2) What kind of poem is Meeting at Night?
Ans- Meeting at Night is a dramatic lyric.
3) Who is the narrator of Browning’s poem Meeting at Night?
Ans- A lover is the narrator of Browning’s poem Meeting at Night.
4) Where does the meeting as described in Browning’s poem Meeting at Night take place?
Ans- The meeting as described in Browning’s poem Meeting at Night takes place in the house of the beloved.
5) Where does the beloved live?
Ans- The beloved in Browning’s poem Meeting at Night lives in a farmhouse beyond the sea.
6) How does the lover of Meeting at Night cross the sea?
Ans- The lover of Meeting at Night crosses the sea in a boat.
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7) “The grey sea and the long black land”. – What makes the sea grey?
Ans- Mist, fog and darkness make the sea grey.
8) What does the moon look like when the lover braves the sea?
Ans- When the lover braves the sea, the moon is half in size and looks yellow, large and low.
9) How is the sea when the lover sails out?
Ans- When the lover sails out, the sea is in slumber and grey in colour.
10) What makes the little waves startled?
Ans- The sleepy sea expects no vessel at that hour and hence the waves rise in surprise.
11) “As I gain the cove with pushing prow”, – Who is the speaker?
Ans- Here the speaker is the lover in Browning’s poem Meeting at Night.
12) When does the lover’s boat retard it’s speed?
Ans- The speed of the lover’s boat is retarded when it reaches the bay.
13) How does the lover’s boat stop at the bay?
Ans- The lover’s boat stops at the bay as it reaches the slushy sand.
14) Does the lover sail all the way till he reaches the beloved’s cottage?
Ans- No, the lover has to walk a long along the beach untill he reaches his beloved’s cottage.
15) What makes the lover’s heart warm when he walks along the sea beach?
Ans- A deep desire of meeting his beloved his beloved in the darkness of night warms the heart of the lover.
16) What prompts the lover of Meeting at Night to undertake an adventurous journey in the sea?
Ans- A violent passion for meeting his beloved at night prompts the lover to undertake an adventurous journey on the sea.
17) How many fields does the lover cross to reach the beloved’s farm?
Ans- The lover crosses three fields to reach the beloved’s farm.
18) “A tap at the pane”. – Who gives a tap at the pane?
Ans- The lover of Meeting at Night gives a tap at the pane.
19) Why does the lover of Meeting at Night tap on the pane?
Ans- The lover taps on the pane to announce his arrival.
20) How does the lover of Meeting at Night announced his arrival?
Ans- The lover of Meeting at Night announces his arrival by tapping on the window pane of his beloved’s house.
21) What answer does the lover of Meeting at Night get from his beloved?
Ans- The lover of Meeting at Night finds the sudden flicker of lighted match and hears a suppressed voice in the dark secret cottage of his beloved.
22) How does the beloved welcome the lover of Meeting at Night?
Ans- The beloved makes a light and utters a suppressed sound to welcome the lover.
23) What is the mental condition of the lover of Meeting at Night when he stands before the door of his beloved’s cottage?
Ans- The lover of Meeting at Night standing at the gate of his beloved’s cottage is tossed by joys and fears.
24) What is the voice of the beloved compared to?
Ans- The voice of the beloved compared to the beating of two hearts in a moment of perfect unison.
25) ” two hearts beating each to each”. – What does the expression suggest here?
Ans- The expression suggests that the two fast- beating hearts are united in the supreme moment of love.