By

Chandradipta Bairagya
Mob & Whatsapp: +91 90881 23316

Strange Meeting
– Wilfred Owen
Background of the poem: ‘Strange Meeting’ is a poem by Wilfred Owen. It deals with the atrocities of the World War I.
The poem is written sometimes in 1918 and was published in 1920 after Owen’s death. The poem is narrated by a soldier
who goes to the underworld to escape the hell of the battlefield and there he meets the enemy soldiers to whom he
killed the day before.

World War I influenced not only the lives of many people and changed their perspective towards life but also the literary
works of writers and altered the tradition in literature. Wilfred Owen after participating in the army during the World War
I, witnessed the destructive results of the war and produced his poetry regarding the terrible outcome of war when he
was a soldier. The reflection of war in his poetry proves that he was psychologically affected by the war and until his
death in the war. In his poem he portrayed how soldiers turned out to be hopeless, helpless, exhausted and repressed by
the war and why they lost the meaning and joy of life after observing the sufferings of the other soldiers and after
undergoing a psychological trauma. Sigmund Freud, who introduced new concepts in psychoanalysis and examined the
psychological stages in the mind of a soldier. Wilfred Owen, one of the most significant war poets, played a very
important role in reflecting the negative effects of World War I and shed light on the destructive and atrocious impact of
war upon the psychology of soldiers.

Summary of the poem: This poem can be read on several levels. The scene of war, the trenches in which the soldiers
fight all be interpreted in diverse ways. Though the two men in the poem were enemies during the course of the war,
they find that they have shared feelings and call each other ‘friend’. But only away from the battlefield can give them
common ground and make them friend each other. Through the poem describes hell, hoarse cries, the groans, the blood
and gore all these things bring the message that war is a futile exercise. It solves no problems but only produces more.
The poem ‘Strange meeting’ describes the foolishness of war, the poem depicts a soldier who escapes from a battlefield
only to realise that he has broken free into hell and that the enemy he had killed welcomes him into hell. Such a powerful,
emotive, and thought provoking topic often evokes the best work out of many authors. Wilfred Owen, in his poem
‘strange Meeting’ has tried to teach people, but he may not have been successful in his own battle, to sto[p war and
suffering altogether.

Structure of the poem: This entire poem is made up of slant rhyme. For example, look at ‘hall’ and ‘hell’, ‘moan’ and
‘mourn’, ‘hair’ and ‘hour’. These words sound a lot alike, even though they do not exactly rhyme. Of course, there are a
few variations. For example, the last two lines, there is no corresponding rhyme, slant rhyme. It is on its own.

# The slant rhyme come in couplets, heroic couplets, to be exact. The slant rhymes are at the end of each two lines, come
in sets of two lines. So, every two lines, you will have a whole new set of slant rhymes.

# The fact that the poet chose heroic couplets in this poem. When we think of war, we often think of war heroes. The
tricky thing about heroic couplets here is that most of the poem is dedicated to talking about the war is glorified manner
but now here is nothing glorified or heroic but killing of your fellow man. In the case of this poem we think Owen’s use of
heroic couplets is a little bit ironic, and the slant rhyme definitely pokes holes in all that heroic perfection. Heroic couplets
are not appropriate for an unheroic war.

# The poem is written in iambic pentameter, with metrical variations.

(কিবতািট slant rhyme এ লখা হ য় ছ, slant rhyme full or perfect rhyme নয় তাই slant rhyme ক paro rhyme ba half rhyme
বলা হয়।)

Line 1-3

It seemed that out of battle I escaped

Down some profound dull tunnel, long since scooped
Through granites which titanic wars had groined

হ য়িছল), Profound
Explanation: It seemed – It is indicating that the poet is in dream of imagination. Escaped – freed(মু
– deep(গভীর), Dull – dark, gloomy(অ কারা ), tunnel – underground passage or chamber(মািটর তলায় তির সুর ),
scooped – dug out( খাঁ ড়া হা য়িছল), granite-rock – (পাথর িব শষ) , Titanic wars – great wars(িবশাল যু ), Groined-joined
together(এক স জু ড় যাওয়া)

The poet seems to have escaped from the battlefield but fallen through a tunnel that may have been dug long ago, at the
time of Titanic wars. The word Titanic is used to convey a sense of the extend of the war. It is clear right from the start
that this poem is not going to treat was as something glorious or heroic. The reference to ‘’Titanic’’ wars also suggests
that humanity has had a long, devastating history of violence.

(কিব ম ন ক র ছন িতিন যু থ ক রহাই প য় গ ছন কারণ িতিন ব িদন আ গ Titanic wars এর সময় খনন করা একিট
সুগভীর সুর র ম ধ আ ছন)

Lines 4-8

Yet also there encumbered sleeplers groaned,

Too fast in thought or death to be bestirred.
Then, as I probed them, one sprang up, and stared
With piteous recognition in fixed eyes,
Lifting distressful hands, as if to bless.

Explanation:

Encumbered – huddled together(জড়াজিড় িক া গাদাগািদ ক র য় থাকা), sleepers – dead men, Groaned – make a deep
sound forced out by pain(আতনাদ করা), bestirred - উ িজত করা, িবচিলত হওয়া , probed – examined thoroughly, sprang
up - উ ঠ দাঁ িড় য়িছ লা, stared – looked fixedly(ি র ভা ব তািক য় থাকা), piteous – with pity, distressing(হতাশা ),
recognition – identification(পিরচয়), Fixed eyes – motionless eyes(ি র চাখ), Lifting – raising(ত ল), Distressful –
painful(হতাশা য ণাপূণ)

Here in this underground tunnel, there were many soldiers groaning with pain but strangely they seem to be dead. The
thought of all whatever they had suffered during wars or now the thought of death is fermenting his mind too fast. The
poet examines these dead bodies from them one stands up and gazes at the poet with sad expression with fixed eyes as if
the poet is known to him from the before. He lifts up his hands as if he wants to bless the poet.

( সই পিরখা, সুর সখা ন ঘুম সিনকরা য ণায় গাঙা যিদও তারা মৃত, কিবর ম ন দুিট িচ া খুন ত আস ছ এতিদন ধ র
যু য য ণা ভাগ ক র এ স ছন সই িচ া আর মৃত র িচ া। কিব সই গাদাগািদ ক র য় থাকা য ণায় কাত র ওঠা
সিনক দর পরী া ক র দখিছ লন এবং তাঁ দর ম ধ একজন উ ঠ দাড়া লা এবং আমার িদ ক পিরিচ তর ম তা সহানুভিতশীল
দৃি ত ি র ভা ব তা ক িছ লন। আশীবাদ দওয়ার ভি ত িতিন তাঁ র হতাশাপূণ হাত ত লিছ লন।)
Line 9-10

And by his smile, I knew that sullen hall, –

By his dead smile I knew we stood in Hell.

Explanation: Sullen – Dark/gloomy, sullen hall – Hall of Death, dead smile – smile that has no feelings.

The expression of his smile and the hall in which they were present makes it clear to the poet that having escaped from
the battlefield, he has arrived in hell actually.

কিব German সিনক এর সই মৃ তর মত হািস দ খই বু ঝ গ লন িতিন এখন নর ক দািড় য় আ ছন।

Line 11-14

a thousand pains 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.
Strange friend, I said, here is no cause to mourn.

Explanation: vision’s face – it refers to the face of the German soldier, Grained – marked with( রখাপাত করা), blood –
bloodshed on the battlefield, no guns thumped – no sound of guns was heard there in the tunnel, flues – here refers to
the tunnel, moan – lament, cry(িবলাপ করা), Strange friend – here refers to German soldier, mourn – Grieved( শাক কাশ
করা)

The poet noticed that the face of German soldier had thousand pains. His face marked with thousands pains and sorrows.
Upper ground means main battlefield which remains wet of bloodshed, but now where the poet is there is no bloodshed
because it is hall of death. Hell where they remain calm and cool and mourn for the past. No sound of guns was heard
there in the tunnel because they are already dead there. The poet consoles the other that there is no cause for showing
sorrow here because they are already dead now.

(German সিনক এর মু খ সহ য না িল রখাপাত হি ল। সখা ন ম তর র পাত(যু র সময় য র পাত ঘ ট) হয়না, কা না

ব ু কর আওয়াজও শানা যায়না কারণ তারা এখন যই জায়গা ত আ ছ সটা নরক। এখা ন কা না আতনাদও শানা যায়না
কারণ ওখা ন সবাই মৃত। German সিন কর িবলাপ ন কিব বল লন এখা ন িবলাপ করার কা না কারণ নই এখা ন িবলাপ
ক র আর িকছই হ বনা।)

Line 15-21

None, said that other, save the undone years,

The hopelessness. Whatever hope is yours,
Was my life also; I went hunting wild
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.

Explanation: undone years – years which they had wasted in the battlefield, Hunting wild – it means here speaking with
joy and rapture(আন হ ন হ য় খাঁ জা), braided hair – গাছা না চল, rich lier than here – ( যটা এখা ন সব থ ক বড় িমথ া).

Like the poet, German soldier replied both we are wasted our time in the battlefield hopelessly. Whatever poet’s hope
that was his in life. He went on hunting for joy and beauty and after getting the wildest beauty (wildest beauty is
associated with sensuality and sexuality) the beauty does not lie the calm beauty of the eyes or braided hair of pretty
women. This beauty denotes a higher form of beauty perhaps a spiritual one. But steady passing away of time mocks
after hearing his hope because he has already dead. If this beauty grieves, it has a greater cause of grief in the world
above than it has here.

(German সিনকিট উ র বল লা আমরা য যু এইভা ব আমা দর জীব নর মূল বান সময় ও জীবন িদ য় িদলাম এটা আমরা কউই
র া কর ত পািরিন িন জ দর ক এটা থ ক। তামার িজব ন যই আশা িছল সটাও আমার জীব নও সই রকম আশায় িছল একটা সময়,
আিম কৃিতর ম ধ সৗ য অ ষণ ক রিছ, য সৗ য কবল শাি দৃি বা কা না সু কিশিনর ম তাই সীমাব িছল না, িক স লা এখন
অতীত িজব ন চ ল যাওয়া সময় লা তার এই আশা লর জন িব প কাশ ক র। যিদ সৗ যর জন দুঃখ কাশ ক র, তাহ ল সই দুঃখ
কা শর আ রা অ নক কারণ আ ছ।)

Line 22-25

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.

Explanation: Glee – happiness(আন ), weeping – mourning( শাক কাশ করা), had been left – remained(বািক থ ক
গ ছ), distilled – hidden (চাপা রাখা).

He could have by his joy became the cause of laughing because his joy and hope has become now meaningless for his life,
he never be able to become alive to enjoy that. His mourning for unrequired beauty which he was cherished in mind,
something which will hasten his mourning is remained still. Because remaining soldiers who are still alive, they must die
now. It is truth that war is not a glorified matter, it is foolishness, it is the truth that remains untold to us. We show the
war in a glorified way but actually the pity of war remains hidden.

(আমার এই সৗ য বাধ, ও স লা ক জীব ন উপ ভাগ কর ত ব াথ হ য় যাওয়া দ খ অ ন ক হাস ত পা র এবং আমার এই

দুঃ খর কারণ িল এখা ন িকছটা বািক থ ক গ ছ কারণ যু বািক সিনক িলও একিদন অবশ ই মারা যা ব। যু ক
সবাই গৗর বর চা খ দ খ, িক আসল সত টা কখ না কাশ হয়না, যু একটা সিন কর ব থা, য ণা িল কখ না কাশ
করা হয় না, গাপন রাখা হয়।)
Line 26-33

Now men will go content with what we spoiled

Or, discontent, boil bloody, and be spoiled.
They will be swift with swiftness of the Tigress.
None will break ranks, though nations trek from progress.
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.

Explanation: content – satisfy, spoiled – destroyed, discontented – dissatisfied, boil bloody – involved in blood
shed(র য়ী সং া ম িল ), be spilled – be destroyed, sinfulness – অপরাধ বণতা, Tigress – বািঘনী, trek from progress –
move back from progress, mystery – mystery of life, mastery – full command over the situations(পিরি িতর ওপর পূণ
িনয় ণ), retreating – going back(প াদপসরণ), vain citadels – false reliance(িমথ া ভরসা ল)

What we have spoiled in life having the rest of that we remain satisfied in our life or may be dissatisfied with the massive
destruction because of war which pervades the world with bloody wars, they need more new wars with massive bloodshed
and destruction, at last they must be destroyed. They, warmongers will be ferocious and destructive as tigress will attack
other country for shedding blood. None of the countries will break rank of shedding blood for meaningless progress of a
ideal country, it is retreating of one’s country progress.

German soldier tells he was mysterious in his courage what he had cherished to be before his death. Here wisdom means
practical experience in life which was under control fully command over it. German soldier is telling that the world is
retreating there is nothing actual progress at this situation if we do not stop marching with arms for shedding blood, it
must be regarded as false reliance by others that they are well secured by safe walls. Thus he feels that nations are slowly
retreating from progress, powerful ideals and moving into vague from ideas which are as insecure as citadels or forts which
have no boundary or walls.

আমরা যা ংস ক রিছ তার অবিশ অংশ িন য়ই মানুষ স থা ক। অথবা অস থা ক আ রা র য়ী যু িল হওয়ার জন

এবং অব শ ষ ংস হওয়ার জন । তারা বািঘনীর মত ি তায় র পাত ঘটায় কারণ তারা তা দর অব ান থ ক কউ সর ত চায়
না, দ শর উ িত ক পছ নর িদ ক িন য় যায় তারা। আমার ম ন উৎসাহ িছল কৃিতর সৗ য এবং যু র করাল পর রহস টা
আমার ম নর ভতর িছল। যু িন য় আমার জীব ন অিভ তা িছল যটা আিম উপলি ক রিছ। এখন প াদমুিখ গিতর ম ধ শাি
ও সুর া ব ব া িবপয ।

Line 34-39

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.
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.

Explanation: clogged – blocked(বাধা া ক রিছল), chariot-wheels - রথচ , এই রথ পৗরািণক যু ব ব ত হ তা , sweet

wells – fresh water of wells, taint – blemish(কল ), poured - ঢািলয়া ফলা , stint – restriction(badha), cess of war – tax of
war(যু র কর)

The chariot wheels refer to the progress of the mankind. It’s wheels are blocked by the shedding of blood, it means it was
stopped by the false ideals of military strength and the supremacy of power. When the war would come to an end, German
soldier would wash the blood off the chariot wheels blocked in profus blood, would go up and cleanse the blood of their
hands and heal their wounds with the sweet waters of truth that he has leart the eternal truths of love, friendship and
good will. Truth that cannot be soiled in sense. But the truth, the reality of war, we conceal it for the taint of own country. I
would have poured upon them my spirit without any restriction. He will pour upon them spirit of love and friendship makes
us united worldwide not through the wounds(shedding blood in war) or not through the imposing tax of war on the
opponents. Our destiny made us wounded by involving in atrocious wars, our deeds lead to us to be wounded, shedding
blood in war because there was no wounds(bloodshed) before.

Line 40-44

I am the enemy you killed my friend.

I knew you in this dark: for so you frowned
Yesterday through me as you jabbed and killed.
I parried; but my hands were loath and cold.
Let us sleep now.

Explanation: frowned - কুিট করা, jabbed – stabbed(ছির িদ য় আঘাত করা), parried – avoided(এড়া না), loath –
unwilling(অিন ক)

It is only towards the end of their conversation that the enemy soldier(German soldier) exposes his identity to the
speaker(poet) that he is the opponent enemy soldier who is killed by the speaker(poet) yesterday in the battlefield. The
enemy soldier recognises the speaker(poet) on his arrival in dark hell by his frowning. Yesterday, when he attacked with his
sword and killed the enemy soldier(German soldier) in the battlefield he frowned in same way. German soldier tried to
protect himself by his hands but there was too cold that’s why his hands were unwilled to protect himself. Consequently,
Let us sleep in the realm of death, unending sleep.