Meeting at Night

Robert Browning

The grey sea and the long black land;

And the yellow half-moon large and low;

And the startled(shocked) little waves that leap(jumps)

In fiery ringlets from their sleep,

As I gain the cove(little sea) with pushing prow(front side of a ship)

And quench(destroy) its speed i' the slushy sand.


Then a mile of warm sea-scented beach;

Three fields to cross till a farm appears;

A tap(knock) at the pane(window), the quick sharp scratch

And blue spurt(coming out) of a lighted match,

And a voice less loud, thro' its joys and fears,

Than the two hearts beating each to each!



Analysis-1

The title of the poem alone indicates an intention and perhaps a great need to get to “The meeting Place.” The Poet uses imagery that is quite descriptive and eloquent. He manages to turn a gloomy and perhaps scary night into one that is filled with anticipation and love. Perhaps he is frightened by the mysterious darkness and the little sounds that surround his journey, but this is not indicated in the poem.
From the very beginning the tone of the story can be interpreted based on the description of the setting. “The gray sea and the long black land” gives a feeling of eternal darkness and loneliness; the phrase “long black land” emphasizes this effect on the reader. In lines 3-4, it is almost as if the boat surprises the still and serene water, “waking it from its sleep.”
From that point on he is alert and excited about the journey in the night. He describes what he hears and sees and it all seems beautiful to him. This is a man who notices everything around him with a heart filled with enthusiasm.
Robert Browning does a fine job in using imagery to fully describe the scenery and everything around the lover on his journey. The author does not provide all the details needed for the reader to come to an immediate conclusion, therefore putting the job of assuming in their hands. For the poem to be understood well it must be analyzed in depth. The serenity and time of day creates a mysterious atmosphere, questions arise such as “why is he meeting at night?”
Robert Browning takes the reader through a journey with his elaborate writing style and detailed descriptions of the scenery. With Roberts thorough descriptions he illustrates the lover’s actions with detail and the several changes in setting until the very end, where two hearts are joined together in harmony. To better demonstrate the tone, feeling, and psychological state of the characters, Robert puts literary devices to work.
In the second stanza, it seems as though he has wings on his feet. Such a long journey “a mile of warm sea – scented beach, and three fields to cross” and nowhere in the poem is it mentioned that he is tired. He is certainly a very happy person whose purpose is to meet his love no matter what the cost… Neither “gray sea” nor “the long black land” will stop him from getting there.
This poem is very romantic, one could call it a love story, where a “tap at the pane “signaled “I am here, open the door.” Two lovers meet in the night, perhaps not to be seen by anyone, the tone throughout the poem is mysterious, filled with anticipation and a great love. Two people whose hearts beat as one.




Analysis-2

The poem, Meeting at Night, by Robert Browning, uses the concept of imagery very well. The first line, “The gray sea and the long black land…” gives off a feeling of foreboding and depression. The use of the drab colors further exemplifies the mood of the beginning of the poem. Then the author writes, “…and the yellow half-moon large and low.” This line tells readers the time of day that the poem takes place in because the looming moon is present. The next two lines speak of how the waves on the shore seem to be startled. Yet the waves are little – giving a sense of calmness and serenity over the scene. Then, with the next line, “As I gain the cove with pushing prow…” we learn what is making the waves. The slow pace of the boat (possibly rowboat) as it reaches the shore gives readers a sense of purpose and the boat is a sort of silent intruder to the quiet night. The boat is stopped by the sand when it reaches it.
The next stanza continues the journey of this man. After reaching the shore, he has to trek a “…mile of warm-sea scented beach…” showing that the mood of the poem has changed from dark and dreary to welcoming and content. The audience assumes that this journey is not dreaded but instead happily made. After crossing through three fields, the character approaches a farm. The next two lines introduce another character into the poem. After tapping on the window, a match is lit inside. This could mean a few different things. First of all, the person inside may have been sleeping and after awakening from the tap on the window, lit the candle to see who was there or the person inside could have been expecting the other and was waiting in the dark for him to come. By now, readers can safely assume that this is a poem of young lovers and that this late-night meeting may have been planned. Finally, in the end, the two hearts were together. Again, the sense of warmth is given because after the long journey, the two are finally together.