Class 12 Alternative English
Strange Meeting
Wilfred Owen

1. who is the speakek in ‘strange meeting?
   Ans:- The Speaker in ‘Strange meeting’ is a soldier who has died in World War-I.
2. When did the speaker realise that he was in hell?
   Ans:- The speaker realizes that he was in hell when the other soldier he encounters in the under world smiles with a ‘dead smile’, revealing the true nature of their surrounding.
3. What does the poet mean by ‘Chariot wheels’?
   Ans:- The poet’s reference to chariot wheels’ symbolises the destructive force of war. It suggests the vehicles of war such as tanks or artillery which have become clogged with bloodshed.
4. What does the speaker discover in the underworld?
   Ans:- In the under world, the speaker discovers his former anime whom he had killed in battle. This encounter leads to a deeper understanding of the shared humanity and the futility of war.
5. what do you mean by war poetry?
   Ans:- War poetry referes to poetry that focuses on the experiences and emotions and consequences of war. It often reflects the reality of war. The psychological and emotional impact on soldiers and analysis the futility and devastation of war.
6. What are the poetic devices often used by Wilfred Owen in his poems?
   Ans:- Wilfred Owen frequently uses poetic devices such as similes, metaphor, personification, aliteration, onomatopocia in his poems. These devices enhance the rividness and emotional impact of his descriptions allowing the readers to engage with the horror and experience of war.
7. Why is the meeting between the two soldiers called a ‘strange meeting’?
   Ans:- The meeting between the two soldiers is called a strange meeting because it takes place in the after life where amimes become companions and realizes their humanity. It is strange because in life they were on opposite sides fighting with each other but after death they find understanding empathy and the futility of their conflict.
8. What does the poet mean by ‘titanic wars’?
   Ans:- ‘Titanic, wars’ refers to the immense massive scale of the wars fought during world war-I. The word titanic suggest the intensity of the battles implying that they were of huge proportions and involving massive destruction and loss of life.
9. ‘Let us sleep now’. What does sleep signify in the poem?
   Ans:- In the poem, the line ‘Let us sleep now’ signifies a desire for peace and rest in the afterlife. Sleep symbolizes an escape from the pain, suffering and horrors of the war. It implies a longing for an end to the suffering and a hope for eternal peace, where the soldiers can finally find peace from the traumatic experiences they endure.
10. What is the significance of the title ‘Strange Meeting’?
    Ans:- The title ‘Strange Meeting’ holds significance as it summerise the unexpected encounter between two soldiers who were once enemies on the battlefield. The meeting is described as strange because it takes place in the afterlife where boundaries and rivalary are left behind. It emphasizes the irony and fatality of war where soldiers who were once faught against each other, now finds a common ground and underestanding.
11. Write a brief note on Wilfred Owen’s representation of the underworld to explore the horrors of war in ‘Strange Meeting’?
    Ans:- In ‘streang meeting’ the poet represents the underworld as a dark empty place that surves as a metaphore for the horrors of war. The ‘profound dull tunnel’ and the soldier description of it as a sullen ball’ or hell shows the hopelessness and misery resulting from the violence and suffering of war. ‘The under world’ symbolizes the phychological and emotional consiquences of battle where soldiers are trapped in a state of trauma and guilt.
12. ‘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?
    Ans:- The significance of the last two lines in strange meeting lies in their exploration of rest, peace and escape from the pain of war. The lines ‘I parried; but my hands were loath and cold suggest that despite the soldiers attempt to defend himself but he was unwelling and unable to harm the other soldiers.
    ‘Let us sleep now’ can be interpreted as a desire for peace and release from the consiguence of war. It reflects a logging for rest despite from the suffering experienced on the battle field.
13. How does ‘strange meeting’ challenge the traditional view of war as noble and heroic?
    Ans:- ‘Strange Meeting’ challanges the traditional view of war as nobel and heroic by exposing the true horrors and futility of armed conflict. Owen’s portrayal of the soldiers as victims rather than heroes highlights the senselessness and waste of human life in war. The poem emphasises the psychological and emotional empact of war takes on individuals undermining the romaticized motions of bravery and horror associated with war. Through the meeting of the two soldiers from opposite sides the poet conveys a message of unity, understanding and the shared suffering of humanity, ultimately challenging the glorification of war and advocating for peace.

l4. Bring out the central idea of ‘Strange meeting’.
Ans:- The central idea of ‘strang meeting’ is to depict the devasting paychological and emotional impact of war and to highlight the futility and senselessness of war. Through the encounter between two death soldiers who were enemies on the battle ground. The poem explores the shared humanity and the common experiences of soldiers from opposite sides. The meeting in the after life allows them to go beyond the barriers created by war and reflect on the consequences of their actions.
The poem suggests that war separates individual and nation leading to violence and destructions. The soldiers realization that they were both victims of the war emphasises that war is ultimately futile. They express desire for peace and unity acknowledging that war only leads to suffering and loss

15. ‘….. whatevere hope is yours.
    was my life also, I 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.
    Ans:- In the lines ‘…. whatever hope is your was my life also, I went hunting wild. After the wildest beauty in the world…… The poet portrays the hopelessness of war by contrasting it with the beauty and enjoyment of life. The speaker reflects on the lost oppertunatics and unfulfilled dreams that war has robbed from them. The phrase “whatever hope is yours” suggests that any hopes and aspiration the soldiers had before the war are now irrelavent. The line “I went hunting wild after the wildest beauty in the world” expresses a longing for a peaoful and fulfilling life. However, the war has deprived them of this posibilities living behind only sorrow.
    By comparing the idea of hunting for beauty with the realities of war the poet highlights a contrast between the human desire for a meaningful and joyful existance and the harsh reality of war. The poem conveys a sense of loss as the soldiers lifes have been over shadowed by the violence and destructions of wars and extinguishing their hope. The poem emphasizes the hopelessness and tragic consiquences of war reinforcing the central theme of the poem.