DOWNLOAD PDF STRANGE MEETING BY WILFRED OWEN ANALYSIS

Transcription

1 Chapter 1 : Poetry Critiques The Wilfred Owen Association Strange Meeting Summary. Written in the summer of by Wilfred Owen, Strange Meeting was titled after a quote by Percy Bysshe Shelley, from his work 'The Revolt of Islam'. Main characters[ edit ] John George Glover Hilliard â The protagonist of the novel, John Hillard is a withdrawn character who begins the novel in a military hospital, recovering from a wound to the leg. He feels that his family have no understanding of the conflict and is relieved when he is able to return to France. David Barton â The second main character in the novel is David Barton. A direct contrast to the character of Hilliard, he is a friendly man who is able to charm almost everyone he meets. Unlike John he has only recently arrived and is not aware of the realities of war. At the end of the novel Barton goes missing in action, presumed dead. Captain Franklin â An Adjutant. John argues with David that Franklin "has it in for us". Coulter is the new batman who replaces Bates, who has been killed. Coulter dies in a raid on the German trenches at the end of the book. Harris â A shell-shocked soldier who hides in the corner of a cellar; he is killed by a shell blast. He criticises the senior officers and describes the state of his battalion as "absolute bloody chaos". When Hilliard goes to see him he has yellow fingers and whisky by his side, suggesting that he has been drinking to cope with the stresses of war. She tells John that she may marry Henry Partington. Henry Partington â The lawyer that Beth marries. Crawford â A doctor in the military hospital where Hilliard recovers from his wounds. It is when Hilliard returns home that he has trouble sleeping. This is not because of his memories of war, but from being at home, a place which he greatly dislikes. The opening pages of the novel concern his brief period of sick leave back in England where his sister Beth, mother Constance and father are blind to the horror of the trenches. John finds it hard to adapt to life back in England and is happy to return to the war; especially after the new distance between him and his sister, to whom he was previously close. When Hilliard returns he finds that his batman and many other faces he knew have been killed. His old batman is replaced with a new one called Coulter and he is placed in a room with a new Officer called David Barton in a rest camp while they wait to be called up to the front. During this time he becomes great friends with Barton, who is as yet untouched by the war. Throughout this chapter, the new Adjutant, a character called Franklin, appears expressionless and remote from the group. The chapter ends with Hilliard and Barton witnessing the wreckage of a German plane crash which shocks Barton, who has not seen a dead body yet. There are not enough horses so David walks alongside for the duration of the journey. He writes a letter home describing what a terrible place Feuvry is; the town has few buildings left intact after being shelled and occupied by the Germans in Harris is a new recruit who has broken down in terror; Barton manages to talk him round and lead him from the cellar. While Barton goes to fetch some rum ration for the still unstable Harris, a shell falls on the billets, killing Harris. In another letter home Barton confesses that he has become hardened by his experiences in the war. He also states that John thinks that one of the most difficult experiences is getting used to the new faces as so many soldiers die. The chapter ends with Barton being chosen to go to the front lines to draw a map of the surrounding area with a runner called Grosse. In the front line he witnesses a shelling and the deaths of several men; he also sees a Private killed by a German sniper. After returning from the front line Barton admits that he feels that the war is changing him because he is unable to feel emotion for every soldier killed due to the sheer numbers killed each day. He is concerned that his letter may be censored by the military but he wants to tell those back home the truth. John gets a letter stating that his sister Beth is to marry the lawyer Henry Partington which causes John to become angry at those back home. Hilliard and Barton are sent on a reconnaissance mission which requires the men to spy on the enemy trenches. They can see little and after a flare exposes their position they are forced to retreat with some casualties. In another letter home, Barton states that the constant death erodes his courage. Midway through the letter, the C. After this news, a Private called Parkin is worried about the news that they will soon be going over the top. Barton and Hilliard begin to talk about how they will meet after the war before they realise they are assuming that they both will survive. Hilliard is injured by a shell and is forced to hide in a hole by several dead bodies. At nightfall he crawls back to his trench. His leg is amputated in France and at Page 1

2 first he is too ill to return to England. Afterword[ edit ] In the afterword to the novel Susan Hill explains that she did not intend "the conclusion to be drawn" that the relationship between the soldiers David Barton and John Hilliard is a physical one. I came out feeling dazed, as though something very important had happened I cant exactly explain it or even describe it. But one result was that I became filled with the desire to write something myself about the First World War. Page 2

3 Chapter 2 : A Short Analysis of Wilfred Owenâ s â Strange Meetingâ Interesting Literature Wilfred Owen and Strange Meeting Strange Meeting is a poem about reconciliation. Two soldiers meet up in an imagined Hell, the first having killed the second in battle. As Owen himself put it, the poetry is in the pity. Strange Meeting It seemed that out of battle I escaped Down some profound dull tunnel, long since scooped Through granites which titanic wars had groined. Yet also there encumbered sleepers 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. And by his smile, I knew that sullen hall,â By his dead smile I knew we stood in Hell. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. I knew you in this dark: I parried; but my hands were loath and cold. Let us sleep now. Owen got the title of his poem from Percy Shelley, whose The Revolt of Islam contains the lines And one whose spear had pierced me, leaned beside, With quivering lips and humid eyes;â and all Seemed like some bothers on a journey wide Gone forth, whom now strange meeting did befall In a strange land. This other man tells the narrator that they both nurtured similar hopes and dreams, but they have both now died, unable to tell the living how piteous and hopeless war really is. This other soldier then reveals to the narrator that he is the enemy soldier whom the narrator killed in battle yesterday. He tells the narrator that they should sleep now and forget the past. But the First World War, whilst it contained undeniable heroism, was not a heroic war: Heroic couplets are not appropriate for an unheroic war. The pararhyme reinforces the paradox. Page 3

4 Chapter 3 : Strange Meeting by Wilfred Owen â Assignment Example Wilfred Owen: Poems study guide contains a biography of Wilfred Owen, literature essays, quiz questions, major themes, characters, and a full summary and analysis of Wilfred Owen. Two soldiers meet up in an imagined Hell, the first having killed the second in battle. Their moving dialogue is one of the most poignant in modern war poetry. Wilfred Owen fought and died in WW1, being fatally wounded just a week before the war ended in May By all accounts he wanted to return to the front line, despite suffering from shell shock, to justify his art. He wrote many poems depicting the horror and helplessness; he wanted to capture the pity in his poetry. The majority of the poem is a dialogue between the two soldiers, set in a dream-like environment that is in fact, Hell. Enemies in war, the two become reconciliated in the end. Religious allusions play a part too. So biblical influences are to the fore in certain parts of the poem. This letter from Owen to a friend in shows a little of what the poet was thinking: There men often hear his voice: Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for a friend. Is it spoken in English only and French? I do not believe so. Thus you see how pure Christianity will not fit in with pure patriotism. It was written at a time when hate and loathing were at their height, when a war on an unimaginable scale took the lives of millions of young men and women. Strange Meeting It seemed that out of battle I escaped Down some profound dull tunnel, long since scooped Through granites which titanic wars had groined. Yet also there encumbered sleepers 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. And by his smile, I knew that sullen hall,â By his dead smile I knew we stood in Hell. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. I knew you in this dark: I parried; but my hands were loath and cold. Let us sleep now. And what dialogue there is comes mostly from the mouth of the second soldier, killed in action by the first. Owen broke with tradition, using pararhyme, enjambment and subtle syntax to cause unease within the form of the heroic couplet. In doing so, he helped bring the cruel war to the forefront, the poetry in the pity. Analysis of Strange Meeting Lines 1-22 The title gives it away - this will be no ordinary meeting - and the opening two words add further uncertainty about the coming encounter, the speaker saying it only seemed he came straight from the battle and entered the tunnel that brought him to a curious landscape. Note the pararhyme already working its magic with enjambment and alliteration to produce an opening sentence the likes of which was new for the reader in A sense of hard, grinding history is introduced with images of both granite and the titanic wars the actual Titanic ship had foundered in So, the speaker is setting the scene. As the speaker tries to rouse them, one springs up, a sad and knowing look in his eyes, hands held as if in benediction. By the end of the second stanza the reader is in no doubt of the ghostly, surreal and horrific nature of this environment, which is a post-battle Hell. There are subtle hints that the speaker and the soldier with the dead smile are known to each other. The use of the word friend immediately flags up the idea that this is a meeting between equals; there is now no enemy. The response is direct - at first agreement that mourning for the dead is not needed but then acknowledgement of the many futures lost, the hopelessness of the situation. Note the syntax changing as the dialogue monologue develops. Enjambment disappears and punctuation holds sway in terms of syntax, the pace within the iambic pentameter steadied by comma and semi-colon. This soldier, this German soldier, also had a life full of hope, Page 4

5 just as the speaker had. Essentially, these two are the same, young men hunting after the wildest beauty, the essence of life, that which cares not for routine things and feels deeply, even in grief, much more so than in Hell. Note the pararhymes hair, hour and here, soft sounding, almost ephemeral. Further Analysis Lines All the emotion is ineffective now, from laughter to tears, it has died. And with it, the truth which is yet to be told. This is the truth of pity, made up of sorrow and compassion, expressed when others are suffering as they have been doing in untold numbers in the war. Owen wanted more than anything to have his poetry stand for pity. In the preface to this book he wrote: The Poetry is in the pity. I thought I was brave and wise, going into the unknown, still a master of my own fate, but now history is leaving me behind. How vulnerable the world will be. This is an allusion to the bible, John 4, or Revelation 7, 17, where water is a symbol of the Holy Spirit. The soldier is saying that he will wash the blood clogged wheels with the pure emotional truth. I would have poured my spirit.. Basically, the soldier is giving his life as sacrifice for humanity, hoping that they will see the truth about war. But he does not want to waste it on the wounds or foul business of war. That devastating line The second soldier reveals to the first the grim news of his killing, but does reciprocate and call him friend see line There is recognition of the shared expression even as death occurred, which the second soldier tried in vain to avert. The final line has the second soldier suggesting they both sleep now, having been reconciled, having learnt that pity, distilled by the awful suffering of war, is the only way forward for humankind. More Analysis of Strange Meeting Strange Meeting is written in heroic couplets and there are a total of 44 lines contained in four stanzas. Note that lines form a tercet, ending in three half rhymes: Rhyme Owen is a master of pararhyme, where the stressed vowels differ but the consonants are similar, and uses this technique throughout the poem. So note the end words: The second vowel is usually lower in pitch adding to the oddity of the sounds, bringing dissonance and a sense of failure. If Owen had used full rhyme this unease would be missing, so the imperfection perfectly fits the surreal situation of the two men meeting in Hell. So, here are three examples to illustrate, with lines 7, 27, and Again, a trochee inverted iamb starts the line before the iambic beat takes over the rest. The iambic pentameter reflects the steady almost conversational natural pace of speech, whilst the variations bring uncertainty, altered beats which echo battle and bring texture and added interest for the reader. Page 5

6 Chapter 4 : Analysis of 'Strange Meeting' by Wilfred Owen. - A-Level English - Marked by blog.quintoapp.co Technical analysis of Strange Meeting literary devices and the technique of Wilfred Owen. It is possible to read this as a comparison, a simple simile describing the way the hands are raised. However the whole idea of friendship and forgiveness works against that interpretation; he is in fact literally blessing his killer. This image comes from an hour-glass where sand runs through a waisted flask to mark the passage of time. The image of living, healing water comes from the Bible where it is an image of healing, cleansing and the eternal life offered by Jesus see John 4: The blood is not metaphor ical. The literal product of the distillation process is pure spirit. Owen gives us a picture of war being reduced to pity. The man wants to pour out this pity without holding anything back. The biblical sources of this metaphor would have been very familiar to Owen with his strong Bible-based upbringing. There are no fewer than four biblical references to God promising to pour out his spirit, which is the phrase used by the dead soldier in Strange Meeting. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your old men will dream dreams, your young men will see visions. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams. It is also a reference to Christ in the Garden of Gethsemane Luke And being in anguish, he prayed more earnestly, and his sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground. The biblical image re-enforces the sacrifice that the soldier is prepared to make. More on Greater Love Christ says to his followers: Love each other as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this: In a letter of Owen wrote the following: There men often hear His voice: Greater Love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life - for a friend. Is it spoken in English only and French? I do not believe so. Thus you see how pure Christianity will not fit in with pure patriotism. A cesspit was a primitive method of collecting sewage. This strong, crude image reflects the depth of feeling Owen and the soldier have about war. Something which is distilled is said to be purified; it is reduced to its essence. It is ironic that this is where Owen arrives when he escapes the war, thereby conveying his fears for the future of humanity Blood and water: How far do you agree with this statement? Why do you think that Owen felt that the poem needed symbols? Themes in Strange Meeting Reconciliation The key theme of the poem is the need for reconciliation. Owen introduces the idea of the greater love essential to wash the world clean with truth. Hunting wild after the wildest beauty in the world l. His search for beauty and truth was inspired by his reading of Keats: Beauty is truth, truth beauty - that is all Ye know on earth and all ye need to know. This quotation from Ode to a Grecian Urn inspired a younger Wilfred Owen but was replaced in his later years by the philosophy and prophecy he puts into the mouth of the strange friend. The future Owen foresees a post-war period with the world changed for the worse by war. He expresses his fear that: Men will go content with what we spoiled l. The power of poetry In order to halt this course of events, Owen, through the strange friend, explores ways in which poetry and pity can restore the human spirit. English Standard Version King James Version 1Now when Jesus learned that the Pharisees had heard that Jesus was making and baptizing more disciples than John 2 although Jesus himself did not baptize, but only his disciples, 3he left Judea and departed again for Galilee. It was about the sixth hour. Jesus said to her, Give me a drink. For Jews have no dealings with Samaritans. Where do you get that living water? He gave us the well and drank from it himself, as did his sons and his livestock. The water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life. Jesus said to her, You are right in saying, I have no husband; 18for you have had five husbands, and the one you now have is not your husband. What you have said is true. When he comes, he will tell us all things. They marveled that he was talking with a woman, but no one said, What do you seek? Can this be the Christ? Look, I tell you, lift up your eyes, and see that the fields are white for harvest. Others have labored, and you have entered into their labor. For they too had gone to the feast. And at Capernaum there was an official whose son was ill. The man believed the word that Jesus spoke to him and went on his way. And he himself believed, and all his household. Jesus therefore, being wearied with his journey, sat thus on the well: Jesus saith unto her, Give me to drink. Jesus said unto her, Thou hast well said, I have no husband: And there was a certain nobleman, whose son was sick at Capernaum. And the man believed the word that Jesus had spoken unto him, and he went his way. And they said unto him, Yesterday at the Page 6

7 seventh hour the fever left him. English Standard Version King James Version 1After this I saw four angels standing at the four corners of the earth, holding back the four winds of the earth, that no wind might blow on earth or sea or against any tree. Blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and might be to our God forever and ever! And he said to me, These are the ones coming out of the great tribulation. They have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. Of the tribe of Reuben were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Gad were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Nephthalim were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Manasses were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Levi were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Issachar were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Joseph were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Benjamin were sealed twelve thousand. Blessing, and glory, and wisdom, and thanksgiving, and honour, and power, and might, be unto our God for ever and ever. And he said to me, These are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. Fear not, O Jacob my servant, Jeshurun whom I have chosen. I am the first and I am the last; besides me there is no god. Let him proclaim it. Let him declare and set it before me, since I appointed an ancient people. Let them declare what is to come, and what will happen. And you are my witnesses! Is there a God besides me? There is no Rock; I know not any. Their witnesses neither see nor know, that they may be put to shame. Let them all assemble, let them stand forth. They shall be terrified; they shall be put to shame together. He fashions it with hammers and works it with his strong arm. He becomes hungry, and his strength fails; he drinks no water and is faint. He shapes it with planes and marks it with a compass. He shapes it into the figure of a man, with the beauty of a man, to dwell in a house. He plants a cedar and the rain nourishes it. He takes a part of it and warms himself; he kindles a fire and bakes bread. Also he makes a god and worships it; he makes it an idol and falls down before it. Over the half he eats meat; he roasts it and is satisfied. Also he warms himself and says, Aha, I am warm, I have seen the fire! Page 7

8 Chapter 5 : A Critical Analysis of Strange Meeting by Wilfred Owen â Assignment Example Investigating themes in Strange Meeting This, of all Owen's poems, most strongly carries the theme of the pity of war and the idea that 'the poetry is in the pity.' Make a list of quotations from this poem which you could use in any essay on the way in which Owen presents the poetry through the pity, rather than the pity through the poetry. Hire Writer In his reflection on war, the spirit is rightfully bitter, as his life was taken from him, having had no fulfilment before death. He says that whatever hopes he had, the narrator had also. He describes how he missed out on the life he had to live, as well as everyone else who died in war. He states that war is a cause of unnecessary pain and that he was willing to give everything to live a wild and beautiful life, but he was willing to give nothing to war. This intensifies his reasons to feel bitter and helps to set the tone of the poem. There is narration at the beginning as the first character leaves battle and prods the sleeping spirits until he makes communication with one of them. It continues with a brief moment of dialogue until the spirit begins his speech. The majority of the subject matter and the underlying messages are stated in this monologue of an elevated nature. There is a shared viewpoint with the two speakers, however, the monologue of the spirit presents it more clearly. Imagery is used in the poem to produce a dark and solemn tone to it. In the beginning of the poem, the scene is set by describing hell as a vast darkness which has caused sorrow to set into all that have been there long. The poem contains various forms of figurative language scattered throughout it. Euphemisms are used frequently by Wilfred Owen to avoid saying exactly what he means in order to allow the reader to figure out his thoughts. This is a good effect to have, as it ensures that the reader who is willing to take time to understand the poem gets a full understanding of what he has read. By doing this he further argues his point that war is evil because no matter how terrible of a place he has made hell to be, it is still better than war. So in effect, the worse he can describe the pain of hell, even more so can he protest against war. There a good flow within the poem. This can be attributed to the consistent use of ten syllables per line and an interesting style of rhyme. Words that do not actually rhyme, but have a distinct similarity in sound are used, such as wheels and well, and left and laughed. There are some actual rhymes, though. Owen has not directly used this style to enhance the effect of the poem. This does give a very even flow through what could be a boring monologue in the absence of one. The rhyme is used cleverly so that at first glance, the reader would not immediately recognise it as a rhyming poem, which may decrease the effect for a reader who had this knowledge. It also helps in the flow of the poem. By use of manipulation it provokes thought. It conveys its meanings well and argues the point that war is worse than hell as well as that enemies at war can be friends off the battlefield and that war is a convention that will go on because of the ignorance of those not involved in battle. Once the points made by Owen are found by the reader, they are well set out and clear. It was only after analysing the subject matter and use of language that I realised the rhyming nature of the poem. I found this a very clever use of words. I was impressed with the monologue by the spirit that produced valid statements about the evil and senselessness of war every few lines. This was a well-presented poem that I recommend to anyone who is willing to indulge into the themes presented by a poem. How to cite this page Choose cite format: Page 8

9 Chapter 6 : Strange Meeting Summary - blog.quintoapp.com By Wilfred Owen About this Poet Wilfred Owen, who wrote some of the best British poetry on World War I, composed nearly all of his poems in slightly over a year, from August to September Monosyllabic language In the final section of the narrative the language again undergoes change. I am the enemy you killed, my friend l. They are straightforward and almost monosyllabic compared with the complexity of the previous language. Owen states that the man was unable to defend himself. Owen is saying that the man was unwilling, as well as unable, to defend himself. The final line of Strange Meeting: It is followed by ellipses which may be interpreted in several ways: Owen intended to continue writing so this is only a fragment of a poem Owen is indicating that sleep will end in death Owen is suggesting that death is a sleep Owen is implying that the sleep with be unending, they will be at peace Owen leaves us with a deliberately ambiguous ending. The language of the King James Version of the Bible The cadence s of this poem echo words and phrases, sentiments and verses from the King James Bible. In the Christian creed Christ is described as descending into hell after his death and before his resurrection see Liturgy Morning Prayer: Owen would have spoken these words every Sunday of his formative years. Notice the references in Strange Meeting to preach ing, the dead, flesh and the spirit. Owen is alluding to a passage from the Bible: God is promising here to make reparation for the destruction wrought by nature, his destructive army and a metaphor for a human army. More on Owen and biblical references His own strongly held beliefs as a child and young man would have been based on a regular reading and study of this book. Even after he gave up formal religion it would have been almost impossible for Owen to forget the textures, ideas and poetry of the King James Bible. They would be part of him. To me the meanest flower that blow can give Thoughts that do often lie too deep for tears. Yet each man kills the thing he loves Tone The tone of Strange Meeting is different for each speaker. Owen begins in a dreamlike, distant tone. There is an almost epic feel to the opening which becomes eerie as the realisation of hell dawns. For by my glee might many men have laughed The mood again changes with line thirty. Here the speaker tells of what he would have done to cleanse the word. The tone is more positive. The final shift is from the reflective, meditative tone of the main monologue to the almost gentle, understated feel of the denouement in line Here in Strange Meeting he uses it paradox ically: This final section brings a change of tone with nothing high-flown but plain, mostly monosyllabic language, the simplicity of fulfilment. Paradoxically again, illumination is given in the dark of the tunnel. Even the brutality of the killing in line forty two does not break this mood and the final invitation to sleep leaves us and the protagonists at peace. There is only one war, that of men against men. Structure of Strange Meeting The poem moves through four stages represented by separate stanzas in some editions of the poem which each deal with different aspects of the strange meeting: Finally the dead soldier relates his killing by Owen, then invites him to sleep. Versification Pararhymed couplets The pararhyme scheme of Strange Meeting has a twofold effect on the reader It emphasises the seriousness of what is being said without the distraction of perfect rhymes which can sometimes trivialise the verse by their predictability The pararhymes jolt us with their discords. The first is an unusual, unexpected word but has an onomatopoeic quality to it. Notice that, of the twenty two couplets, fourteen have alliterative pararhymes. The last line This final word from the strange friend stands alone. Make a list of the pararhymes in the poem, using colours to identify the shared sounds. English Standard Version King James Version 1But on the first day of the week, at early dawn, they went to the tomb, taking the spices they had prepared. Remember how he told you, while he was still in Galilee, 7that the Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men and be crucified and on the third day rise. And they stood still, looking sad. And they said to him, Concerning Jesus of Nazareth, a man who was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people, 20and how our chief priests and rulers delivered him up to be condemned to death, and crucified him. Yes, and besides all this, it is now the third day since these things happened. They were at the tomb early in the morning, 23and when they did not find his body, they came back saying that they had even seen a vision of angels, who said that he was alive. He acted as if he were going farther, 29but they urged him strongly, saying, Stay with us, for it is toward evening and the day is now far Page 9

10 spent. So he went in to stay with them. And he vanished from their sight. And they found the eleven and those who were with them gathered together, 34saying, The Lord has risen indeed, and has appeared to Simon! Touch me, and see. For a spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see that I have. But stay in the city until you are clothed with power from on high. And they said unto him, Concerning Jesus of Nazareth, which was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people: And he went in to tarry with them. Modern I believe in God, the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth. I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried; he descended to the dead. On the third day he rose again; he ascended into heaven, he is seated at the right hand of the Father, and he will come to judge the living and the dead. I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. And in Jesus Christ his only Son our Lord: Suffered under Pontius Pilate, Was crucified, dead, and buried: He descended into hell; The third day he rose again from the dead: He ascended into heaven, And sitteth on the right hand of God the Father Almighty: From thence he shall come to judge the quick and the dead. I believe in the Holy Ghost: The Forgiveness of sins: The Resurrection of the body, And the Life everlasting. Book of Common Prayer English Standard Version King James Version 1Since therefore Christ suffered in the flesh, arm yourselves with the same way of thinking, for whoever has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin, 2so as to live for the rest of the time in the flesh no longer for human passions but for the will of God. To him belong glory and dominion forever and ever. Let all the inhabitants of the land tremble, for the day of the Lord is coming; it is near, 2a day of darkness and gloom, a day of clouds and thick darkness! Like blackness there is spread upon the mountains a great and powerful people; their like has never been before, nor will be again after them through the years of all generations. The land is like the garden of Eden before them, but behind them a desolate wilderness, and nothing escapes them. They march each on his way; they do not swerve from their paths. The sun and the moon are darkened, and the stars withdraw their shining. For the day of the Lord is great and very awesome; who can endure it? Return to the Lord your God, for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love; and he relents over disaster. Consecrate the congregation; assemble the elders; gather the children, even nursing infants. Let the bridegroom leave his room, and the bride her chamber. Why should they say among the peoples, Where is their God? And my people shall never again be put to shame. For in Mount Zion and in Jerusalem there shall be those who escape, as the Lord has said, and among the survivors shall be those whom the Lord calls. A word or phrase which qualifies, describes or adds to the meaning of a noun an extended speech by one character Abstract nouns are used to refer to abstract entities such as ideas, emotions or concepts e. Literally, using words of one syllable; using few, short, words as if reluctant to speak. The device whereby words are omitted to shorten the line, on the assumption that the omitted words are understood from the context, or are referred to later. A word which suggests the sound it is describing: The translation of the Bible in English which was produced in by a group of scholars appointed by King James I. It is the origin of many common phrases and sayings in the English language. The central message of the Christian faith 2. Title eventually used as name given to Jesus, refering to an anointed person set apart for a special task such as a king. Literally, rising to life again. Term meaning learner or follower. Used in the New Testament in particularly of the twelve apostles of Jesus. Now applied more generally to all Christians. Name originally given to disciples of Jesus by outsiders and gradually adopted by the Early Church. Concise, authorised statement s of central Christian beliefs declared at services of Christian worship. Jesus describes hell as the place where Satan and his demons reside and the realm where unrepentant souls will go after the Last Judgement. To deliver a sermon, that is a talk which provides religious instruction and encouragement. A literary term meaning to directly or implicitly refer to a literary work, character, event, setting etc. A talk which provides religious instruction and encouragement. Homilies are addresses to congregations, usually directly related to the biblical readings being used at the service in which the homily is given. An image or form of comparison where one thing is said actually to be another - e. Page 10

11 Chapter 7 : Strange Meeting by Wilfred Owen - Poems Academy of American Poets A reading of a classic war poem 'Strange Meeting' is one of Wilfred Owen's greatest poems. After 'Dulce et Decorum Est' and 'Anthem for Doomed Youth' it is one of his most popular and widely studied and analysed. Hire Writer The poetic voice seems to be remembering what he either dreamed or experience after dying. Therefore, we might say that the poem takes place in the memory of the poetic voice. The setting of the poem contributes to the reflective tone of the poem, which has places of irony and bitterness. What is gained by casting this subject as a dramatic encounter between a dead man and the man who killed him? Are both men dead? The poem gains intensity and increases the tone of irony when the dead soldier meets the man who killed him. It seems that both men are dead, however it is not clear whether this is reality or just a dream. The man means that he went, not forced, to war without knowing how war was really like. This suggests the idea that men were lay, and that they were told that fighting in war was a honourable thing to do. Overall, it seems to describe how war is the shortest way in the world, to ensure death. What had been the ideals, abilities and ambitions of the man killed yesterday? What about the narrator of the poem? These soldiers were tricked to fight in war. What aspects of this prophesised future does he lament? Look at the lines: Therefore, I believe the dead man tries to convey irony, by explaining that no matter whether somebody fought or escaped and hide, the result was going to be the same death as nobody was safe during war. Which basically means that innocent people would also die during war. What do you think is meant by: The above quotation suggests that these people are no longer able to transmit their experiences, which could have taught many others what was war like and how useless and cruel it is. Who has the last word, and why is this important? Why had the dead man not fought to the death? Does this make a correction to the notion of valour in battle? This is important because it explains that the soldier knew that the man, whom he was talking to, killed him. War was long and seemed to never-end, he might have been tired and week by the time he fought with this other soldier. Additionally, this changes the notion of valour in battle. It seems that it was no longer a matter of courage, but a matter of wisdom. The wiser one would prefer to die and rest while the brave one will keep on fighting and suffering. Consequently courage becomes in masochism to some extent. Does the poem achieve closure? How to cite this page Choose cite format: Page 11

12 Chapter 8 : Analysis of Poem "Strange Meeting" by Wilfred Owen Owlcation 'Strange Meeting' by Wilfred Owen is written to reflect upon war: a place worse than hell! It begins with the relief of one soldier as he is flung magically away from the battlefield. Although these do not appear to be two sides of the same coin, they are the two halves of leading war poet Wilfred Owen, whose poetry paved the way for truth in an age where the Rupert Brooks and Jessie Popes were filling the pages with idealistic pro-war verse. Only 25 years old at the time of his death, Wilfred Owen managed to write around 69 poems and fragments of poems in total including the likes of Inspection, Anthem for Doomed Youth and Dulce et Decorum. Susan Shaw and Tom Owen had married in, and moved immediately into the family house, Plas Wilmont, although this was not to be their final resting place. Due to his death, the family found that he had been nearly bankrupt and so could not retain the family home, and moved from Plas Wilmont to Birkenhead, and then to Shrewsbury, following Thomas, whom had been employed by a railway satin. In, when he was promoted to stationmaster, the Owen family moved a total of four times â three times in Tranmere, and one more time where they went back to Shrewsbury. Wilfred attended the Shrewsbury Technical School throughout his youth, focusing greatly on botany and English literature. It was here that his interest in poetry flourished, although later on in life; in his earlier years, Wilfred Owen was fanatical about religion. Aside from religion, Owen was also a great lover of the outdoors. He formed the Astronomical, Geological, and Botanical society with his two cousins, and lived in a fairly secluded area, with great historical significance. Although he had studied botany in school, living in Shrewsbury led him to develop an interest in geology, and then again in archaeology, and in, Owen made the first expedition to Wroxeter in order to study the site of a fallen Roman city. He took up an unpaid position as a lay assistant to a reverend, who traded help with his parish duties for free food, lodging, and money for tuition. It was not a resounding success. Owen and the reverend were too unlike each other, and Owen lost his interest in theology, the subject he was to study at University. Instead, he attended botany classes at the University of Reading, and was encouraged by the Head of the English department to further his studies in writing and in literature. Owen then realized that religion meant more to him than literature, and in, suffering from congestion, he sat a scholarship exam for University College, Reading. Owen failed, pushing him, instead, to take up a part-time teaching position at the Berlitz School, in Bordeaux, falling in love with France in the process. As the tutor to an year-old French girl, Owen had reached the pinnacle of his life. He was commissioned as a probationary second lieutenant in the Manchester regiment. Owen found soldiering difficult. First, he fell into a shell hole, and came out of it with a concussion. Then he was blown into the sky by a trench mortar, and spent several days on an embankment in Savy Wood near the remains of a fellow officer. After this traumatic experience, he was diagnosed as suffering frm neurasthenia â shell shock â and sent to Craiglockhart War Hospital for treatment. He returned to the war in, partially due to Siegried Sassoon, who had been shot in the head in an incident of what was apparently friendly fire, and put on sick leave for the remaining duration of the war. Death and Afterwards A mere month after this attack, Owen was killed. One week later, his mother received the telegram of his death as he bells were ringing in celebration of Armistice. He is buried at Ors Communal Cemetery. Page 12

13 Chapter 9 : Analysis of Strange Meeting by Wilfred Owen Published two years after his death in battle, Wilfred Owen wrote "Strange Meeting" based upon his own war traumas. In this poem, Owen encounters in Hell a soldier he killed. Though the end of the war had seemed no more in sight than the capabilities of flight, it is widely assumed by scholars that neither side had any enmity between them â at least on the level of the common soldier. Both British and German soldiers lived in terrible conditions, suffered from similar, if not exacting, diseases, and were, on occasion, treated at the same hospitals. At the start of the war, there was even a period of time when German soldiers and British soldiers laid down their arms and had a friendly football match. In it, a soldier escapes from a battle, only to find that he has escaped into hell, and that the enemy that he has killed is welcoming him into hell. It seemed that out of battle I escaped Down some profound dull tunnel, long since scooped Through granites which titanic wars had groined. Even the start of the poem references war; for Owen, the natural habitat, the natural instincts, of a soldier is war. The start is relatively benign; there is nothing strange about escaping battle down a tunnel in the First World War, there was a British plot to try and tunnel into German territory, hence the recurring imagery of holes and tunnels. Yet also there encumbered sleepers 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. And by his smile, I knew that sullen hall,â By his dead smile I knew we stood in Hell. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. It is worth noting that this is perhaps one of the most bloodless poems that Owen wrote. He eschews the in-depth look towards brutalities that most Owen poems usually claim â omitting the description of the injuries, instead, for what was lost. Although the first two lines lend an idea â though there is no gore, the person speaking is terrified â the presence of war is still felt. It is also worth noting that this poem is one of the most silent that Wilfred Owen wrote; his onomatopoeic style eschewed in lieu of speech, and nothing else. There is no humming guns, no whistling bombs; only the silence of the dead. However, just because there is no evidence of blood and gore does not mean that this is not a war poem. I am the enemy you killed, my friend. I knew you in this dark: I parried; but my hands were loath and cold. Let us sleep now. Despite the fact that they were on different sides, there is no animosity on the part of the man who died â it seems as though the war has spent all his anger and his violence, if there ever was some. The poem ends on a melancholy note, almost Keatsian, where the speaker invites the listener to sleep with him, and it is assumed that they both have died. By the end of the poem, nothing has been resolved; war still carries on, and the men are still dead. It is made up of 44 lines in iambic pentameter divided into four stanzas of irregular length. Page 13