Bring out Owen's attitude to War as a reviewer in Strange Meeting// Anti - War poem //Appropriateness of the Title
"My subject is war , and the pity of War, the poetry is in the pity"- wrote Wilfred Owen better known as an Anti-War poet unlike Rupert Brooke, Owen believed war is nothing but a dance of death. A merciless butchery of the mankind. The title Strange Meeting is that mirror which reflects the theme of the poem. It is about a meeting that take place in hell , between two Soldier - One is alive English soldier and another is dead who was German soldier.
"It seemed that out of the battle, I escaped"- in this way the poem starts its journey with some deep deep tunnel that planted seef of dead which was a result of devastating and bloodbath war. the Tunnel is inhabited by 'encumbered sleepers' whose lives are cut short in war. All of a sudden death soldier with 'piteous recognization in fixed eyes' drops at glance at the English soldier. The cadaver soldier lifts his hands as if to bless the poet. But he possesses a smile which takes after 'a dead smile' and it reveals to the poet that this place cannot but be hell, the gloomy and dark region --
" Nor drop of blood reaches there, neither any 'guns' thumping sound is heard there".
The he conversation between the two soldiers start with the poet's speech : "strange friend", I said," Here is no cause to mourn".
Then the stage is is prepared for the strange German soldier and he starts justify to his work. For him there is no cause of mourning yet there is every cause of mourning,"... save the undone years/ The hopelessness". The years that he spent in the world remains undone for nothing is done from his point of view. The German soldier in his life time goes in search of 'the wildest beauty' in the world. Surprisingly enough this beauty lies not in the charming features and qualities of any beautiful woman but this beauty, thinks the soldier "... mocks the steady running of the hour".
See also: Novel : Vanity FairThe soldier reaches in the dungeon of hell ,he realise "And if it grieves, grieves reacher then here" when the German soldier was alive there was a possibility to express his view, hence he did not grieves but after death the slight of possibility has gone. What is the dead soldier in his lifetime sought to reveals lies in as he says:" The pity of War, the pity was distilled". The war is pity not glory- a fect that known him but he could not express it.TOhe war people would lost lives with violence and swiftness even overshadow figure only thought the nation's progress: " None will break ranks". They sacrifice the precious life in the name of nation. If their any shortcomings in the soldier, reply flows from his mouth: "Courage was mine, and I had mystery/ wisdom was mine, and I was mystery". He reveals both the courage and the control of language. It is a 'retreating' to the soldiers.
It is appears like thunder in the form of lighting to readers when the German soldier reveals his identity ," I am the enemy, you killed my friend" that means enimies in the war- shattered earth have become friend in the hell. He identify the English soldier by tracing frowning which he gave while jabbing the soldier. Slowly the voice of the soldier gets choked: " I parried, but my hands were loath and cold/ Let us sleep now….". It is an urge for eternal sleep. After life's fitful fever they have achieved rest a hellish one yet peaceful, quiet instead of in, sadness and depression . Thus the Strange Meeting is gem as a Anti-War poetry.
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