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Meeting at night
Task B - The 'Story' of the Poem
Before we examine the sounds in the poem it will be helpful to have an
agreed account of the 'story' of the poem to relate our sound symbolism
and sound pattern analysis to, particularly as the form of the poem is
somewhat enigmatic, to match the subject matter - a secret meeting at
night.
Read the poem through two or three times, until
you think you are familiar with it. Then write a short summary of what
you think happens in each of the two stanzas. Finally, compare your general
understanding with ours.
The grey sea and the long black land;
And the yellow half-moon large and low;
And the startled little waves that leap
In fiery ringlets from their sleep,
As I gain the cove with pushing prow,
And quench its speed i' the slushy sand.
Then a mile of warm sea-scented beaches;
Three fields to cross till a farm appears;
A tap at the pane, the quick sharp scratch
And blue spurt of a lighted match,
And a voice less loud, thro' its joys and fears,
Then the two hearts beating each to each!
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