Literary Devices in Strange Meeting

The last line of the poem is noteworthy in two respects. It is brief—much shorter than the other lines in the text—and the meter consists of four separate strong beats, in contrast to the iambic pentameter of the other lines. The effect is one of emphasis. There is nothing more to say between these two soldiers; in the absence of war, they are no longer enemies and are united forever in death.

“Parried” is the past tense form of “parry,” which means to make a countermove in warding off a weapon or an attack. “Loath” is a synonym for reluctant or unwilling. The words imply that in defending himself, the sleeper had not fought with anger or hatred in his heart. The idea is supported by the personification of “my hands”; describing them as “loath” imbues them with the human emotion of feeling reluctant or unwilling. A connotation of “cold” supports the personification, as it suggests a lack of fiery passion—the opposite of the connotations of “boil” in a previous line.

Both assonance and alliteration are employed in these two lines through “wounds,” “war,” “where,” and “were.” The consonant and vowel sounds are soft, and the repetition of the sounds creates a peaceful tone that is consistent with the sleeper’s condemnation of war.

“Chariot-wheels” is an indirect or implied metaphor for the machines of warfare that create bloody landscapes. The term summons images of classical or biblical times, foregrounding a biblical allusion in the next line. To “wash them from sweet wells” alludes to John 4:7–14 in the New Testament in which water symbolizes salvation and the Holy Spirit. Biblical allusions continue through the end of this stanza, and through them, the sleeper suggests that knowing the truth about war will save mankind from warfare and end bloodshed.

Off rhyme (“mystery” and “mastery”), parallelism, and repetition work together to make these two lines distinct in the sleeper’s description of himself in life. The structure in the two lines is identical; each line features a caesura (a natural pause) between two independent clauses, and the meter in the first half of each line is identical in its variation from iambic pentameter. The parallelism is enhanced by repetition, as the second line mirrors the first in most of its content. Through these literary devices, Owen emphasizes that the powers found in life are negated by death.

Comparing the swift actions of those who will once again make war to those of a tigress creates the image of a tigress attacking her prey. The imagery suggests that those who initiate war are like beasts in the jungle, predators who attack without conscience or remorse.

With one word immediately following the other, the “b” sound in “boil” alliterates suddenly and sharply with “bloody,” creating a jarring effect that emphasizes both words. “Boil” and “bloody” both have strong negative connotations; “boil” suggests heat, akin to anger and ire, while “bloody” is associated with violence and death. Together, the words create a disturbing visual image in describing how one war leads to another, spilling blood.

“Hall” and “Hell,” as well as “grained” and “ground,” are examples of “off rhyme”; the words come close to rhyming but don’t rhyme perfectly to the ear. Off rhymes are found at the ends of lines throughout this text, creating heroic couplets (a pair of rhyming lines in iambic pentameter) that accelerate the pace of the poem.

The tunnel through which the speaker escaped was created by “titanic,” or massive, wars in the past. “Granites” refers to a very hard type of rock found in the earth; “groined” calls to mind a groin or groined vault, a construction of self-supporting arches designed to hold up a large expanse of ceiling. The alliteration of the “g” sound in “granites” and “groined” stresses each of the words and draws them together in the line, emphasizing the destructive power of war.

The speaker describes his means of escape from the battlefield as a tunnel, “profound” and “dull.” In context, “profound” means exceptionally deep, and “dull” implies the absence of any sensory stimulation. Owen’s diction, or word choice, suggests an otherworldly experience that is further described in the lines that follow.