Strange Meeting – Reasoning (20+ Questions)

Complete the following sentences by providing a brief reason. Do not write the question.

1. The speaker describes the tunnel as "profound" and "dull" because __________

2. The dead soldier has "a thousand fears graining" his face because __________

3. The speaker addresses the other soldier as "Strange friend" because __________

4. No blood reaches the underworld from the upper ground and no guns thump there because __________

5. The dead soldier mourns not only his death but the loss of his potential because __________

6. The soldier says "for by my glee might many men have laughed" because __________

7. The dead soldier felt that the world was "marching into vain citadels" because __________

8. The soldier's hands were "loath and cold" when he killed the speaker because __________

9. Owen chooses pararhyming couplets rather than perfect rhymes because __________

10. The meeting between the two soldiers in Hell is significant to Owen's message because __________

11. The soldier describes seeking "wildest beauty in the world" because __________

12. The speaker seems unable to defend himself when confronted in Hell because __________

13. The setting shifts from the battlefield to Hell because __________

14. The soldier says he would have "poured his spirit without stint" because __________

15. Owen emphasizes the soldier's lost talent and wisdom because __________

16. The poem contains no description of actual physical combat because __________

17. The soldier's "smile" creates both comfort and horror simultaneously because __________

18. The speaker accepts the soldier's presence without anger or fear because __________

19. The final line "Let us sleep now" offers no comfort to the soldiers because __________

20. Owen suggests that enemies are naturally "friends" because __________

21. The tunnel through granite "titanic wars had groined" represents __________

22. The soldier says he "had mystery" and "mastery" because __________

Answer Key

i) It is a deep, dark, gloomy passage created by the cumulative violence of past wars, reflecting the bleakness and inescapable legacy of conflict.

ii) He carries deep psychological trauma, anguish, and the shock of recognizing his own killer, which is etched permanently into his appearance.

iii) The meeting is unexpected and surreal; they are enemies in life but meet as souls in death, making the encounter both strange and paradoxically affectionate.

iv) Hell transcends the physical realm of warfare; it represents the spiritual and psychological dimension where war's true horrors manifest beyond mere physical violence.

v) War has cut short his life completely, preventing him forever from using his wisdom, courage, and talents to contribute positively to human civilization and society.

vi) His laughter, joy, and happiness could have brought comfort, light, and happiness to many others, and that lost ability to spread joy dies with him in war.

vii) He believed war-torn civilization was advancing toward useless, undefended fortifications, suggesting no victory, security, or meaningful progress can be achieved through warfare.

viii) He was reluctant and emotionally numb; he did not want to kill but was forced by the demands of war, suggesting reluctance and deep moral conflict within.

ix) The near-rhyme creates discomfort, incompleteness, and discord, perfectly mirroring the disturbing, unresolved, and tragic nature of war's consequences.

x) It demonstrates that enemies are actually brothers separated by war, and that their shared humanity and similar dreams transcend national and military divisions.