Meeting At Night

I'm always amazed at how often people miss this poems literal sense. It is of course a graphic description of the sexual act culminating in orgasm. The title for a start plus the resst is all there: the 'fiery ringlets' (pubic hair) the 'pushy prow' (penis) 'And quench its speed i' the slushy sand' (the act of penetration) then follows the path to orgasm
'Then a mile of warm sea-scented beach;
Three fields to cross till a farm appears;'
followed by orgasm itself
'A tap at the pane, the quick sharp scratch
And blue spurt of a lighted match,
The cry of the partner and the immediate post coital sensation of the partners heart next to the poets:
'And a voice less loud, through its joys and fears,
Than the two hearts beating each to each!'

An absolutely fantastic poem and a fine example of how Browning so creatively got round the victorian attitudes of censorship. I've seen a lot of twaddle written about this poem and seen it published in child's anthologies goddammit! - surely i'm right or is it just my dirty mind! Anyway i can't see it any other way. I bet Elizabeth Barret was a hottie! comments Pulees!!!!

This poem is incredible, full of deep symbolism and imagery. I have my GCSE English exam next week and am intending to use this poem in my essay.
What i find greatly helpful when understanding the poem is the intelligent use of rhyme to enhance the sexual symbolism. Meeting at Night's rhyming scheme is ABCCBA, mirroring the movement of a wave. This is literally parallel to the surroundings of the sea, however also mirrors the wave of sexual pleasure.
As the poem's pace builds up, with the build up of sibilance "sharp scratch" snappy, punchy sounds, and shorter sentence length, speeds up the waves of sexual pleasure until the final "blue spurt of a lighted match" which is orgasmic.
It is an amazing poem and I would definitely suggest using it in any comparitive essay!

Robert Browning's poem "Meeting at Night" is essentially a narrative of a man who is journeying to meet his lover. The man recounts his journey as he undertakes it, mentioning or observing different portions of the trip, each in turn. One by one, he briefly describes his surroundings as he passes by them, merely noting them as if they bear only fleeting significance to him. However, although his descriptions are unpretentious and abruptly forgotten as he continues onward toward his goal, each line of the poem contains striking imagery. In fact, it should be noted that this poem consists entirely of imagery. Every line depicts a scene of the landscape that Browning's narrator encounters; that is, at least, until he finally reaches his destination, when his focus is diverted to his lover. Throughout the entire poem he offers no personal insight or reflection on his situation, and he instead is content to merely report his perceptions and observations as they come and go