Meeting
Meeting - meaning Summary
Past Lovers Judged by Age
Two elderly figures, hidden in cloaks, confront one another and rehearse opposing claims about a former lover. Each insists they hate what the other loved, yet their exchange shifts from denunciation to rue and recognition. The poem traces how age, disguise, and defensiveness obscure a more tender, complicated bond; ultimately it suggests that without posturing they might name that bond more gently, hinting at regret and lost intimacy.
Read Complete AnalysesHidden by old age awhile In masker's cloak and hood, Each hating what the other loved, Face to face we stood: 'That I have met with such,' said he, 'Bodes me little good.' 'Let others boast their fill,' said I, 'But never dare to boast That such as I had such a man For lover in the past; Say that of living men I hate Such a man the most.' 'A loony'd boast of such a love,' He in his rage declared: But such as he for such as me -- Could we both discard This beggarly habiliment -- Had found a sweeter word.
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