Meeting Point

'Meeting Point': Louis MacNeice

Louis MacNeice (1907-1963) was a Northern Irish poet and playwright known for his distinctive style and powerful imagery. Born in Belfast, he was part of the literary movement known as the 'Thirties poets' and was associated with the influential literary group known as the Auden Group, which included notable poets such as W.H. Auden and Stephen Spender.

MacNeice's poetry often explores themes of modernity, politics, and the human condition, with a blend of personal and social observations. His works are characterized by their rich language, vivid imagery, and thoughtful reflections on the complexities of life, often drawing from his own experiences and observations of the world around him.

Louis MacNeice's poem 'Meeting Point' was published in his collection Plant and Phantom. The meaning of the poem suggests MacNeice's affair with Eleanor Clark, who he met in 1939. The poem may be seen as autobiographical for this reason.

'Meeting Point': poem

'The Meeting Point' by Louis MacNeice is a poem that explores the themes of life, death, and the passage of time. The message of the poem can be interpreted as an exploration of the human condition, the search for meaning and connection in life, and the inevitable journey towards mortality. The poem reflects on the complexities of existence, the transient nature of time, and the sense of longing for something beyond the tangible world.

'Meeting Point': poem summary

We will now break down 'Meeting Point' stanza by stanza.

Stanza one

MacNeice begins his poem by stating that the subjects of 'Meeting Point' exist outside of time, or at least they feel as if they do. The repetition of the word 'two' emphasises that it is a couple being depicted. They are in love and feel as though time does not apply to them. They are sitting in two chairs with a glass each. Importantly, the narrator states that the couple share the same pulse. This shows how connected they are.

Stanza two

Stanza two expands on the descriptions given in stanza one. The narrator states that the couple 'were neither up nor down'. This is building on the theme of being suspended in time. However, being neither up nor down is not a typically positive description of being in love. It suggests a kind of neutrality which hints at possible issues to come. MacNeice then provides natural imagery for a moment in the vision of the stream but soon brings the poem back to the mundane coffee shop that the couple are in.

Stanza three

This third stanza once again emphasises the sense of being suspended in time. There is a bell in the air that is suspended and silent as if time is not passing. The image of a flower is also referenced. In literature, floral imagery is often associated with romance and love. However, the suspended bell also suggests a kind of tension as it must ring at some point.

Fig. 1 - Louis MacNeice's poem 'Meeting Point' explores a couple suspended in time.

Stanza four

The imagery in stanza four of 'Meeting Point' transports the lovers to a new, imaginary location. MacNeice describes a desert, complete with camels, stretching across the table between the couple. This removes the couple from the mundane world of the coffee shop into their own world instead. However, the vastness of the desert may also subtly suggest a distance between them.

Stanza five

Stanza five continues the theme of the couple existing apart from the normal passing of time. MacNeice repeats the refrain of 'time was away and somewhere else'. They are not impacted by the waiter, the clock, or the coffee shop radio.

Stanza six

This stanza once again transports the couple somewhere else, this time to a place with 'tropic trees'. The woman in the couple flicks the ash that blooms in these trees, suggesting the control the two have over their imaginary world. In reality, she is likely flicking ash from a cigarette, but the narrator finds beauty in even this simple action. MacNeice's narrator also writes that the couple do not care 'if the markets crash'. This is a reference to a historical event of a few years previous, the Wall Street Crash of 1929. This is also the poem's only reference to current events.

Stanza seven

The narrator of 'Meeting Point' then thanks God, or whatever deity is responsible, for the time he is able to spend with his partner. He feels a sense of peace in his body due to the love for her in his heart. He clearly has a great affection for the person he is with.

Stanza eight

Stanza eight changes the previously used refrain of 'time was away and somewhere else' to 'time was away, and she was here'. The narrator writes that his life has changed because of his partner. She makes the room 'glow' for him. However, the altered refrain changes the tone of 'Meeting Point' somewhat. 'She was here' is written in the past tense, suggesting that no matter how beautiful this relationship was, it may now be over. This forces readers, at the last moment, to see MacNeice's poem very differently. It is a memory or recollection of a relationship that has now ended.

'Meeting Point': the poem's tone

The tone of 'Meeting Point' is romantic and reverent. The narrator is deeply in love with his partner, so much so that they share their own world, isolated from everyone else. The two feel as if time does not apply to them and that they could let the world pass them by with little care.

The narrator's tone is also grateful. In the final stanza, he acknowledges that his partner has changed his life and brings a 'glow' into any room they are in together. Despite the fact this is a memory, the narrator is glad he has been able to experience this intense love and holds no ill will towards this unnamed woman.

'Meeting Point': poem analysis

Now let's analyse further aspects of 'Meeting Point'.

Form, metre, and rhyme scheme

'Meeting Point' does not follow a specific poetic form. However, it has a very consistent metre and rhyme scheme. It follows iambic tetrameter, and the poem's rhyme scheme is ABABA.

'Meeting Point' is made up of eight stanzas, each with five lines. Each stanza begins and ends with the same line, known as a refrain. This technique places emphasis on the line being repeated.

The metre, rhyme scheme, and stanzas of 'Meeting Point' all follow a set pattern. This reflects the themes of the poem. The constancy and power of love are focused on in 'Meeting Point'. This is reflected in the consistency of style in the poem.

Poetic devices

Let's now consider the poetic devices used by MacNeice.

Repetition

The device of repetition is heavily relied on in 'Meeting Point'. MacNeice mentions the concept of time frequently. Doing this places strong emphasis upon it. Each stanza of 'Meeting Point' has a refrain, but the one quoted below is the only refrain that is repeated in multiple stanzas.

This refrain is repeated specifically because it mentions time. 'Meeting Point' revolves around time and how intense love can make it feel like it is standing still. Repetition also gives a sense of inescapability. The narrator could never escape or deny such a passionate love.

Alliteration

MacNeice also uses alliteration in 'Meeting Point'.

Alliteration can create a certain atmosphere or tone in a poem. Quoted below is stanza six of 'Meeting Point', which contains multiple examples of alliteration.

Alliteration can be found in the repeated 'f', 't', and 'c' sounds in this stanza. The 'f' sounds are soft and pleasant, reflecting the poem's romantic atmosphere. On the other hand, the 'c' sounds found in the words 'caring' and 'crash' are much harsher. They represent the much more negative and dangerous world that exists outside the couple's romantic bubble.

Frequently noted imagery

The main imagery in 'Meeting Point' are the bell and the desert.

The bell

The image of the bell reoccurs in 'Meeting Point', appearing in two stanzas. The second stanza revolves around the image of the bell, and the final stanza also mentions it. In stanza two, MacNeice places great emphasis on the fact that the bell is silent and suspended in the air. It represents the outside world that has been frozen in favour of this couple. A bell, as used in churches, is a clear marker of the passage of time, which has been stopped and disrupted in 'Meeting Point'. The bell's silence and lack of movement are once again noted in the final stanza.

The desert

MacNeice also uses imagery of a desert in stanza four of 'Meeting Point'. He depicts an imaginary place where the couple find themselves alone, using the images of a 'camel' and 'sand' to create this. This desert is removed from reality. It only exists inside the narrator's mind. The couple are in a mundane coffee shop, but the intensity of their love makes the narrator feel like they are in their own world, totally separate from everyone else.

'Meeting Point': key themes

'Meeting Point' centres on the theme of love. It shows a couple so deeply in love that they feel time has stopped for them, and they exist in a reality of their own. This emphasises the intensity and passion that they share. There is also a sense of peace in 'Meeting Point'. The narrator of the poem continually returns to the silence present around the couple. There are very few sounds mentioned in 'Meeting Point'. This creates a peaceful atmosphere that the narrator can palpably feel, as seen in the lines quoted below.

However, the last stanza of 'Meeting Point' also introduces the theme of nostalgia. MacNeice writes that his partner 'was' here, not that she still is. He speaks of her in the past tense, suggesting that this passionate relationship may now be over. This impacts the way a reader views the poem. The narrator is looking back at a beautiful and peaceful moment in his life with no resentment over the fact it has now passed.