THE LISTENERS- BY WALTER DE LA MARE-POEM OF MYSTERY AND UNKNOWN

 

   THE LISTENERS- BY WALTER DE LA MARE-

  

   

   

IS THERE ANYBODY THERE?’ SAID THE TRAVELLER,

KNOCKING ON THE MOONLIT DOOR; ‘

AND HIS HORSE IN THE SILENCE CHAMPED THE GRASSES

OF THE FOREST’S FERNEY FLOOR:

AND A BIRD FLEW UP OUT OF THE TURRET,

ABOVE THE TRAVELLER’S HEAD:

AND HE SMOTE UPON THE DOOR AGAIN A SECOND TIME; 

‘IS THERE ANYBODY THERE?’ HE SAID.

BUT NO ONE DECENDED TO THE TRAVELLER;

NO HEAD FROM THE LEAF -FRINGED SILL

LEANED OVER AND LOOKED INTO HIS GREY EYES,

WHERE HE STOOD PERPLEXED AND STILL,

BUT ONLY A HOST OF PHANTOM LISTENERS

THAT DWELT IN THE LONE HOUSE THEN

STOOD LISTENING IN THE QUIET OF THE MOONLIGHT

TO THAT VOICE FROM THE WORLD OF MEN:

STOOD THRONGING THE FAINT MOONBEAMS ON THE DARK STAIR,  

THAT GOES DOWN TO THE EMPTY HALL,

HEARKENING IN AN AIR STIRRED AND SHAKEN

BY THE LONELY TRAVELLER’S CALL.

AND HE FELT IN HIS HEART THEIR STRANGENESS,

THEIR STILLNESS ANSWERING HIS CRY,

WHILE HIS HORSE MOVED, CROPPING THE DARK TURF,

NEATH THE STARRED AND LEAFY SKY;

FOR HE SUDDENLY SMOTE ON THE DOOR, EVEN

LOUDER, AND LIFTED HIS HEAD  :-

‘TELL THEM I CAME, AND NO ONE ANSWERED,

THAT I KEPT MY WORD,’ HE SAID

NEVER THE LEAST STIR MADE THE LISTENERS,

THOUGH EVERY WORD HE SPAKE

FELL ECHOING THROUGH THE SHADOWINESS OF THE STILL HOUSE

FROM THE ONE MAN LEFT AWAKE:

AY, THEY HEARD HIS FOOT UPON THE STIRRUP,

AND THE SOUND OF IRON ON STONE,

AND HOW THE SILENCE SURGED SOFTLY BACKWARD,

WHEN THE PLUNGING HOOFS WERE GONE.

  

SUMMARY

WALTER DE LA MARE PUBLISHED ‘THE LISTENERS’ IN 1912.IT TELLS US A STORY OF AN UNKNOWN  TRAVELLER WHO WENT TO AN ABANDONED HOUSE /CASTLE SEEMS TO BE INHABITED BY THE GHOSTS OR SPIRITS.

AN UNKNOWN PERSON AS A TRAVELLER COMES TO THE HAUNTED HOUSE/CASTLE IN THE MOONLIGHT. HE ASKS LOUDLY IF ANYBODY WAS THERE MEANWHILE HIS HORSE ENJOYS GRAZING THE GRASS.A BIRD FLIES OVER HIS HEAD . HE KNOCKS AGAIN BUT GETS NO ANSWER .HE STANDS PUZZLED AS HE GETS NO ANSWER.THE GHOSTLY BEINGS INSIDE THE HOUSE/CASTLE LISTEN TO HIM BUT ENJOY  UNANSWERING HIM.THE TRAVELLER GIVES THEM A  SHOUT TO TELL THEM THAT HE CAME AND KEPT HIS PROMISE AND THE LISTENERS HEAR HIM JUMPING UP ONTO HIS HORSE AND THE SOUND OF HORSESHOES FADES AWAY.WE THE READERS DON’T HAVE ANY CLUE NEITHER  OF THE TRAVELLER  NOR OF THE LISTENERS.

TAGS:#THE LISTENERS #THE LISTENERS UNKNOWN #THE LISTENERS POEM #THE LISTENERS MYSTRY #THE LISTENERS THE GHOST #THE LISTENERS WALTER DE LA MARE#THE LISTENERS PHANTOM#THE LISTENERS CASTLE#THE LISTENERS THE NIGHT #THE LISTENERS HORSE GRASS#THE LISTENERS BIRDS#THE LISTENER SUSPENCE #THE LISTENER THE TRAVELLER #THE LISTENER THE HORROR POEM#UNKNOWN LISTENER UNKNOWN TRAVELLER#FORESTNIGHT THE TRAVELLER AND THE LISTENERS#KNOCKS DOOR EMPTY HOUSE THE LISTENERS  #THE LISTENERS PHANTOM #THE LISTENERS PERPLEXED #THE LISTENERS UNANSWERED #HORSE THE LISTENERS #POEM BEAUTIFUL THE LISTENERS