The Listeners Poem by Walter de La Mare: Notes Summary, Meanings, Poetic Devices

Notes on Walter de La Mare’s poem ‘The Listeners’: These notes aim to aid in understanding the poem by providing a summary, exploring themes, the central idea, key points, poetic devices, and offering an explanation and analysis of ‘The Listeners’.

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Explanation & Analysis of ‘The Listeners’ Poem

Notes: Poem ‘The Listeners’

Summary of the Poem “The Listeners”:

In the poem, a traveller arrives at a mysterious, abandoned house in the middle of the night. He knocks on the door and calls out, asking if anyone is there, but no one answers. The only sounds come from his horse and a bird flying from the tower above. Although the traveller can’t see anyone, a group of ghostly figures (called “phantom listeners”) silently listen to his calls from inside the house.

The traveller senses something strange and feels the presence of these silent beings, but they do not respond. He knocks on the door again, louder this time, and declares that he kept his promise to visit the house, even though no one answered him. He then leaves, and the silence returns to the house as he rides away on his horse.

The poem is full of mystery and creates a haunting atmosphere. It suggests themes of isolation, the unknown, and the connection between the living and the dead. The traveller may symbolize someone trying to communicate with the past or the supernatural, but his efforts remain unanswered.

Theme of the Poem “The Listeners”:

The central theme of “The Listeners” is mystery and the unknown. The traveller’s attempts to communicate with the house are met with silence, creating a sense of isolation and eeriness. The poem explores the idea of the supernatural, with ghostly listeners silently observing but never responding, highlighting the gap between the world of the living and the dead.

Another key theme is loneliness. The traveller’s journey to a deserted house and the absence of a response emphasize his solitude. His words echo through the empty house, adding to the feeling of being unheard or disconnected from others.

There is also a theme of commitment and duty. The traveller keeps his word and arrives at the house as promised, even though no one answers him. This reflects the importance of fulfilling promises, regardless of whether they are acknowledged or appreciated.

Finally, the poem touches on the limitations of human understanding. The traveller senses a strange presence but cannot fully comprehend or interact with it, suggesting that there are forces or experiences beyond human grasp.

Central Idea of the Poem “The Listeners”:

The central idea of “The Listeners” revolves around the theme of a mysterious and eerie encounter between the living and the unknown. The poem highlights the traveller’s futile attempt to communicate with the occupants of a deserted house, only to be met with silence. Although unseen, ghostly listeners are present, creating an atmosphere of suspense and mystery.

The poem suggests that there are forces beyond human understanding and control. It emphasizes the loneliness and isolation the traveller experiences as he tries to reach out to someone, or something, but receives no response. This conveys the idea that human attempts to connect with the unknown—whether it be the past, the dead, or a different world—are often met with silence or confusion.

Message of the Poem “The Listeners”:

The poem “The Listeners” conveys several important messages:

1. The Nature of Isolation: The traveller’s experience emphasizes the feeling of loneliness and isolation that can come from reaching out to others without receiving a response. It reflects the human desire for connection and the pain of being unheard.
2. The Mystery of the Unknown: The presence of the phantom listeners suggests that there are mysteries in life that remain unsolved. This can relate to the supernatural or the unexplained aspects of existence, reminding readers that not everything can be understood or answered.
3. The Importance of Commitment: The traveller keeps his promise to visit the house, demonstrating the value of duty and commitment. Even when faced with silence, the act of fulfilling one’s word is significant, reflecting integrity and perseverance.
4. The Limits of Communication: The poem illustrates how communication can sometimes fail, especially when trying to reach those who are distant or unreachable—whether emotionally or physically. It serves as a reminder that not all attempts at connection will be successful.
5. Life and Death: The interaction between the living traveller and the silent, ghostly listeners suggests a reflection on life, death, and what lies beyond. It raises questions about the afterlife and the existence of spirits, prompting readers to consider their own beliefs about these themes.

Overall, the poem invites readers to contemplate the deeper aspects of existence, the nature of connection, and the mysteries that lie beyond human understanding.

Key Points of the Poem “The Listeners”:

1. Mysterious Setting: The poem takes place at night, in a silent, moonlit forest, where a lone traveler arrives at an abandoned house.
2. Traveler’s Attempts: The traveller repeatedly knocks on the door and asks, “Is there anybody there?” but no one responds.
3. Phantom Listeners: Unseen ghostly figures (phantom listeners) silently watch and listen from inside the house but do not communicate with the traveller.
4. Loneliness and Silence: The traveller experiences confusion and isolation as his calls echo through the empty house with no answer.
5. Supernatural Presence: The presence of the phantom listeners suggests a connection with the supernatural, adding a sense of mystery and suspense.
6. Unanswered Questions: The traveller, despite sensing the presence of the listeners, does not receive a response, emphasizing the theme of the unknown and unanswerable mysteries in life.
7. Commitment: Before leaving, the traveller declares that he kept his word, showing a sense of responsibility and duty, even when unacknowledged.
8. Eerie Departure: The poem ends with the traveller mounting his horse and riding away, as silence returns to the house and the ghosts remain unseen.

These key points capture the poem’s themes of mystery, isolation, and the limits of human understanding.

Poetic Devices in “The Listeners” by Walter de La Mare:

These poetic devices contribute to the poem’s haunting atmosphere and its exploration of themes related to isolation, the supernatural, and the mysteries of existence.

1. Rhyme Scheme: The poem has an irregular rhyme scheme, which adds to the sense of mystery and unpredictability. Some lines rhyme, but not in a consistent pattern, reflecting the uncertain and eerie atmosphere.
   • However the rhyme scheme of the poem can be abcbdefeaghgijkjlmnmopqhnereisssuvrx.
2. Alliteration: The repetition of consonant sounds at the beginning of words is found throughout the poem. For example, in ‘silence surged slowly’, ‘forest’s ferny floor’, ‘leaned over and looked’, ‘stirred and shaken’, ‘louder and lifted’, ‘suddenly smote’.
3. Imagery: The poem uses vivid descriptions to create mental images, such as “moonlit door,” “dark stair,” and “starred and leafy sky,” helping readers visualize the setting.
4. Aural imagery: knocking on the moonlit door, champed the grasses, sound of iron on stone, plunging hoofs
5. Personification: The poem gives human-like qualities to non-human elements, such as “silence surged softly backward,” suggesting that silence can move.
6. Repetition: The phrase “Is there anybody there?” is repeated, emphasizing the traveller’s desperation and the unanswered nature of his question.
7. Enjambment: Many lines flow into the next without a pause or punctuation, creating a sense of continuity and urgency. For instance, the first stanza flows smoothly from one line to the next.
8. Metaphor: “a host of phantom listeners” compares the unseen beings to a large, silent crowd, implying their ghostly presence representing a deeper connection to themes of death and the supernatural.
9. Onomatopoeia: Words that imitate sounds. Ex. “smote” (knocking sound), “plunging hoofs” (sound of the horse’s footsteps), ‘champed the grasses’.
10. Symbolism: The deserted house symbolizes isolation, and phantom listeners symbolize the unknown, the supernatural, or the dead while the traveller represents human curiosity and the desire for connection.
11. Mood and Tone: The overall mood is eerie and mysterious, created through the combination of imagery, sound, and the traveller’s unanswered calls.
12. Transferred epithet. A transferred epithet is a figure of speech where an adjective or descriptor typically associated with one noun is applied to another noun, creating a new meaning or effect.
    • “silent house”: The silence is attributed to the house, suggesting the absence of life or response within it. However, it’s the atmosphere around the house that is silent.
    • “lonely Traveller’s call”: The word “lonely” describes the traveller’s call, implying that the call is lonely because it goes unanswered, rather than the traveller himself.
    • “Leafy sky”: In this phrase, “leafy” typically describes plants or trees, implying they are covered with leaves. However, the word “leafy” is transferred to describe the “sky,” creating a vivid image of the sky as being surrounded by or filled with leaves from the trees.
13. Paradox: their stillness answering his cry