Summary: The Listeners

About the Poet

Walter de la Mare was a British poet, short story writer, and novelist born in 1873. He is known for his imaginative and fantastical works that often explore themes of childhood, nature, and the supernatural. De la Mare's writing style is characterized by its lyrical language and vivid imagery, which have captivated readers for generations.

Key Points of the Poem

• The poem revolves around a Traveller who knocks on a moonlit door seeking company.
• It consists of three stanzas, each depicting the Traveller's interaction with an unseen audience.
• The eerie setting, with a deserted house and phantom listeners, creates a mysterious atmosphere.
• The Traveller's repeated calls go unanswered, emphasizing themes of isolation and loneliness.

Detailed Summary

"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 ferny 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.

In this part of the poem, a traveler is speaking to a door in the moonlight. He knocks on the door and asks if anyone is inside. His horse is eating grass quietly on the forest floor. A bird flies out from the top of the building near the traveler. The traveler knocks on the door again and asks if anyone is there. The atmosphere is mysterious and a bit spooky, as the traveler seems to be seeking someone or something.

Stanza 2

But no one descended to the Traveller;

No head from the leaf-fringed sill

Leaned over and looked into his grey eyes,

Where he stood perplexed and still.

In this part of the poem, no one came to the door to meet the traveler. Nobody looked out from the window to see the traveler standing there, looking confused and still. The traveler is waiting for a response but receives none, adding to the suspense and mystery of the scene.

Stanza 3

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.

In this section, the poem describes how only imaginary listeners, not real people, inhabit the house. These phantom listeners are gathered on the staircase, listening to the traveler's voice in the moonlit silence. The house feels empty, but these unseen listeners seem to be present, adding to the eerie and mysterious feel of the poem.

Stanza 4

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.

In this part, the traveler senses the strange presence of the phantom listeners. They remain silent, which adds to the strangeness of the situation. His horse continues to eat grass under the starry sky. The traveler, feeling ignored, knocks even louder on the door, insisting that he came as promised but received no response, emphasizing his frustration and confusion.

Stanza 5

Never the least stir made the listeners,

Though every word he spoke

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.

In this final part of the poem, the phantom listeners remain completely still and unmoved. Even though the traveler's words echo through the quiet house, the listeners do not react. They only hear the sounds of the traveler leaving on his horse, with the silence returning once the horse's hoofs fade away. The eerie silence and lack of response from the listeners create a haunting atmosphere in the poem.

Theme/Message

Theme

• The theme of loneliness and isolation permeates the poem, as the Traveller seeks companionship but is met with silence and emptiness. 
• The eerie setting and lack of response from the phantom listeners highlight the human experience of feeling disconnected and alienated.

Message

• Through the Traveller's futile attempts to connect with the unseen listeners, the poem conveys a message about the inability to bridge the gap between individuals despite one's earnest efforts. 
• It reflects on the haunting nature of solitude and the challenges of communication and understanding in a world where connection seems elusive.

Difficult Words

1. Perplexed: Confused or puzzled.
2. Phantom: Something that is perceived, but has no physical reality.
3. Stirrup: A loop or ring that hangs from a saddle and in which a rider places their foot.
4. Plunging: Falling or moving suddenly and with force.
5. Shadowiness: The quality of being shadowy or obscure.
6. Lyrical: Expressing the writer's emotions in an imaginative and beautiful way.
7. Eerie: Strange and frightening.
8. Alienated: Feeling isolated or estranged from others.
9. Futile: Incapable of producing any useful result; pointless.
10. Companionship: The feeling of fellowship or friendship.