Analysis of "The Listeners" by Walter De La Mare
The narrative poem "The Listeners" by Walter De La Mare depicts a traveler's eerie encounter with supernatural entities at a forest dwelling late one moonlit evening. The traveler arrives on horseback at the mansion-like dwelling, but despite his repeated knocks and queries, he receives no response from the phantom listeners inside. The poem evokes a mysterious and otherworldly atmosphere as the traveler interacts with the silent and ghostly inhabitants, ultimately leaving unanswered and with a sense of unresolved mystery.
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The Listeners Walter Dela Mare Narration : The narrator or speaker presents the story in third person point of view describing what is taking place outside and inside the house .
Analysis The poem is a narrative piece . It deals with the traveller's encounter with the supernatural . The action takes place late on a moonlit evening at a dwelling in a forest . Time is the late 19thor early 20thcentury . The tone is serious and the atmosphere is eerie and otherworldly. Characters The Traveller : a man who arrives on horseback late at night to call at a dwelling in a forest . When he knocks on the door , no one answered him. The listeners : phantoms inside the dwelling who listen to the Traveller speaking as he pounds on the door . They do not respond to him. Them : people the Traveller came to see. However , these people do not respond possibly because they are sleeping , they do not wish to see the Traveller or they are now living elsewhere . It is also possible that they died and became the phantom listeners.
Summary A man identified as The Traveller arrives on horse back late at night to call at a forest dwelling . Its turret suggests that it is a mansion. A question is posed Is there any body there ? . The Traveller is introduced in the middle of knocking on a strange door as moon light shines down upon him. There is an atmosphere of silence except for the movement of horse chewing grass and the flight of a bird from turret. He knocks on the door again and repeats his query. Despite the repetition , nobody comes to the door nor can the Traveller spot with grey eyes any head furtively peering through a window . The Traveller is perplexed and is perfectly still . His only company seems to be equally still listeners inside , as silent as phantoms as they gather in groups on the steps that descend to the vacant entryway.
Summary The Traveller feels something strange about them that their stillness is a proof that they have heeded his call . The only sound now is the movement of horse as he finds another patch of grass . The sky above is filled with stars , their light somewhat is dimmed by plentiful leaves on the trees. The door is struck a third time , this time louder . With a tilt of his head , the Traveller makes a speech urging the silent and ghostly listeners to inform an unidentified them that he kept his word . He came but nobody answered. The listeners remain every bit the phantoms they have been through out after hearing his words echo off the walls around them . There is the sound of the Traveller s foot on his striking the stone paving ; they never see the Traveller leave but know that he fades into silence.
Themes -Supernatural Eavesdropping -Mystery
