"The Listeners" by Walter De La Mare is a haunting and enigmatic poem that explores themes of loneliness, isolation, and the supernatural. The poem opens with a traveller riding through a forest at night, who comes across a deserted house and knocks on its door, asking, "Is ..................................
The Listeners - New Oxford Modern English - Class 7 - English
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Extra Questions - The Listeners | New Oxford Modern English | Class 7 Literature | English
Is there anybody there?' said the Traveller,
Knocking on the moonlit door;
And his horse in the silence champ'd the grasses
Of the forest's ferny floor:
Name the poem and the poet.
What was the traveler doing?
What time was it? How do we know?
What was the horse doing?
Is there anybody there?' said the Traveller,
Knocking on the moonlit door;
And his horse in the silence champ'd the grasses
Of the forest's ferny floor:
Name the poem and the poet.
What was the traveler doing?
What time was it? How do we know?
What was the horse doing?
The poem is βThe Listenersβ and the poet is Walter De La Mare.
The traveler was knocking at the door so as to intimate the residents that someone was at the door to deliver a letter.
It was night as the door shone with moonlight.
The horse was nibbling the fern which was there on the floor when the traveler was banging the door.
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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,
Where did the bird come out from?
What did the traveler do?
What effect does it create on the reader?
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Unlock now πBack Questions - The Listeners | New Oxford Modern English | Class 7 Literature | English
When and where does the action of the poem take place?
The action of the poem "The Listeners" by Walter De La Mare takes place in an undefined past time, primarily centred around a mysterious, moonlit house in a quiet forest. The setting contributes to the enigmatic mood of the poem. The Traveller's antiquated language and the use of a horse as his mode of transport suggests an earlier period setting. The dark, quiet environment suggests it's nighttime, while the use of moonlight suggests it might be during a full moon.
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Which words or phrases tell us that the plants around the house have overgrown?
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Unlock now πWhich word from near the start of the poem suggests that this house is quite big and grand?
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Unlock now πWhat is βstirred and shakenβ by the Travellerβs shouts?
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Unlock now πWhich lines tell us that the Traveller had made a promise that he would come to the house?
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Unlock now πWhich word is repeated at the beginning and ending of the poem, and what impact does it have?
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Unlock now πWhich words are used to describe the following?
i. the door
ii. the forest floor
iii. the sill
iv. the Travellerβs eyes
v. the house
vi. The sky
vii. the turf
viii. The hoof
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Unlock now πThe poet has created a creepy atmosphere through his word choices and his use of imagery. Which words and images create a creepy atmosphere?
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Unlock now πThe poem gives us clues to the characters in the poem. Copy the table below and fill it in. Character (s) What we know about them Evidence from the poem
The Traveller
The listeners
Them (line 27)
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Unlock now πWhat is the rhyming scheme of the poem?
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Unlock now πWhich sentence most accurately describes the form and viewpoint of this poem?
a. This is a narrative poem written in the third person.
b. This is a sonnet written in the third person.
c. This is a narrative poem written in the first person.
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Unlock now πWhere he stood perplexed and still
i. Who is being described?
ii. Why is he perplexed?
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Unlock now πBut 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:
i. What could βphantom listenersβ refer to?
ii. How does the poet make the listeners seem like real people?
iii. Who is being referred to as βthat voice from the world of menβ?
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Unlock now πQuiz - The Listeners | New Oxford Modern English | Class 7 Literature | English
Vocabulary - Flashcards - The Listeners | New Oxford Modern English | Class 7 Literature | English
About the Author - The Listeners | New Oxford Modern English | Class 7 Literature | English
Walter De La Mare (1873-1956) was a British poet, novelist, and short-story writer. He is known for his imaginative and often mysterious works, which frequently explored themes of the supernatural and the unknown. De La Mare's poetry is characterized by its use of vivid and evocative imagery, as well as its lyrical and musical qualities. Some of his most famous poems include "The Listeners," "Silver," and "Mistletoe." In addition to his writing, De La Mare was also a noted anthologist and editor, and he published several influential collections of poetry for children. He was awarded the Order of Merit in 1948, and his legacy as a significant figure in English literature continues to be recognized to this day.
Summary - The Listeners | New Oxford Modern English | Class 7 Literature | English
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Themes - The Listeners | New Oxford Modern English | Class 7 Literature | English
I. Isolation and Loneliness
- The traveller is alone in the forest, seeking human contact.
- The house is empty and deserted, with no response to his calls for attention.
- The phantom listeners are present but remain silent and unresponsive, deepening the traveller's sense of isolation.
II. The Supernatural
- The phantom listeners are an enigmatic and mysterious....
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Unlock now πSymbols - The Listeners | New Oxford Modern English | Class 7 Literature | English
The House
The house in the poem is a powerful symbol, representing a threshold between the known and the unknown. It is described as "lone" and "leaf-fringed," suggesting a sense of isolation and mystery. The house represents a boundary between the traveller and the world of the phantom listeners.
The Phantom Listeners
The phantom listeners themselves....
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Unlock now πPoetic Devices - The Listeners | New Oxford Modern English | Class 7 Literature | English
Walter De La Mare uses a variety of poetic devices in "The Listeners" to create a haunting and memorable atmosphere. Some of the most prominent poetic devices used in the poem include:
- Rhyme: The poem features a consistent rhyme scheme, with the end words of each stanza following an ABCB pattern. The use of rhyme helps to create a sense of continuity and musicality throughout the poem.
- Imagery: De La Mare uses vivid and evocative imagery to create a sense of mystery and atmosphere in the poem. Examples of imagery include ...
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Unlock now πVocabulary - The Listeners | New Oxford Modern English | Class 7 Literature | English
- Phantom - something that is seen or heard but has no physical reality; a ghost or apparition
- Turret - a small tower or a section of a larger structure that extends above the roofline
- Ferny - covered in ferns or resembling ferns
- Perplexed -...
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