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 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.
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.
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 hooves were gone.
Summary of The Listeners
- A Tale of Unanswered Calls: “The Listeners” tells the story of a lone traveler who arrives at a deserted house late at night. He knocks on the door, calling out to see if anyone is home, but receives no human response. Instead, he senses the presence of unseen, ethereal beings – the “listeners” – who are captivated by his voice.
- Central Idea: The poem explores themes of loneliness, isolation, and the haunting power of the past. It suggests that some places retain memories and are inhabited by spirits or echoes of those who once lived there. The traveler’s call awakens these spectral listeners, but they remain unseen and unresponsive, creating a sense of eerie mystery.
- A Poem of Atmosphere: Walter de la Mare masterfully creates a captivating atmosphere through vivid imagery and sound devices. The poem is more about the mood and the experience of the traveler than about a concrete narrative. It leaves the reader with a lingering sense of wonder and unease.
In-Depth Analysis of “The Listeners”
Setting the Scene: Atmosphere and Imagery
The poem immediately establishes a mysterious and haunting atmosphere. Notice how the opening lines paint a picture of stillness and isolation: “’Is there anybody there?’ said the Traveller, / Knocking on the moonlit door.” The moonlit door suggests a dreamlike, unreal quality. The image of the horse “champed the grasses / Of the forest’s ferny floor” adds to the sense of remoteness and tranquility, quickly disrupted by the traveler’s intrusion. De la Mare uses sensory details – sight and sound – to draw the reader into the scene. The phrase “forest’s ferny floor” is particularly evocative, appealing to both our visual and tactile senses.
The Absent Hosts: Phantom Listeners
The core of the poem revolves around the unseen “listeners.” They are not traditional ghosts or spirits, but rather a more ambiguous presence. The line “But only a host of phantom listeners / That dwelt in the lone house then” reveals their nature – they inhabit the house, yet exist on a different plane of reality. The word “phantom” hints at their ethereal and insubstantial form. They do not actively respond to the traveler, but simply “stood listening,” passively observing from the shadows.
The imagery associated with the listeners is striking. They “throng the faint moonbeams on the dark stair,” suggesting that they are made of light and shadow, blending into the fabric of the house itself. This image creates a sense of unease, as if the house is alive with unseen presences.
The Traveler’s Growing Awareness
The traveler’s experience is marked by a growing sense of unease and awareness. He initially expects a human response, but is met with silence. “But no one descended to the Traveller; / No head from the leaf‑fringed sill / Leaned over and looked into his grey eyes” emphasizes his isolation and the lack of any tangible presence. However, he soon begins to feel the presence of the listeners. “And he felt in his heart their strangeness, / Their stillness answering his cry” reveals that the listeners communicate with him on a deeper, more intuitive level. It is not a spoken response, but a feeling, a resonance within his own being.
The Final Declaration and Lingering Mystery
The traveler’s final act – “Tell them I came, and no one answered, / That I kept my word,” he said – is both poignant and enigmatic. What word did he promise to keep, and to whom? The poem provides no answers, leaving the reader to speculate. It suggests that the traveler is fulfilling a long‑forgotten obligation, perhaps to those who once inhabited the house.
The ending is particularly haunting. “And how the silence surged softly backward, / When the plunging hooves were gone” suggests that the listeners retreat into the shadows as the traveler departs. The silence that follows is not empty; it is filled with the lingering memory of his visit.
Literary and Poetic Devices at Play
Assonance and Alliteration: Musicality of Language
De la Mare skillfully employs sound devices to create a musical and evocative effect. Assonance, the repetition of vowel sounds, can be seen in lines such as “Knocking on the moonlit door,” with the repeated “o” sound. Alliteration, the repetition of consonant sounds, appears in phrases like “forest’s ferny floor” and “sound of iron on stone.” These devices contribute to the poem’s lyrical quality and enhance its atmosphere.
Imagery: Painting a Picture with Words
As discussed throughout, imagery is a cornerstone of the poem’s effectiveness. De la Mare uses vivid sensory details to create a strong mental picture for the reader. The images of the moonlit door, the dark stair, and the starry sky all contribute to the poem’s haunting and mysterious atmosphere.
Symbolism: Layers of Meaning
Several elements in the poem can be interpreted symbolically. The house itself may represent the past, memory, or a forgotten world. The traveler could be seen as a seeker, a messenger, or someone attempting to connect with the past. The listeners, as mentioned, represent the unseen forces or echoes of those who once inhabited the house.
Enjambment: Flow and Rhythm
The poem makes effective use of enjambment, the continuation of a sentence or phrase from one line to the next. This technique creates a sense of flow and rhythm, drawing the reader forward through the poem. For example: “Hearkening in an air stirred and shaken / By the lonely Traveller’s call.”
Rhyme Scheme and Structure
The poem largely follows an ABCB rhyme scheme, providing a subtle musicality without being overly rigid. The consistent structure contributes to the poem’s overall sense of order and control, even as it explores themes of mystery and the unknown.
“The Listeners” is a masterful example of atmospheric poetry. Its haunting imagery, evocative language, and ambiguous narrative create a lasting impression on the reader, inviting multiple interpretations and encouraging a deeper exploration of its themes.