Search results
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;
Learn about the themes, symbols, and poetic devices of Walter de la Mare's famous poem "The Listeners", published in 1912. The poem tells the story of a traveller who knocks on the door of a haunted house and encounters mysterious listeners.
‘The Listeners’ by Walter de la Mare is a thirty six line poem that is contained within one block of text. The piece follows a consistent pattern of rhyme in the scheme of abcbdefe, and so on, changing end sounds as the poet saw fit.
Compared to de la Mare's other works, The Listeners is a more restrained and subtle poem. It explores similar themes of loneliness and isolation, but it does so in a more understated and atmospheric way. The poem's setting and language are carefully crafted to create a sense of mystery and wonder.
A classic horror poem about a traveller who knocks on a haunted house and encounters a host of phantom listeners. Learn about the poem's structure, themes, symbols, and literary devices with this comprehensive analysis.
A famous poem about a traveller who knocks on a door and encounters a host of phantom listeners in a haunted house. Read the full text, listen to the audio, and explore the themes and characters of this classic poem.
A poem by Walter de la Mare about a man knocking on the door of a house in the forest, heard only by a host of phantom listeners. The poem raises more questions than it answers, such as the word the Traveller wanted to keep and the identity of the Listeners.
