The speaker says that all houses are frequented by ghosts of those who were born there, lived there and died there. They enter through open doors and do their work while they move around lightly, without making any noise. The speaker comes across them at various places in the house – the stairs, the passage way and at the doors. They cannot be seen or heard but their impressions are there in the air. Even at dinner parties, there are more attendants than the people invited by the host. These are the ghosts that are present at the dinner table. Perhaps the speaker is a ghost because he can see other ghosts while the stranger sitting beside him, next to the fireplace can only see the present living world. The speaker is one of the ghosts and he says that the ghosts do not own the houses where they visit but they owned them when they were alive. Now they are buried and forgotten by their offsprings. So they stretch their hands to grab their houses back and they do not want to give them away to their descendents. The world of ghosts is like an atmosphere which is wrapped around the world of the living. The human life is full of desire to enjoy and achieve, this predicament gives a balance between input and output. The moonlight is like a bridge which connects the two worlds. At night time, the moonlight gives us dreams and imaginations which guide us to do the desired actions during the day.
Haunted Houses Poem Explanation
Poem:
All houses wherein men have lived and died
Are haunted houses. Through the open doors
The harmless phantoms on their errands glide,
With feet that make no sound upon the floors.
Word meanings:
Haunted: visited by ghosts
Phantoms: ghosts
Errands: tasks
Glide: move lightly and smoothly
Explanation:
The poet says that houses are dwelling places where men are born, they live and then, they die. He says that these houses are haunted by ghosts. These ghosts enter through the doors when they remain open. They move so lightly and smoothly that they do not make any noise. They are harmless ghosts who roam around doing their work.
Poem:
We meet them at the door way, on the stair,
Along the passages they come and go,
Impalpable impressions on the air,
A sense of something moving to and fro.
Word meanings:
Impalpable: something or somebody that cannot be felt physically
Explanation:
He adds that they are present everywhere -at the door, on the stairs and they move through the passages. They cannot be touched or felt but their impressions remain in the air. One can feel the movement of something in the air.
Poem:
There are more guests at table than the hosts
Invited; the illuminated hall
Is thronged with quiet, inoffensive ghosts,
As silent as the pictures on the wall.
Word meanings:
Illuminated: lighted
Thronged: crowded
Inoffensive: harmless
Explanation:
He again insists on their presence at the dining table. The number of guests is more than the host has invited, the ghosts being the uninvited guests. The hall is well lit and is full of harmless ghosts who are silent. The poet compares them to the paintings on the wall to say that the ghosts are quiet in a similar manner.
Poem:
The stranger at my fireside cannot see
The forms I see, nor hear the sounds I hear;
He but perceives what is; while unto me
All that has been is visible and clear.
Word meanings:
Forms: shapes
Perceive: see
Explanation:
The poet says that there is a stranger sitting next to him by the fireplace. That person cannot see these ghostly forms nor can he hear the sounds that the poet can hear. The stranger can only see the living – the present while the potent can see everything from the past till date. Here, we get an indication that perhaps, the speaker is a ghost because he can see other ghosts while the stranger sitting next to him is a human.
Poem:
We have no title-deeds to house or lands;
Owners and occupants of earlier dates
From graves forgotten stretch their dusty hands,
And hold in mortmain still their old estates.
Word meanings:
Title-deeds: legal documents of ownership
Stretch: spread
Hold in mortmain: hold in inalienable possession
Explanation:
The ghosts do not own the houses at present but they owned them in the past, when they were alive. They are buried in the graves and have been forgotten by their descendants. Form these graves, they stretch out their hands which are full of dust where they lie. Their dusty hands still want to take over or possess these houses (properties) which they once owned. They want to possess them and do not want to give away these to their descendants.
Poem:
The spirit-world around this world of sense
Floats like an atmosphere, and everywhere
Wafts through these earthly mists and vapoursdense
A vital breath of more ethereal air.
Word meanings:
World of sense: real world that can be felt by the senses
Wafts: passes lightly
Vital: important
Ethereal air: other worldly atmosphere
Explanation:
There exists a world of the living. This world is surrounded by a world of the dead or the ghosts. This world of the ghosts is similar to the atmosphere which is prevalent everywhere. The world of the dead mingles lightly with the world of the living through the mist and dense vapours in the air. This world of the dead is an important part of the worldly atmosphere.
Poem:
Our little lives are kept in equipoise
By opposite attractions and desires;
The struggle of the instinct that enjoys,
And the more noble instinct that aspires.
Word meanings:
Equipoise: balance
Aspires: desires
Instinct: natural reaction
Noble: good, virtuous
Explanation:
There is a balance in our lives – between the desire to enjoy life and the more virtuous desire to achieve. So, this dilemma develops a balance in human life.
Poem:
These perturbations, this perpetual jar
Of earthly wants and aspirations high,
Come from the influence of an unseen star,
An undiscovered planet in our sky.
Word meanings:
Perturbations: mental disturbances
Perpetual jar: here, immortal soul
Aspirations: aim, ambition
Explanation:
Human life is full of desires which lead to mental disturbance. We have desires and ambitions which make us sad. Our human mind and thought process is also controlled by a mysterious star, an unknown planet in the sky.
Poem:
And as the moon from some dark gate of cloud
Throws o’er the sea a floating bridge of light,
Across whose trembling planks our fancies crowd
Into the realm of mystery and night,-
Word meanings:
Planks: flat pieces of wood
Fancies: imaginations
Realm: region
Explanation:
The moonlight which travels from the moon to the earth is like a bridge of light. It trembles in the air and at night, during our dreams, it gives us imaginations which are the guiding factor for our actions.
Poem:
So from the world of spirits there descends
A bridge of light, connecting it with this,
O’er whose unsteady floor, that sways and bends,
Wander our thoughts above the dark abyss.
Word meanings:
Descends: comes down
Unsteady: moving
Sways: moves from side to side
Abyss: bottomless hole or space
Explanation:
This moon light is a connection between the world of spirits and the world of the living. The bridge trembles and waivers and along with it, our thoughts also travel into mysterious regions. These great mysterious thoughts and ideas come to our mind in the form of dreams and guide us towards the actions and deeds.
Figures of Speech
1. Rhyme scheme – abab
2. Enjambment – When a sentence continues to the next line without use of any punctuation mark at the end of the line. The device of enjambment has been used at various instances in the poem.
3. Simile – Comparison between two things using ‘like’ or ‘as’.
inoffensive ghosts,
As silent as the pictures on the wall.
The spirit-world around this world of sense
Floats like an atmosphere
4. Metaphor – an indirect comparison between the qualities of two things.
this perpetual jar
Of earthly wants and aspirations high
(here, the perpetual jar is used to denote the immortal soul)
So from the world of spirits there descends
A bridge of light, connecting it with this,
(here, the bridge of light is a mysterious bridge which connects the human world and the ghostly world)
5. Personification – when a human quality is attributed to a non human or object.
And as the moon from some dark gate of cloud
Throws o’er the sea a floating bridge of light,
(here, the act of throwing personifies the moon)
6. Alliteration – The repetition of a consonant sound at the start of two or more consecutive words
Haunted houses
Little lives
7. Anaphora – when two or more consecutive lines start with the same word.
The stranger at my fireside cannot see
The forms I see, nor hear the sounds I hear;
8. Antithesis – when opposite words are closely placed.
lived and died
come and go
To and fro
Text Based Multiple Choice Questions
Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs) are a type of objective assessment in which a person is asked to choose one or more correct answers from a list of available options. An MCQ presents a question along with several possible answers.
Read the following questions and select the correct option :
Longfellow presents his ghosts as :
(a) sinister
(b) inoffensive
(c) meanacing
(d) ugly
Ghosts in the poem move about ………………. .
(a) in search of some victim
(b) on some errands
(c) aimlessly
(d) in search of food
Which of these statements is NOT true?
(a) The speaker cannot see or hear ghosts.
(b) The speaker can see or hear ghosts.
(c) All houses are frequented by ghosts.
(d) Ghosts do not harm human beings.
What kind of spirit-world is conceived?
(a) ugly
(b) beautiful
(c) delicate and quiet
(d) sensitive
The ghosts visit their former dwellings as ……………… .
(a) guests
(b) owners
(c) strangers
(d) onlookers
What kind of bridge on the sea waves is imagined?
(a) solid
(b) perpetual
(c) steady
(d) waving
‘As silent as the pictures on the wall’. Which figure of speech is used in this line ?
(a) irony
(b) metaphor
(c) sarcasm
(d) simile
Who are referred to as the ‘Owners and occupants of earlier dates’?
(a) ghosts
(b) strangers
(c) landlords
(d) ancestors
The phrase ‘hold in mortmain’ implies ……………….. .
(a) temporary ownership
(b) permanent ownership
(c) no ownership
(d) mortgaged
What brings in balance in human lives?
(a) religious books
(b) opposite forces in life
(c) opposite attractions and desires
(d) good values
Identify the figure of speech –
Are haunted houses. Through the open doors
(a) simile
(b) anaphora
(c) Alliteration
(d) personification
Identify the figure of speech –
We meet them at the door way, on the stair,
Along the passages they come and go,
(a) simile
(b) Antithesis
(c) metaphor
(d) personification
Identify the figure of speech –
Is thronged with quiet, inoffensive ghosts,
As silent as the pictures on the wall.
(a) simile
(b) Antithesis
(c) metaphor
(d) personification
Identify the figure of speech –
And as the moon from some dark gate of cloud
Throws o’er the sea a floating bridge of light,
(a) simile
(b) Antithesis
(c) metaphor
(d) personification
The ‘perpetual jar’ refers to ________
(a) a container
(b) immortal soul
(c) a bag
(d) human body
What one idea presented in the poem is opposite to the common perception?
(a) presence of ghosts
(b) ghosts are harmless
(c) ghosts cannot be seen
(d) ghosts are everywhere
Impalpable means ____
(a) lack of air
(b) not able to breathe
(c) cannot be felt physically
(d) who cannot speak
Why can the stranger not see ghosts?
(a) he is blind
(b) he is a human being
(c) he does not believe in ghosts
(d) all of these
‘Illuminated’ means ______
(a) lighted
(b) set on fire
(c) shining
(d) all of these
20 Why does the bridge of light tremble?
(a) it is controlled by the deadly ghosts
(b) it is weak
(c) it floats on the sea
(d) all of these
Answers
(b) inoffensive
(b) on some errands
(a) The speaker cannot see or hear ghosts.
(c) delicate and quiet
(b) owners
(d) waving
(d) simile
(a) ghosts
(b) permanent ownership
10 (b) opposite forces in life
11 (c) Alliteration
12 (b) Antithesis
(a) simile
14 (d) personification
15 (b) immortal soul
16 (b) ghosts are harmless
17 (c) cannot be felt physically
18 (b) he is a human being
19 (a) lighted
20 (c) it floats on the sea
Comprehension Passages
PASSAGE-1
Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow :
All houses wherein men have lived and died
Are haunted houses. Through the open doors
The harmless phantoms on their errands glide,
With feet that make no sound upon the floors
(i) What does the poet mean by the first sentence of the extract?
Ans. It means that all houses are visited by the ghosts of those who once lived there.
(ii) In what way are all houses ‘haunted’?
Ans. They are haunted because the ghosts of those who lived there visit these houses.
(iii) Why is the phrase ‘harmless phantoms’ unusual?
Ans. The general perception is that ghosts are evil and they harm the living. So this phrase is unusual.
(iv) What kind of the spirit-world is conceived by the poet later in the context?
Ans. It is present everywhere like the atmosphere.
(v) Where can we, according to the poet, meet ghosts?
Ans. At the doorway, stairs and passages
PASSAGE-2
Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow :
We meet them at the doorway, on the stair,
Along the passages they come and go,
Impalpable impressions on the air,
A sense of something moving to and fro.
(i) What kind of ghosts are imagined by the poet earlier in the context?
Ans. Harmless
(ii) Where do we ‘meet’ them? Are they visible?
Ans. They can be seen at the doors, stairs, passages. They cannot be seen or heard but the speaker can do so.
(iii) Explain the last two lines.
Ans. The ghosts cannot be seen physically but their impressions are present in the air. One can sense their movement.
(iv) The poet says “We meet them at the doorway, on the stair” What does he mean by this?
Ans. He is also a ghost and he comes across other ghosts and sees them.
(v) Where do they ‘throng’, as mentioned later in the context?
Ans. The dinner table is crowded by ghosts.
PASSAGE-3
Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow :
There are more guests at table than the hosts
Invited ; the illuminated hall
Is thronged with quiet, inoffensive ghosts,
As silent as the pictures on the wall.
(i) Who are the uninvited guests at table?
Ans. The inoffensive ghosts
(ii) Why are they there uninvited?
Ans. They are not a part of the living world, the descendents have forgotten them and so, they are not invited.
(iii) What is surprising about these uninvited ghosts?
Ans. They are harmless.
(iv) What is meant by “As silent as the pictures on the wall”?
Ans. The ghosts are absolutely silent just like a picture hanging on the wall does not make any sound.
(v) What can the speaker see and hear which others cannot?
Ans. He can see and hear the ghosts.
PASSAGE-4
Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow :
The stranger at my fireside cannot see
The forms I see, nor hear the sounds I hear;
He but perceives what is; while unto me
All that has been is visible and clear.
(i) What contrast is made in the first two lines here?
Ans. There is a contrast between the world of the living and the world of the dead.
(ii) What do you think of the extraordinary powers of the speaker?
Ans. He has extraordinary powers to see and hear ghosts because he is one of them.
(iii) What has been told by the speaker about the unseen ‘forms’ earlier in the context?
Ans. They visit the houses where they once lived.
(iv) What does the poet mean by ‘All that has been is visible and clear’?
Ans. He can see all ghosts who lived in the house in the past.
(v) Who is ‘He’ in Line 3? Is he a normal human being?
Ans. He is the present occupant of the house, a normal human being.
PASSAGE-5
Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow :
We have no title-deeds to house or lands;
Owners and occupants of earlier dates
From graves forgotten stretch their dusty hands,
And hold in mortmain still their old estates.
(i) What idea of ghosts is given earlier in the context?
Ans. They are harmless and they visit the houses where they once lived.
(ii) Where can we ‘meet’ the departed spirits?
Ans. They are in the graves but they come out and go to the houses where they once lived.
(iii) Who do not have title-deeds to their ‘house or lands’?
Ans. The ghosts
(iv) What do the departed spirits claim from their graves?
Ans. The permanent ownership of the houses which they once owned and where they were born, they lived and they died.
(v) Explain the phrase ‘hold in mortmain’.
Ans. To have intransferable ownership
PASSAGE-6
Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow :
The spirit-world around this world of sense
Floats like an atmosphere, and everywhere
Wafts through these earthly mists and vapoursdense
A vital breath of more ethereal air.
(i) Why does the poet describe all houses as haunted earlier in the context?
Ans. All houses are visited by the ghosts of those who once lived there and died there.
(ii) How have the ghosts been described by the poet?
Ans. They are harmless, doing their work.
(iii) What can the speaker see or hear?
Ans. He can see and hear the ghosts.
(iv) What kind of the world of spirits is? How does the poet describe the spirit-worlds?
Ans. It is present everywhere and is wrapped around the world of the living. It mingles into the world of the living through ther mist and vapours of the air.
(v) What crosses through earthy mists and vapours?
Ans. The ghosts
PASSAGE-7
Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow :
Our little lives are kept in equipoise
By opposite attractions and desires;
The struggle of the instinct that enjoys,
And the more noble instinct that aspires.
(i) Whose lives are being referred to in Line 1?
Ans. They lives of the normal human beings.
(ii) What brings about balance in our short lives?
Ans. The desire to enjoy life and the instinct of achieving our ambitions are two opposite wishes which create a balance.
(iii) Explain the last two lines of the extract.
Ans. There is a constant struggle between our desire to relax and enjoy life and our ambition to work hard and achieve.
(iv) State what fills our life with anxieties and fears, later in the poem.
Ans. The constant dilemma of whether to enjoy or work creates anxiety and fear.
(v) Which ‘bridge of light’ connects our world to the heavenly world?
Ans. The moonlight
PASSAGE-8
Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow :
These perturbations, this perpetual jar
Of earthly wants and aspirations high,
Come from the influence of an unseen star
An undiscovered planet in our sky.
(i) What brings about balance in our lives, as mentioned earlier in the context?
Ans. The desire to enjoy life and the instinct of achieving our ambitions are two opposite wishes which create a balance.
(ii) Explain the metaphor used by the poet in the first two lines.
Ans. The perpetual jar refers to the immortal soul. Our soul is ridden by the constant dilemma to decide whether to enjoy life and relax or to work hard and achieve.
(iii) What do you mean by ‘earthly wants and aspirations high’?
Ans. The needs of man which make him ambitious
(iv) What are ‘perturbations’?
Ans. Mental disturbance
(v) What is determined by an unseen, undiscovered planet in our sky?
Ans. It gives us ideas and imagination which trigger our actions – either towards enjoyment or towards achievement.
PASSAGE-9
Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow :
And as the moon from some dark gate of cloud
Throws o’er the sea floating bridge of light,
Across whose trembling planks our fancies crowd
Into the realm of mystery and night,-
(i) When and how is a ‘bridge of light’ formed?
Ans. The moonlight travels from the sky, over the sea and reaches the living world. Thus a bridge is formed.
(ii) What is the function of this bridge?
Ans. It connects the two worlds – of the dead and the living.
(iii) Which figure of speech is used in the first two lines here?
Ans. Personification
(iv) Where does our fancy take us?
Ans. Fancy takes us into a mysterious region through our dreams and imaginations.
(v) Which realm is the poet talking about in this extract?
Ans. Realm of imaginations.
PASSAGE-10
Read the extract given below and answer the questions that follow :
So from the world of spirits there descends
A bridge of light, connecting it with this,
O’er whose unsteady floor, that sways and bends,
Wander our thoughts above the dark abyss.
(i) What has the poet told us about the world of spirits?
Ans. It is harmless, present everywhere.
(ii) Where can we ‘meet’ the departed spirits?
Ans. The departed spirits visit the houses where they once lived
(iii) What is the significance of ‘So’ in Line 1?
Ans. It concludes the previous ideas.
(iv) Which bridge descends from the world of spirits? What has it been compared to?
Ans. A bridge of light comes down from the world of the dead. It is compared to the moonlight.
(v) What do we often think of?
Ans. We think of enjoying life and of achieving our ambitions.
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