Quiz on Walter De La Mare's 'The Listeners'

Test your understanding of this mysterious and atmospheric poem. See how well you know the story of the lone Traveller and the silent phantoms he encounters.

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1. According to the poem, who or what are the 'listeners' inside the house?

A sleeping family A host of phantom listeners The Traveller's lost friends Forest animals taking shelter

Explanation: The poem explicitly states in the fourth stanza: 'But only a host of phantom listeners / That dwelt in the lone house then'.

2. What reason does the Traveller give for his visit before he leaves?

He was lost and needed shelter. He was delivering an urgent message. He had forgotten something inside. He was keeping a promise.

Explanation: Before leaving, the Traveller says, 'Tell them I came, and no one answered, / That I kept my word,' he said,' indicating his visit was to fulfill a promise.

3. What event happens immediately after the Traveller knocks for the first time?

A voice answers from within. The horse moves and eats grass. A bird flies out of the turret. The moonbeams fade on the stair.

Explanation: After the first knock and the horse champing the grass, the poem says: 'And a bird flew up out of the turret, / Above the Traveller's head'.

4. How does the poem describe the Traveller's emotional state when no one answers his call?

Angry and impatient Frightened and timid Perplexed and still Hopeful and optimistic

Explanation: The fifth stanza describes the scene: 'No head from the leaf-fringed sill / Leaned over and looked into his grey eyes, / Where he stood perplexed and still.'

5. In what way do the listeners 'answer' the Traveller's call?

With a faint whisper With their profound stillness By making the air cold They do not answer at all

Explanation: The Traveller perceives their presence through their silence. The poem says, 'And he felt in his heart their strangeness, / Their stillness answering his cry'.

6. What are the final sounds heard as the Traveller departs?

His voice echoing in the forest The door creaking shut His foot in the stirrup and the sound of iron on stone The bird returning to the turret

Explanation: The final stanza details the sounds of his departure: '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 hoofs were gone.'

7. What is the overall mood of 'The Listeners'?

Joyful and romantic Mysterious and eerie Action-packed and adventurous Humorous and lighthearted

Explanation: The setting of a lone, moonlit house, the 'phantom listeners,' and the unanswered questions create a strong atmosphere of mystery and the supernatural.

8. Who is the author of this poem?

Robert Frost Edgar Allan Poe Walter De La Mare William Shakespeare

Explanation: The author's name, Walter De La Mare, is credited at the very end of the poem.

9. How many times does the poem mention the Traveller striking the door?

Once Twice Three times It is not mentioned

Explanation: He is first 'Knocking on the moonlit door,' then 'he smote upon the door again a second time,' and finally 'he suddenly smote on the door, even / Louder.'

10. What sound does the Traveller's horse make in the silence?

It whinnied softly. It stomped its hoof. It snorted in the cold air. It champed the grasses.

Explanation: The first stanza states, 'And his horse in the silence champed the grasses / Of the forest's ferny floor'.