Haunted Houses
H.W. Longfellow (1807-1882)
All
houses wherein men have lived and died
Are
haunted houses. Through the open doors
The
harmless phantoms on their errands glide,
feet
that make no sound upon the floors.
We
meet them at the doorway, on the stair,
Along
the passages they come and go,
impressions
on the air,
A
sense of something moving to and fro.
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.
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.
We
have no title-deeds to house or lands;
and
occupants of earlier dates
From graves forgotten stretch their dusty
hands,
And
hold in mortmain still their old estates.
The
spirit-world around this world of sense
Floats
like an atmosphere, and everywhere
Wafts
through these earthly mists and vapours dense
A
vital breath of more ethereal air.
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.
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.
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,
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.
Glossary
Stanza:1
1.haunted–inhabited
or visited by ghosts or spirits
2.phantoms–ghosts
or spirits of dead people
3.errands–short
purposeful journeys to do specific tasks
4.glide–move
smoothly and quietly
5.harmless–not
causing harm or danger
Stanza:
2
6.stair–a
series of steps for going up or down
7.passage–a
narrow hallway or corridor
8.impalpable–unable
to be touched or felt physically
9.impressions–vague
or faint traces left on the mind or senses
10.to
and fro–back and forth; in a repeated motion
Stanza:
3
11.guests–people
invited to visit or dine
12.hosts–those
who invite or entertain guests
13.illuminated–brightly
lit or lighted
14.thronged–filled
or crowded densely
15.inoffensive–not
causing harm or disturbance
16.silent–completely
quiet; without sound
Stanza:
4
17.stranger–a
person unknown to the speaker
18.fireside–the
area near or around a fireplace
19.perceives–becomes
aware of through the senses
20.visible–able
to be seen
21.clear–easily
understood or distinct
Stanza:
5
22.title-deeds–legal
documents proving ownership of property
23.occupants–those
who live in or use a place
24.graves–places
where the dead are buried
25.dusty–covered
with fine dry powder of dirt
26.mortmain–perpetual
ownership beyond the control of the living (legal term meaning “dead hand”)
27.estates–large
pieces of land or property
Stanza:
6
28.spirit-world–the
realm of ghosts or souls after death
29.sense–the
physical, material world perceived by the senses
30.atmosphere–a
surrounding layer or influence
31.vapours–misty
or smoky exhalations
32.ethereal–delicate,
heavenly, or spiritual
33.wafts–moves
gently through the air
Stanza:
7
34.equipoise–balance
or equilibrium between opposing forces
35.attractions–forces
or feelings that draw things together
36.desires–strong
wishes or longings
37.instinct–natural
tendency or impulse
38.aspires–rises
to a higher aim or ambition
Stanza:
8
39.perturbations–disturbances
or agitations
40.jar–conflict
or clash between opposing forces
41.aspiration–strong
desire to achieve something high or noble
42.unseen–not
visible to the eye
43.planet–a
celestial body moving in orbit around a star
Stanza:
9
44.gate–an
opening or passageway
45.floating–moving
or suspended in air or water
46.planks–flat
pieces of wood forming a bridge or platform
47.fancies–imaginative
thoughts or daydreams
48.realm–kingdom
or domain
49.mystery–something
unknown or beyond understanding
50.night–darkness
or time of darkness
Stanza:
10
51.descends–comes
down from a higher place
52.connecting–joining
or linking together
53.unsteady–not
firm or stable; likely to move or shake
54.sways–moves
slowly or rhythmically from side to side
55.bends–curves
or gives way under pressure
56.wander–move
aimlessly or without clear direction
57.abyss–a
deep, immeasurable space or chasm
Stanza-wise
Summary
Stanza
1 Summary (English): The poet says that every house where people have ever
lived and died is a haunted house. Through open doors, harmless ghosts move
quietly on their unseen errands, their feet making no sound on the floors.
Hindi:
कवि कहते हैं कि जहाँ भी मनुष्य रहे और मरे हैं, वे सभी घर भूतिया हैं। खुले दरवाज़ों से निर्दोष आत्माएँ अपने कार्यों पर चुपचाप आती-जाती हैं, जिनके कदमों की कोई आवाज़ नहीं होती।
Stanza
2 Summary (English): We encounter these spirits at doors, on stairs, and in
hallways. They move back and forth invisibly, leaving faint, impalpable traces
in the air that make us feel their presence.
Hindi:
हम इन आत्माओं को दरवाज़ों, सीढ़ियों और गलियारों में महसूस करते हैं। वे आगे-पीछे आती-जाती हैं, हवा में हल्का-सा प्रभाव छोड़ती हैं, जिससे उनकी उपस्थिति का आभास होता है।
Stanza
3 Summary (English): There are more unseen guests in the house than those
invited. The bright hall is filled with quiet, gentle ghosts, as motionless and
silent as the pictures hanging on the wall.
Hindi:
घर में आमंत्रित अतिथियों से अधिक अदृश्य मेहमान हैं। प्रकाशित प्रांगण शांत, सौम्य आत्माओं से भरा है, जो दीवार पर लगे चित्रों की तरह मौन और स्थिर हैं।
Stanza
4 Summary (English): A stranger sitting by the poet’s fireside cannot perceive
what the poet perceives. The stranger sees only the present world, but the poet
can sense the past vividly, seeing and hearing what once existed.
Hindi:
कवि के चूल्हे के पास बैठा अजनबी वही देखता है जो वर्तमान में है, पर कवि बीते हुए को स्पष्ट रूप से देख और सुन सकता है।
Stanza
5 Summary (English): We do not truly own our homes or lands; people from the
past still symbolically hold them. From forgotten graves, the dead seem to
stretch their dusty hands, still possessing their ancient properties in
“mortmain” (dead hand ownership).
Hindi:
हम वास्तव में अपने घर या ज़मीन के स्वामी नहीं हैं; पुराने युगों के लोग अपनी कब्रों से हाथ फैलाए हुए अब भी अपने पुराने घरों पर अधिकार रखते हैं।
Stanza
6 Summary (English): The world of spirits surrounds the physical world like an
unseen atmosphere. Through the dense fog of material life, the spirit-world
sends gentle breaths of purer, finer air, symbolizing divine influence.
Hindi:
आत्माओं की दुनिया हमारी भौतिक दुनिया को वातावरण की तरह घेरे हुए है, और इस घनी भौतिक धुंध के बीच वह सूक्ष्म, दिव्य वायु के झोंके भेजती है।
Stanza
7 Summary (English): Human life remains balanced between two forces—the
instinct to enjoy worldly pleasures and the nobler instinct that seeks
spiritual elevation. Both desires keep our lives in equilibrium.
Hindi:
मानव जीवन दो विपरीत शक्तियों के बीच संतुलित रहता है—भोग की प्रवृत्ति और ऊँचा उठने की आकांक्षा। यही संघर्ष हमारे जीवन को संतुलन में रखता है।
Stanza
8 Summary (English): Our constant inner conflict between earthly needs and
lofty ambitions is influenced by some invisible cosmic force—an unknown star or
undiscovered planet that symbolizes the unseen spiritual power guiding us.
Hindi:
हमारी भौतिक इच्छाओं और उच्च आकांक्षाओं के बीच का यह निरंतर संघर्ष किसी अदृश्य खगोलीय शक्ति से प्रेरित है—किसी अनदेखे तारे या ग्रह से जो हमें आध्यात्मिक रूप से संचालित करता है।
Stanza
9 Summary (English): Just as the moonlight breaking through clouds forms a
trembling bridge of light across the sea, allowing imagination to cross into
mystery and darkness,
Hindi:
जैसे चाँद बादलों के बीच से निकलकर समुद्र पर प्रकाश का काँपता हुआ पुल बना देता है जिस पर कल्पनाएँ रहस्य और अंधकार की ओर बढ़ती हैं,
Stanza
10 Summary (English): Similarly, a bridge of light descends from the
spirit-world to ours. Our thoughts wander over this unsteady bridge, linking
the earthly and spiritual realms above the dark unknown abyss.
Hindi:
उसी प्रकार आत्माओं की दुनिया से भी एक प्रकाश-पुल उतरता है, जिस पर हमारे विचार डगमगाते हुए भौतिक और आध्यात्मिक लोकों को जोड़ते हुए अंधकारमय अज्ञात गहराई के ऊपर भटकते हैं।
Q.1.
Stanza-wise Multiple Choice Questions
Stanza
1
1.
What does the poet call all houses where people have lived and died?
a)
Holy places b) Haunted houses c) Empty homes d) Temples
Ans:
b) Haunted houses
2.
What kind of phantoms glide through the open doors?
a)
Frightening b) Harmless c) Angry d) Mischievous
Ans:
b) Harmless
3.
What sound do the phantoms’ feet make?
a)
Loud noise b) Light footsteps c) No sound d) Rustling sound
Ans:
c) No sound
4.
Where do these phantoms glide?
a)
In gardens b) On roofs c) Through open doors d) In forests
Ans:
c) Through open doors
5.
What is the main idea of this stanza?
a)
Houses echo with human voices b) Ghosts haunt human homes silently c) Humans
fear ghosts d) Houses are empty
Ans:
b) Ghosts haunt human homes silently
Stanza
2
1.
Where do we meet these phantoms?
a)
On the stair and doorway b) In dreams c) In cemeteries d) In sky
Ans:
a) On the stair and doorway
2.
What are “impalpable impressions”?
a)
Visible marks b) Touchless traces c) Heavy objects d) Soundless winds
Ans:
b) Touchless traces
3.
What moves to and fro?
a)
Doors b) Curtains c) Ghostly presences d) Humans
Ans:
c) Ghostly presences
4.
How do these spirits pass?
a)
Loudly b) Quietly c) Rapidly d) Fearfully
Ans:
b) Quietly
5.
What is the tone of this stanza?
a)
Horror b) Calm mystery c) Anger d) Joy
Ans:
b) Calm mystery
Stanza
3
1.
Who are more in number at the table?
a)
Hosts b) Guests c) Ghosts d) Servants
Ans:
c) Ghosts
2.
How are the ghosts described?
a)
Noisy b) Dangerous c) Quiet and harmless d) Invisible monsters
Ans:
c) Quiet and harmless
3.
What is the hall filled with?
a)
Decorations b) Quiet ghosts c) Furniture d) Candles
Ans:
b) Quiet ghosts
4.
What are ghosts compared to?
a)
Paintings on wall b) Animals c) Shadows d) Lights
Ans:
a) Paintings on wall
5.
What is the mood of the stanza?
a)
Peaceful eeriness b) Violent fear c) Joyful reunion d) Tension
Ans:
a) Peaceful eeriness
Stanza
4
1.
Who cannot see the forms the poet sees?
a)
Stranger at fireside b) Friend c) Host d) Ghost
Ans:
a) Stranger at fireside
2.
What does the stranger perceive?
a)
What is b) What was c) What will be d) Nothing
Ans:
a) What is
3.
What does the poet perceive?
a)
Present only b) Past and present c) Future d) Illusions
Ans:
b) Past and present
4.
What does this stanza show?
a)
Imagination of poet b) Fear of ghosts c) Real spirits d) Power of science
Ans:
a) Imagination of poet
5.
What is invisible to the stranger?
a)
Living people b) Spiritual past c) House d) Fire
Ans:
b) Spiritual past
Stanza
5
1.
What do we not have title-deeds to?
a)
Cars b) House or lands c) Money d) Souls
Ans:
b) House or lands
2.
Who are the owners of earlier dates?
a)
Living people b) The dead c) Strangers d) Tenants
Ans:
b) The dead
3.
What do they stretch from graves?
a)
Feet b) Dusty hands c) Shadows d) Papers
Ans:
b) Dusty hands
4.
What do they hold in mortmain?
a)
Their estates b) Their souls c) Their lives d) Their memories
Ans:
a) Their estates
5.
What does “mortmain” mean?
a)
Living hand b) Dead hand ownership c) Ghost voice d) Holy light
Ans:
b) Dead hand ownership
Stanza
6
1.
What floats around this world of sense?
a)
Ocean b) Spirit-world c) Air d) Darkness
Ans:
b) Spirit-world
2.
What does it resemble?
a)
Cloud b) Atmosphere c) Dust d) Light
Ans:
b) Atmosphere
3.
Through what does it waft?
a)
Earthly mists and vapours b) Rivers c) Sky d) Winds
Ans:
a) Earthly mists and vapours
4.
What kind of air does it carry?
a)
Hot air b) Ethereal air c) Polluted air d) Cold air
Ans:
b) Ethereal air
5.
What is the meaning of “ethereal”?
a)
Heavy b) Spiritual/light c) Dirty d) Solid
Ans:
b) Spiritual/light
Stanza
7
1.
What keeps our little lives in balance?
a)
Love b) Equipoise c) Conflict d) Joy
Ans:
b) Equipoise
2.
What are opposite attractions?
a)
Desires and fears b) Enjoyment and aspiration c) Love and hate d) Life and
death
Ans:
b) Enjoyment and aspiration
3.
What does instinct enjoy?
a)
Struggle b) Pleasure c) Pain d) Spirit
Ans:
b) Pleasure
4.
What does noble instinct aspire to?
a)
Wealth b) Higher life c) Rest d) Food
Ans:
b) Higher life
5.
What does this stanza express?
a)
Balance between body and soul b) Ghostly fear c) Death d) Sadness
Ans:
a) Balance between body and soul
Stanza
8
1.
What causes perturbations and perpetual jar?
a)
Joy b) Earthly wants and high aspirations c) Peace d) Death
Ans:
b) Earthly wants and high aspirations
2.
What is their source?
a)
An unseen star b) The sun c) The moon d) Clouds
Ans:
a) An unseen star
3.
What does this star represent?
a)
Hope b) The spiritual world c) Science d) Darkness
Ans:
b) The spiritual world
4.
What is “undiscovered planet” symbolic of?
a)
Heaven b) Unseen spiritual power c) Earth d) Mars
Ans:
b) Unseen spiritual power
5.
What is the tone here?
a)
Reflective and mystical b) Fearful c) Angry d) Joyful
Ans:
a) Reflective and mystical
Stanza
9
1.
What throws a floating bridge of light over the sea?
a)
Sun b) Moon c) Stars d) Clouds
Ans:
b) Moon
2.
What is the bridge made of?
a)
Light b) Wood c) Cloud d) Water
Ans:
a) Light
3.
What crosses the trembling planks?
a)
People b) Fancies c) Ghosts d) Ships
Ans:
b) Fancies
4.
Where do the fancies go?
a)
Realm of mystery and night b) Heaven c) Sea d) Forest
Ans:
a) Realm of mystery and night
5.
What is symbolized by this bridge?
a)
Link between imagination and unknown b) Path to heaven c) Death d) Dream
Ans:
a) Link between imagination and unknown
Stanza
10
1.
What descends from the world of spirits?
a)
A bridge of light b) A star c) A moonbeam d) A ladder
Ans:
a) A bridge of light
2.
What does it connect?
a)
Heaven and earth b) Spirit-world and human world c) Sea and sky d) Life and
death
Ans:
b) Spirit-world and human world
3.
What kind of floor does it have?
a)
Steady b) Unsteady c) Broken d) Smooth
Ans:
b) Unsteady
4.
What wanders over this bridge?
a)
Our thoughts b) Ghosts c) Souls d) Dreams
Ans:
a) Our thoughts
5.
What lies beneath this bridge?
a)
Dark abyss b) Water c) Land d) Light
Ans:
a) Dark abyss
Q.
2. Stanza-wise One Mark Questions
Stanza
1
1.
What kind of houses are called haunted?
Ans:
Houses where men have lived and died.
2.
Who glide through open doors?
Ans:
Harmless phantoms.
3.
What sound do their feet make?
Ans:
No sound at all.
4.
Where do the phantoms move?
Ans:
Upon the floors of houses.
5.
What is the mood of this stanza?
Ans:
Calm and mysterious.
Stanza
2
1.
Where do we meet the spirits?
Ans:
At the doorway and on the stair.
2.
What do they leave on the air?
Ans:
Impalpable impressions.
3.
What does “to and fro” suggest?
Ans:
Constant ghostly movement.
4.
How do they move?
Ans:
Silently and invisibly.
5.
What idea is conveyed?
Ans:
Ghosts still move around us.
Stanza
3
1.
Who are more than invited guests?
Ans:
Quiet, inoffensive ghosts.
2.
Where do they gather?
Ans:
In the illuminated hall.
3.
What are ghosts compared to?
Ans:
Pictures on the wall.
4.
How are they described?
Ans:
Silent and harmless.
5.
What feeling does the stanza create?
Ans:
Peaceful presence of spirits.
Stanza
4
1.
Who sits at the poet’s fireside?
Ans:
A stranger.
2.
What can the stranger not see?
Ans:
The forms the poet sees.
3.
What does the stranger perceive?
Ans:
Only the present reality.
4.
What does the poet perceive?
Ans:
The visible past and present.
5.
What contrast is shown?
Ans:
Between material and spiritual vision.
Stanza
5
1.
What do we lack title-deeds to?
Ans:
Houses and lands.
2.
Who owned them before us?
Ans:
The dead of earlier times.
3.
From where do they stretch their hands?
Ans:
From forgotten graves.
4.
What do they hold in mortmain?
Ans:
Their old estates.
5.
What does “mortmain” mean?
Ans:
Ownership held by the dead.
Stanza
6
1.
What surrounds this world of sense?
Ans:
The spirit-world.
2.
To what is it compared?
Ans:
An atmosphere.
3.
Through what does it waft?
Ans:
Earthly mists and vapours.
4.
What kind of air does it carry?
Ans:
Ethereal air.
5.
What does the stanza imply?
Ans:
Spirits are everywhere around us.
Stanza
7
1.
What keeps our lives balanced?
Ans:
Equipoise of desires.
2.
What does one instinct do?
Ans:
Enjoys earthly pleasure.
3.
What does the noble instinct do?
Ans:
Aspires to higher life.
4.
What are these instincts?
Ans:
Opposite attractions.
5.
What is the theme here?
Ans:
Balance of body and soul.
Stanza
8
1.
What causes perpetual jar?
Ans:
Earthly wants and aspirations.
2.
What is its hidden source?
Ans:
An unseen star.
3.
What does the unseen star represent?
Ans:
Spiritual influence.
4.
What is the undiscovered planet?
Ans:
Symbol of hidden spirit-world.
5.
What tone does the stanza have?
Ans:
Reflective and mystical.
Stanza
9
1.
What throws a bridge of light?
Ans:
The moon.
2.
Where is it thrown?
Ans:
Over the sea.
3.
What crosses its trembling planks?
Ans:
Our fancies.
4.
Where do they move?
Ans:
Into the realm of mystery and night.
5.
What does the bridge symbolize?
Ans:
Link between imagination and mystery.
Stanza
10
1.
What descends from the spirit-world?
Ans:
A bridge of light.
2.
What does it connect?
Ans:
The spirit-world and human world.
3.
What kind of floor does it have?
Ans:
Unsteady and bending.
4.
What wanders across it?
Ans:
Human thoughts.
5.
What lies beneath it?
Ans:
The dark abyss.
Q.
3. Stanza-wise Reference to Context Extracts
Stanza
1
Extract
1: “All houses wherein men have lived and died Are haunted houses.”
Q1.Who
wrote these lines?
Ans.
H. W. Longfellow.
Q2.What
does ‘haunted houses’ mean?
Ans
.Houses filled with memories or spirits of the dead.
Q3.What
idea is introduced here?
Ans.
That every home has unseen presences of the departed.
Q4.What
tone is set?
Ans.
Mystical and reflective.
Q5.What
does ‘wherein men have lived and died’ suggest?
Ans.
It shows human life’s cycle leaving traces behind.
Q6.How
does the line appeal to the reader?
Ans.
It arouses curiosity about the unseen world.
Extract
2: “Through the open doors The harmless phantoms on their errands glide.”
Q1.
What are harmless phantoms?
Ans.
Spirits or memories that do no harm.
Q2.
What does ‘on their errands glide’ mean?
Ans.
They move about silently as if performing duties.
Q3.
What mood is created?
Ans.
Serene and ghostly.
Q4.
What poetic device is used in ‘harmless phantoms’?
Ans.
Alliteration.
Q5.
What does the line imply about death?
Ans.
That death’s presence continues softly in daily spaces.
Q6.
How do the phantoms behave?
Ans.
They glide quietly through the open doors.
Stanza
2
Extract
1: “We meet them at the doorway, on the stair.”
Q1.
Who are ‘them’?
Ans.
The unseen spirits of the dead.
Q2.
Where are they found?
Ans.
At the doorway and on the stair.
Q3.
What feeling do they create?
Ans.
A faint sense of unseen companionship.
Q4.
What is the tone?
Ans.
Mysterious yet calm.
Q5.
How does the poet imagine human spaces?
Ans.
Filled with invisible movements.
Q6.
What does the line suggest about perception?
Ans.
That the living often sense unseen beings.
Extract
2: “Impalpable impressions on the air, A sense of something moving to and fro.”
Q1.
What does ‘impalpable’ mean?
Ans.
Something that cannot be touched or grasped.
Q2.
What impression do the spirits leave?
Ans.
A subtle, airy presence felt by the sensitive mind.
Q3.
What does ‘moving to and fro’ convey?
Ans.
Continuous, silent activity of unseen beings.
Q4.
What atmosphere is created?
Ans.
Ghostly yet peaceful.
Q5.
How does the poet describe the invisible world?
Ans.
As full of faint, intangible motion.
Q6.
What idea about life and death emerges?
Ans.
That the two coexist invisibly around us.
Stanza
3
Extract
1: “There are more guests at table, than the hosts Invited.”
Q1.
What
does the poet mean?
Ans.
That unseen spirits share meals silently with the living.
Q2.
What tone is used?
Ans.
Mildly humorous yet mysterious.
Q3.
What does ‘guests’ symbolize?
Ans.
The invisible souls present in the home.
Q4.
How does this affect the reader?
Ans.
I t evokes wonder about unseen company.
Q5.
What poetic device appears in ‘hosts invited’?
Ans.
Irony.
Q6.
What is the central idea?
Ans.
The unseen dead are ever present in human life.
Extract
2: “The illuminated hall Is thronged with quiet, inoffensive ghosts.”
Q1.
What does ‘illuminated hall’ signify?
A1.
The bright household full of living energy.
Q2.
What fills it besides people?
A2.
Quiet, harmless spirits.
Q3.
What mood is evoked?
A3.
A calm, mysterious coexistence of life and spirit.
Q4.
What comparison is made later?
A4.
Ghosts are as silent as pictures on the wall.
Q5.
What theme emerges?
A5.
The thin boundary between life and death.
Q6.
How are ghosts portrayed?
A6.
As peaceful presences, not frightening ones.
Stanza
4
Extract
1: “The stranger at my fireside cannot see
The
forms I see.”
Q1.
Who is the stranger?
A1.
An ordinary person without spiritual sensitivity.
Q2.
What can’t he see?
A2.
The unseen spirits the poet perceives.
Q3.
What is the contrast here?
A3.
Between physical and spiritual perception.
Q4.
What does ‘fireside’ symbolize?
A4.
The warmth of life shared between visible and invisible worlds.
Q5.
What tone dominates?
A5.
Thoughtful and introspective.
Q6.
What theme appears?
A6.
Different people perceive reality differently.
Extract
2: “He but perceives what is; while unto me All that has been is visible and
clear.”
Q1.
What does the poet claim?
A1.
That he senses both the present and the lingering past.
Q2.
What difference is shown?
A2.
The stranger sees the physical; the poet sees the spiritual too.
Q3.
What does ‘all that has been’ mean?
A3.
The past lives and memories tied to the place.
Q4.
What quality of the poet is revealed?
A4.
His heightened awareness of unseen realities.
Q5.
What poetic contrast is used?
A5.
Between reality and memory.
Q6.
What insight is offered?
A6.
The sensitive mind perceives the coexistence of life and death.
Stanza
5
Extract
1: “We have no title-deeds to house or lands.”
Q1.
What does ‘title-deeds’ mean?
A1.
Legal proof of ownership.
Q2.
What does the poet suggest?
A2.
That true ownership belongs to none; all is temporary.
Q3.
What tone is used?
A3.
Philosophical.
Q4.
What truth is implied?
A4.
Earthly possessions are fleeting.
Q5.
What idea follows?
A5.
The dead still hold their homes spiritually.
Q6.
What theme arises?
A6.
Human impermanence and continuity of the past.
Extract
2: “From graves forgotten stretch their dusty hands, And hold in mortmain still
their old estates.”
Q1.
What image is used?
A1.
The dead stretching dusty hands from graves.
Q2.
What does ‘mortmain’ mean?
A2.
Ownership retained by the dead.
Q3.
What does it symbolize?
A3.
The lasting grip of the past on the present.
Q4.
What tone prevails?
A4.
Meditative and solemn.
Q5.
What message emerges?
A5.
The dead’s presence endures beyond burial.
Q6.
What effect does it create?
A6.
A haunting image of memory’s persistence.
Stanza
6
Extract
1: “The spirit-world around this world of sense Floats like an atmosphere.”
Q1.
What two worlds are mentioned?
A1.
The spirit-world and the sensory world.
Q2.
How are they related?
A2.
The spirit-world envelops the material world.
Q3.
What comparison is used?
A3.
Like air surrounding earth.
Q4.
What feeling is evoked?
A4.A
sense of invisible presence everywhere.
Q5.
What is ‘world of sense’?
A5.
The physical world known by touch and sight.
Q6.
What truth is implied?
A6.
The unseen world coexists with the seen.
Extract
2: “Wafts through these earthly mists and vapours dense A vital breath of more
ethereal air.”
Q1.
What is wafting through?
A1.
The living breath of the spirit-world.
Q2.
What does ‘ethereal’ mean?
A2.
Light, heavenly, or spiritual.
Q3.
What contrast is made?
A3.
Between dense earthly vapours and pure spiritual air.
Q4.
What tone dominates?
A4.
Serene and mystical.
Q5.
What imagery is used?
A5.
Air and mist to show the blending of worlds.
Q6.
What is the central meaning?
A6.
Spirit constantly influences mortal life.
Stanza
7
Extract
1: “Our little lives are kept in equipoise By opposite attractions and
desires.”
Q1.What
does ‘equipoise’ mean?
A1.Balance.
Q2.What
are the opposing forces?
A2.Worldly
desires and spiritual aspirations.
Q3.What
idea is expressed?
A3.Life
stays balanced through conflict.
Q4.What
tone is used?
A4.Thoughtful
and moral.
Q5.What
lesson is implied?
A5.Struggle
maintains harmony.
Q6.How
does it connect to earlier ideas?
A6.It
shows human life’s link between body and soul.
Extract
2: “The struggle of the instinct that enjoys, And the more noble instinct that
aspires.”
Q1.What
two instincts are mentioned?
A1.Pleasure-seeking
and aspiring.
Q2.What
is the poet’s preference?
A2.The
noble instinct that aspires.
Q3.What
does this contrast symbolize?
A3.The
dual nature of man.
Q4.What
tone is shown?
A4.Moral
and reflective.
Q5.How
does it fit the poem’s theme?
A5.It
unites spiritual and earthly conflicts.
Q6.What
message emerges?
A6.True
life is balance between desire and aspiration.
Stanza
8
Extract
1: “These perturbations, this perpetual jar Of earthly wants and aspirations
high.”
Q1.What
are perturbations?
A1.Restless
disturbances of human nature.
Q2.What
causes them?
A2.Conflicts
between material and spiritual needs.
Q3.What
tone appears?
A3.Analytical
and philosophical.
Q4.What
poetic device is used?
A4.Alliteration
in ‘perpetual jar’.
Q5.What
theme continues?
A5.Tension
between heaven and earth.
Q6.What
feeling arises?
A6.A
sense of constant inner conflict.
Extract
2: “Come from the influence of an unseen star, An undiscovered planet in our
sky.”
Q1.What
does the unseen star symbolize?
A1.The
hidden spiritual forces guiding man.
Q2.What
does the poet compare it to?
A2.An
invisible planet affecting earthly life.
Q3.What
tone is used?
A3.Mystical
and cosmic.
Q4.What
idea is conveyed?
A4.Unseen
powers control human emotions.
Q5.How
does it relate to the poem?
A5.It
extends the theme of invisible influence.
Q6.What
image stands out?
A6.An
undiscovered planet symbolizing mystery.
Stanza
9
Extract
1: “And as the moon from some dark gate of cloud Throws o’er the sea a floating
bridge of light.”
Q1.What
image is used?
A1.The
moon casting a light bridge on the sea.
Q2.What
does it symbolize?
A2.Connection
between known and unknown worlds.
Q3.What
poetic device appears?
A3.Simile.
Q4.What
mood is evoked?
A4.Mystical
beauty.
Q5.What
does the ‘dark gate of cloud’ mean?
A5.The
boundary between darkness and light.
Q6.What
is the poet’s purpose?
A6.To
prepare for the idea of a link between worlds.
Extract
2: “Across whose trembling planks our fancies crowd Into the realm of mystery
and night.”
Q1.What
are ‘trembling planks’?
A1.Unstable
paths of imagination.
Q2.What
do ‘our fancies’ mean?
A2.Human
thoughts and imaginations.
Q3.What
is the ‘realm of mystery and night’?
A3.The
unknown spiritual world.
Q4.What
tone dominates?
A4.Imaginative
and mysterious.
Q5.What
idea is expressed?
A5.Through
imagination, we reach the unseen.
Q6.What
image strengthens the theme?
A6.The
shaky bridge connecting two worlds.
Stanza
10
Extract
1: “So from the world of spirits there descends A bridge of light, connecting
it with this.”
Q1.What
descends from the spirit world?
A1.A
bridge of light.
Q2.What
does it connect?
A2.The
spiritual and the earthly worlds.
Q3.What
does the bridge symbolize?
A3.The
link between life and death.
Q4.What
tone is present?
A4.Mystical
and hopeful.
Q5.What
imagery is used?
A5.Bridge
and light imagery.
Q6.What
is the main message?
A6.Spirit
and matter are eternally connected.
Extract
2: “O’er whose unsteady floor, that sways and bends, Wander our thoughts above
the dark abyss.”
Q1.What
is the unsteady floor?
A1.The
fragile bridge of thought.
Q2.What
does ‘dark abyss’ mean?
A2.The
mysterious unknown beyond life.
Q3.What
do ‘our thoughts’ do?
A3.They
wander between the seen and unseen.
Q4.What
tone is conveyed?
A4.Meditative
and mysterious.
Q5.What
emotion arises?
A5.Awe
at the vast mystery of existence.
Q6.How
does the poem end?
A6.With
the vision of human thought linking the mortal to the immortal.
Q.
4. Stanza-wise Two-Mark Questions
Stanza
1
Q1.How
does Longfellow describe haunted houses?
A1.He
says all houses where men have lived and died are haunted because spirits of
the past silently move through them. These harmless phantoms glide noiselessly
across the floors, symbolizing that human life leaves behind a gentle,
lingering presence even after death.
Q2.What
feeling do the opening lines create?
A2.The
lines create a calm, mysterious atmosphere. The image of silent ghosts moving
quietly through familiar places suggests continuity between life and death,
evoking awe and peace rather than fear.
Stanza
2
Q1.What
does the poet mean by ‘impalpable impressions on the air’?
A1.He
means that the spirits are intangible but their presence can be felt like faint
vibrations. Though unseen, they move along stairs and passages, creating an
invisible sense of life that connects the living world with the spiritual
realm.
Q2.How
is movement described in this stanza?
A2.Movement
is subtle and airy. The spirits glide to and fro like soft breezes, showing
that life’s essence continues to flow invisibly within familiar human spaces.
Stanza
3
Q1.What
does the poet mean by ‘more guests at table than the hosts invited’?
A1.He
humorously suggests that unseen spirits also share the company of the living.
The ghosts sit quietly like the pictures on the walls, symbolizing memory’s
silent participation in everyday life.
Q2.How
does the poet present ghosts here?
A2.Ghosts
are peaceful and harmless. They are gentle reminders of those who once lived,
showing that death doesn’t end presence but transforms it into silent
companionship.
Stanza
4
Q1.What
difference does the poet show between himself and the stranger?
A1.The
stranger sees only the physical world, while the poet perceives the spiritual
dimension. To him, all that has been remains visible, revealing his deeper
sensitivity to memory and unseen life.
Q2.What
does the poet suggest about perception?
A2.He
suggests that true vision includes both visible reality and invisible memory.
Only a spiritually aware mind can sense the presence of the departed.
Stanza
5
Q1.What
does Longfellow mean by ‘We have no title-deeds to house or lands’?
A1.He
means that ownership of property is temporary. The dead still spiritually hold
their former homes, symbolizing that human possession is transient while memory
endures.
Q2.How
do the dead ‘hold in mortmain their old estates’?
A2.The
poet imagines them extending dusty hands from forgotten graves, still clinging
symbolically to their lands, reminding us that the past continues to influence
the present.
Stanza
6
Q1.How
does the poet describe the spirit-world’s relation to the material world?
A1.He
compares it to an atmosphere floating around the physical world. This shows
that the unseen realm constantly surrounds and influences earthly existence
like invisible air sustaining life.
Q2.What
is meant by ‘vital breath of more ethereal air’?
A2.It
means the divine or spiritual force that passes through worldly mist, purifying
and enlivening human life with a higher essence.
Stanza
7
Q1.What
does the poet mean by ‘Our little lives are kept in equipoise’?
A1.He
says human life stays balanced through the pull of opposite desires—worldly
enjoyment and spiritual aspiration. These contrasting forces maintain harmony
within existence.
Q2.How
does Longfellow contrast two instincts?
A2.He
contrasts the instinct that enjoys with the one that aspires, suggesting that
both are necessary for growth but the nobler aspiration should guide human
life.
Stanza
8
Q1.What
are the ‘perturbations’ and ‘perpetual jar’ mentioned?
A1.They
refer to inner conflicts caused by human desires and higher aims. The poet
views these struggles as signs of spiritual influence from an unseen celestial
power.
Q2.What
does the ‘unseen star’ symbolize?
A2.It
symbolizes mysterious spiritual forces or divine influences shaping human
thought and emotion from beyond the visible universe.
Stanza
9
Q1.Explain
the image of the ‘floating bridge of light’.
A1.The
moon’s reflection across the sea becomes a bridge of light symbolizing
connection between the physical and spiritual worlds. Through imagination, man
crosses from reality into mystery.
Q2.What
role does imagination play here?
A2.Imagination
allows human thought to travel beyond the visible world, building a luminous
path into the unknown realm of spirits and eternity.
Stanza
10
Q1.What
is the ‘bridge of light’ that connects the two worlds?
A1.It
is a symbolic link between life and the spirit-world, showing that
communication exists between mortal and immortal realms through thought and
faith.
Q2.What
happens on the ‘unsteady floor’ of that bridge?
A2.Human
thoughts wander uncertainly between life and death, suggesting our constant
yearning to understand the mysterious connection between existence and
eternity.
Q.
5. Stanza-wise Three-Mark
Questions
Stanza
1
Q1.How
does Longfellow introduce the idea of haunted houses and what mood does he
create?
A1.Longfellow
begins by declaring that all houses where people have lived and died are
haunted. The harmless phantoms glide silently through open doors, creating a
calm, mystical mood. He suggests that memories and spirits remain gently
present, giving a peaceful sense of life continuing beyond death.
Stanza
2
Q1.How
does the poet depict the unseen presence of spirits in this stanza?
A1.He
describes spirits moving along doorways and stairs, leaving impalpable
impressions on the air. Though invisible, they are sensed as movements “to and
fro.” This evokes the feeling that human dwellings retain invisible life,
merging the physical and spiritual worlds in quiet coexistence.
Stanza
3
Q1.How
does the poet portray ghosts at the dinner table and what is his intention?
A1.He
says there are more guests at the table than invited, as quiet, inoffensive
ghosts fill the illuminated hall. These spirits are silent like pictures on the
wall, symbolizing memory’s enduring presence. Longfellow’s intention is to make
death familiar, not fearful, showing peaceful communion between worlds.
Stanza
4
Q1.What
contrast does Longfellow draw between the stranger and himself?
A1.The
stranger sees only what exists physically, but the poet perceives what has
been—spirits and memories unseen by ordinary eyes. This difference reveals the
poet’s deeper sensitivity to the past and spiritual presence, suggesting that
imagination and awareness expand vision beyond material limits.
Stanza
5
Q1.What
truth about ownership and mortality does the poet reveal?
A1.Longfellow
says humans have no permanent claim to houses or lands because the dead still
hold them “in mortmain.” The image of dusty hands reaching from forgotten
graves emphasizes that worldly possession is temporary, while spiritual
connection and memory continue to bind the living to the past.
Stanza
6
Q1.How
does Longfellow compare the spirit-world with the material world?
A1.He
says the spirit-world floats around the world of sense like an atmosphere. This
invisible, purer air wafts through earthly mists, showing the constant
influence of spiritual forces on mortal life. The metaphor expresses unity
between seen and unseen realities sustaining existence together.
Stanza
7
Q1.What
balance does the poet describe in human life?
A1.He
says life is kept in equilibrium by opposite pulls—the instinct that enjoys and
the instinct that aspires. These forces maintain harmony between body and soul.
The stanza expresses moral philosophy that human progress depends on balancing
earthly pleasures with spiritual ambitions.
Stanza
8
Q1.What
is the meaning of the unseen star or undiscovered planet?
A1.It
symbolizes hidden spiritual influences that control human emotions and
aspirations. The poet suggests that our inner restlessness and moral struggles
originate from mysterious, divine forces beyond our perception, blending
science and spirituality to explain unseen causes of human behaviour.
Stanza
9
Q1.Explain
the symbolic imagery of the moon’s bridge of light.
A1.The
moon casting a bridge of light over the sea symbolizes a luminous path between
life and the spirit-world. Human imagination crosses this trembling bridge into
mystery and night, representing the mind’s power to connect with unseen realms
through wonder and reflection.
Stanza
10
Q1.How
does Longfellow conclude the poem’s theme of connection between worlds?
A1.He
ends with a “bridge of light” descending from the spirit-world, linking it to
the earthly one. Human thoughts wander upon its unsteady floor above the dark
abyss, symbolizing the fragile but eternal link between mortal life and the
immortal realm of the soul. Stanza-wise
Q.
6. Stanza-wise Poetic Devices
Stanza
1
Lines:
“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.”
Metaphor:
The “haunted houses” represent places filled with memories of the dead.
Personification:
Spirits are described as if they perform daily errands.
Imagery:
Strong visual and auditory imagery—“open doors,” “feet that make no sound.”
Symbolism:
The silent phantoms symbolize the lingering influence of the past.
Enjambment:
The thought flows smoothly across lines, reflecting the spirits’ gliding
motion.
Paradox:
“Harmless phantoms” suggests something both dead and gentle.
Stanza
2
Lines:
“We meet them at the doorway, on the stair… A sense of something moving to and
fro.”
Imagery:
Visual (doorway, stair, passages), tactile (“impressions on the air”).
Alliteration:
“meet them,” “something moving.”
Metaphor:
“Impalpable impressions” refers to unseen presences felt emotionally.
Personification:
The air seems alive with impressions.
Enjambment:
Creates a flowing, airy rhythm.
Stanza
3
Lines:
“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.”
Irony:
The living think they’re alone, but unseen guests (ghosts) attend.
Simile:
“As silent as the pictures on the wall.”
Imagery:
Visual—“illuminated hall,” “quiet ghosts.”
Symbolism:
The dinner table symbolizes coexistence of present and past.
Anti-thesis:
Living hosts vs. dead guests.
Metaphor:
The “hall” stands for human life filled with silent memories.
Stanza
4
Lines:
“The stranger at my fireside cannot see / The forms I see…”
Imagery:
Sensory (sight, sound).
Symbolism:
The “fireside” symbolizes domestic life illuminated by memory.
Stanza
5
Lines:
“We have no title-deeds to house or lands… hold in mortmain still their old
estates.”
Metaphor:
“Title-deeds” symbolize human claims of ownership.
Personification:
“Dusty hands” of the dead stretch from graves.
Imagery:
Vivid picture of forgotten graves and ghostly grasp.
Symbolism:
“Mortmain” (dead hand) represents control of the past.
Irony:
The living think they own property; the dead symbolically still do.
Stanza
6
Lines:
“The spirit-world around this world of sense / Floats like an atmosphere…”
Simile:
“Floats like an atmosphere” compares the spirit-world to air.
Imagery:
Air, mist, vapour create ethereal effect.
Metaphor:
“Vital breath of ethereal air” = divine life-force.
Symbolism:
The unseen spirit envelops material life.
Personification:
Air “wafts” like a living force.
Stanza
7
Lines:
“Our little lives are kept in equipoise… more noble instinct that aspires.”
Antithesis:
“Instinct that enjoys” vs. “instinct that aspires.”
Metaphor:
“Equipoise” as balance of human nature.
Symbolism:
Earthly and spiritual instincts represent body and soul.
Stanza
8
Lines:
“These perturbations… unseen star, undiscovered planet…”
Alliteration:
“perturbations,” “perpetual.”
Metaphor:
“Unseen star,” “undiscovered planet” for hidden spiritual influences.
Symbolism:
Cosmic forces represent moral and emotional guidance.
Imagery:
Astronomical imagery—space, stars, planets.
Assonance:
Repetition of long vowel sounds enhances smooth rhythm.
Stanza
9
Lines:
“And as the moon from some dark gate of cloud… realm of mystery and night.”
Simile:
Comparison of moonlight bridge to link between worlds.
Imagery:
Moon, sea, cloud, light—rich visual detail.
Symbolism:
“Bridge of light” = imagination’s path to the unknown.
Metaphor:
The bridge as connection between mortality and mystery.
Personification:
“Fancies crowd” gives human traits to imagination.
Enjambment:
Fluid thought mirrors the bridge’s continuity.
Stanza
10
Lines:
“So from the world of spirits there descends / A bridge of light…”
Metaphor:
Bridge of light continues as link between spirit and earth.
Imagery:
“Unsteady floor,” “dark abyss” create vivid visual effect.
Symbolism:
Human thoughts = travellers between life and eternity.
Personification:
Thoughts “wander” like beings.
COURTESY:
Meta AI & ChatGPT
Compiled
by Dr. Shankar D Mishra
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