Treasure Chest Workbook Answers Poem 6 Haunted Houses
Haunted Houses Poem Comprehension Questions Answers
Question 1.
Read the following verse paragraph 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.
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.
i. How every house is a haunted house?
ii. What do the phantoms do inside every house?
iii. Where do we meet the phantoms inside the house? What is the significance of the word “meet” in the fifth line of the given excerpt?
iv. How does a living being feel when the phantoms move inside the house?
v. How do the phantoms walk inside the house?
Answer:
i. Every house is a haunted house in the sense that the ghosts return to the houses they once lived. The conventional belief of uninhabited houses being only haunted by ghosts is overruled by the poem. Instead ghosts are presented as a part of the normal world who behaves like living humans and stays with us silently.
ii. After death, the phantoms return to their houses and silently wander everywhere. For example, they can be found at the door-way, on the staircase and along the passages where they roam about silently. The harmless ghosts however continue with their daily work without disturbing the living ones.
iii. The phantoms are found at the door-way, on the staircase and along the passages where they freely roam about without being noticed by those living inside the house. It is rather unusual to meet the ghost physically since they are unsubstantial being. The poet might have used the word meet to suggest that the speaker in his poem is a ghost himself who can see the phantoms and hear their voice too.
iv. Though people living inside their houses cannot see the ghosts around, but they feel unease whenever the ghosts are on move.
v. The phantoms walk noiselessly inside the houses. Their feet however make no sound on the floor and thus, their movement remains inaudible to the living world.
Question 2.
Read the following verse paragraph 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.
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. How there are more guests at table than the hosts?
ii. How does the speaker describe the ghosts?
iii. Explain the figure of speech in the fourth verse-line of the given excerpt.
iv. How is it possible that the stranger cannot see the ghosts while the speaker can see and hear them?
v. What does the stranger see?
Answer:
i. Since ghosts silently populates the houses where they once lived, the speaker imagines that there are more guests at the table than invited by the hosts.
ii. The ghosts are well mannered and harmless beings. They silently wander everywhere inside the house and continue with their daily work with put disturbing the living ones. Moreover, the ghosts are unsubstantial beings, invisible to human eyes. They float in the air around and we feel unease whenever they are on move.
iii. The figure of speech employed in the fourth verse line of the given excerpt is simile. A simile is a figure of speech which makes an indirect comparison between two distinctly opposite things. Here wall hanging pictures are compared to the ghosts since both are silent and incommunicable.
iv. Stranger being a living human cannot see the ghosts around him while he sits by the fireside. On the contrary, the speaker can see the impalpable form of ghosts as he himself is a spirit and well used to with the transcendental world. Hence, he can hear the voice of the ghosts which remains inaudible to the ears of his guest.
v. The stranger being a living human can only see the tangible things around. He can neither hear the voice of the ghosts nor can see them floating around in the air.
Question 3.
Read the following verse paragraph 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.
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.
i. Who are “we” referred to in the given excerpt? What do the “we” don’t have? Why?
ii. Who are the owners and occupants of earlier dates? What does the poet mean by owners and occupants of earlier dates?
iii. On what ground do the ghosts return to their houses?
iv. Describe how the ghosts move around us.
v. What is the identity of the speaker in the poem? Give at least two reasons to support your view.
Answer:
i. “We” in the given excerpt refer to the speaker and the other phantoms, living with him. The speaker however is himself a spirit. Hence he categorises himself as one among the phantoms, living with him- in the same house After death, the phantoms have no legal deed to claim the houses where they once lived. Their houses are now inhabited by others and they live there along with the living humans without any claim.
ii. The phantoms are the owners and occupants of the earlier dates. This means that they once owned their house with proper legal documents. But now since they are dead, their properties are transferred in the name of the living humans who legally occupy their space.
iii. Despite having no legal deed to claim their houses after death, the phantoms still return there. They however leap up from their graves and stretching their grimy hand they claim their rights over the houses they once lived.
iv. The ghosts are insubstantial beings. They surround us the way atmosphere surrounds us. In fact, they are everywhere around us, moving like mists and vapours in the air.
v. The speaker of the poem is a ghost himself evident when he says that he can see the phantoms around him and can hear their voice. Moreover, he identifies himself as one among the host of phantoms when he says “we” for several time in the poem. For example in the second and fourth stanzas he says we instead of they which establishes that he is a spectre himself.
Question 4.
Read the following verse paragraph 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.
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. How is human life kept in equipoise?
ii. What opposite attractions and desires does the poet mean?
iii. Where from does the “perturbations” in human life come from?
iv. How does unseen star and undiscovered planet influence?
Answer:
i. Human world is balanced by the forces of opposites. For example, the longing for materialism is balanced with the desire for spiritual attainment.
ii. Human world is balanced by the forces of opposites. On one hand there is a tremendous desire for materialistic pleasure while on the other hand we oftentimes long for higher goals like spiritual attainment. The poet however speaks about these two opposite extremes of human desire which establishes a perfectly balanced life.
iii. The poet imagines that human fear and anxieties are actually the influence of some unseen stars in some remote planet. We cannot deny the power of such unseen force which controls us in a major way.
iv. We are deeply influenced by the force of some unseen stars in some remote planet. Our fears and anxieties are generated within us due to the influence of unseen stars in some undiscovered planet. Such influence however is hard to ignore.
Question 5.
Read the following verse paragraph and answer the questions that follow:
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.
i. How does the moon create a floating bridge over the sea?
ii. How does the bridge look like?
iii. What impact does the bridge have upon us?
iv. What can the spirits do with bridge that humans are denied of?
v. Why does the bridge sway and bend? What kind of floor does it consist of?
vi. What overall impression of the ghost do you form based on your reading the poem?
Answer:
i. The moon coming out from the dark cloud, showers its rays upon the sea. This is imagined as the floating bridge of moonbeams that descends from the world of spirits to the earth.
ii. The bridge is made of light instead of wooden plank. Hence, the poet fancies the bridge as having unsteady floor. The bridge however sways and bends due to being made of light. In a way, it looks awesome at night all because of its radiance.
iii. The bridge of light looks awesome at night all because of its radiance. Such an ethereal view goads us to imagine a world of transcendental where the phantoms live. In other words, the beautiful view of the bridge of light helps us to rise above the “dark abyss” of the materialistic world in which we live and connects us with the world of spirits.
iv. Spirits can easily travel through the wobbling floors of the bridge of light which humans cannot. In other words, unlike the phantoms, we cannot cross the bridge, though our thoughts travel through its wobbling floors.
v. Since the bridge is made of the beams of moon, it sways and bends easily. The bridge however is flexible since it is devoid of any solid support. Moreover, its floor is unsteady where only spirits can walk.
vi. Longfellow’s ghosts are presented as generous beings who love to be within the circle of living humans. Instead of being hostile, they are well behaved and are completely harmless. Longfellow however fancies ghosts as the shades of departed friends and family members whom we are glad to have still with us in whatever form they appear. Hence, he presents his ghosts as “inoffensive” instead of being malicious.
Haunted Houses Poem Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs)
Question 1.
Longfellow’s ghosts are
a. ugly
b. evil
c. terrifying
d. inoffensive
Answer:
d. inoffensive
Question 2.
Ghosts move silently because
a. they have no feet
b. they move very slowly
c. their feet make no sound upon the floors.
d. they are insubstantial
Answer:
c. their feet make no sound upon the floors.
Question 3.
While the ghosts move around us we feel
a. delighted
b. angry
c. uneasy
d. sad
Answer:
c. uneasy
Question 4.
Ghosts remain silent like
a. pictures on the wall
b. dead humans
c. non living object
d. stars and moon
Answer:
a. pictures on the wall
Question 5.
The stranger at the fireside cannot see the ghosts because
a. he is blind
b. the ghosts doesn’t want him to see them
c. the ghosts are formless being invisible to human eyes
d. ghosts do not exist
Answer:
c. the ghosts are formless being invisible to human eyes
Question 6.
The speaker can see and hear the voice of the ghosts because
a. he is a spiritual man
b. the ghosts want him to see them
c. he is not blind like the stranger
d. he himself is a ghost
Answer:
d. he himself is a ghost
Question 7.
Why do ghosts have no legal document of their houses and lands?
a. because they have misplaced those documents
b. because they are dead
c. because their properties are transferred to others
d. because they have renounced their property
Answer:
b. because they are dead
Question 8.
Why do ghosts return to their houses?
a. to relax for a while
b. to terrorize those living there
c. because they once lived and died there
d. to see who stay there presently
Answer:
c. because they once lived and died there
Question 9.
The spirits float in the air like
a. falling leaves
b. mists and vapours
c. germs
d. dust
Answer:
b. mists and vapours
Question 10.
What brings in balance in our lives?
a. adjustment
b. good values
c. opposite attractions and desires
d. to accept and reject everything in the same way
Answer:
c. opposite attractions and desires
Question 11.
What descend form the world of spirits
a. blessings
b. curse
c. supernatural power
d. a bridge of light
Answer:
d. a bridge of light
Question 12.
Who can travel through the wobbling floors of the bridge?
a. None
b. humans
c. phantoms
d. animals
Answer:
c. phantoms
Question 13.
Our travel through the bridge of light
a. body
b. soul
c. emotion
d. thoughts
Answer:
d. thoughts
Haunted Houses Poem Annotations with Comments
Stanza I:
Wherein: in which
Haunted: ghostly
Phantoms: ghosts / spirits
Errands: daily task
Glide: move smoothly
With feet … the floors: they walk without making any noise
Comment:
The conventional belief of uninhabited houses being only haunted by ghosts ¡s overruled by the poem. According to him, ghosts stay with humans but are invisible. They are harmless, active and yet noiseless. In fact, they are just the extended part of the normal world which cannot be ignored.
Stanza II:
Along the passages …… go: since the phantoms are active they are always on move
Impalpable: unsubstantial
Impalpable ….. on the air: the phantoms are unsubstantial beings that float in air
to and fro: back and forth
A senses… to and fro: an eeriness is felt within us while the ghosts move back and forth
stanza III:
more guests: refers to the ghosts.
More guests….invited: the poet imagines that even ghosts join us at the dinner table. Hence, there are more guests at the dinner table than invited.
Illuminated: lightened up
Thronged: gathered
Inoffensive: harmless
As silent…wall: This is an example of simile. Since the ghosts are silent, their existence in the hail is like picture on the wall.
Stanza IV:
Cannot see: the guest sitting by the fireside cannot see what the speaker can see
Form: shape
Sound: refers to the sound produced by the movement of the ghosts in the room. It inaudible to human ear
Perceive: come to realize
Unto: archaic term for to.
Comment:
He but perceives…and clear: While the guest cannot see the phantoms around, the speaker can see them clearly. This however suggests that the speaker of the poem is a ghost himself.
Stanza V:
Title-deeds: legal deed of ownership
Mortmain : permanent ownership
Estates: property
And hold …… estate: despite having no legal documents to claim the houses as their own, the ghosts still stay inside the houses because they once lived there and were legal owner of the houses.
Comment:
This stanza vehemently suggests that the speaker of the poem is a ghost himself. This is evident when he says that he resides in a house which
was once his own (“Owners and occupants of earlier dates”). But now when he is dead, he has no legal deed to claim the house.
Stanza VI:
spirit-world: the world of ghosts
world of sense: real world
floats … everywhere: the world of spirit is everywhere under the sun. They surround us the way atmosphere surrounds us
Wafts: pass gently through the air. The spirits keep on moving like mists and vapours
Ethereal: unearthly
A vital ….. ethereal air: the spirits are the vital components of the ethereal air.
Stanza VII:
Equipoise: balance of forces opposite attractions and
desires: It is the law of nature that opposite attracts
instinct: inclination
more noble instinct: pursuit for spiritual desire
aspire: to seek to attain or accomplish a particular goal.
Stanza VIII:
Perturbation: worries; mental uneasiness
perpetual: unending
jar: here it refers to body
earthly wants: materialistic desire
Stanza IX:
Moon from ……. cloud: moon coming out from the dark cloud
Throws: showers light
a floating bridge: the moon rays showering upon the sea is imagined as floating bridge
trembling: refers to the shimmering light of moon
plank: here it refers to the slant of moonlight which looks like a bridge
fancies: Imagination
realm: area
realm of….night: we imagine of a creepy and mysterious world
Stanza X:
Descends: comes down
Unsteady: unsteady because the bridge formed by the spirits is not tightly
fastened. It is just an imaginative bridge and is thus, flexible
sway: swing
abyss: chasm
Haunted Houses Poem Paraphrase
Stanza I:
Every house is a haunted house as people have once lived and died there. The phantoms however wander noiselessly inside as their feet make no sound on the floor. Moreover, they are harmless and continue with their daily work without disturbing the living ones.
Stanza II:
These harmless phantoms are found everywhere in the houses. For example, they can be found at the door-way, on the staircase and along the passages where they roam about silently. They are invisible being and they float in air. An eeriness is felt while they are on move.
Stanza III:
Phantoms are an extended part of the normal world. They enjoy sitting with the guests at the dining tables. The lighted halls are thronged with them. The guests are hardly bothered since the well mannered phantoms remain as silent as the picture hanging on the wall.
Stanza IV:
A guest sitting by the fireside cannot see what the speaker can see. The speaker can see the ghosts, hear their voice while the guests can see only the tangible things around. But then the guest can at least feel the eeriness in the air while the speaker sees the world beyond normal.
Stanza V:
The phantoms have no legal deed to claim these houses as their own. Yet they stay inside these houses since they once lived there and were legal owner of the houses. Now when they are dead and their houses are inhabited by the living mortals, they still leap up from their graves and stretching their grimy hand they claim their rights over the houses they once lived.
Stanza VI:
However, the world of spirits surrounds us the way atmosphere surrounds us. It is like a thin covering over us which can hardly be ignored. The spirits however are everywhere. They keep on moving like mists and vapours in the air. Moreover, they are the are the vital components of the insubstantial world which floats around the world of real.
Stanza VII:
Human world is balanced by the forces of opposites. For example, the longing for materialism is balanced with the desire for spiritual attainment. In other words, it is human instinct to seek for materialistic pleasure but; life also longs for higher goals like spiritual attainment which ensure peace of mind. Such contradictory longings, juxtaposed together establish a perfectly balanced life.
Stanza VIII:
Our life is filled up with worries and anxieties due to our longing for materialistic needs. Such uneasiness which perpetually exists within us is actually the influence of some unseen stars in some remote planet. In other words, the fever and fret of human life are the result of some unseen force controlling us.
Stanza IX:
The moon coming out from the dark cloud, showers its rays upon the sea. This is imagined as the floating bridge of moon beams which shimmer all throughout the night. Such an ethereal view goads us to imagine a world of transcendental where the phantoms live.
Stanza X:
Our thoughts are connected with the transcendental world through this bridge of light which descends down on earth from the world of phantoms. The bridge however is flexible In the sense that it sways and bends due to being made of light. Unlike the phantoms, we cannot cross the bridge, though our thoughts travel through its wobbling floors.
Haunted Houses Poem Summary by H.W. Longfellow
Every house is a haunted house as people have once lived and died there. After death they return to their houses and silently wander everywhere. Their feet however make no sound on the floor. Moreover, they are harmless and continue with their daily work without disturbing the living ones. One can find them at the door-way, on the staircase and along the passages where they roam about silently.
They are invisible being and they float in air. Poeple alive cannot see them; but feel unease whenever the ghosts are on move. When guests visit the hosts the phantoms enjoy sitting with them and remain as silent as the picture hanging on the wall. The speaker says that he can seethe crowd of phantoms everywhere in the house while his guest sees only the tangible things around. This however suggests that the speaker himself is a ghost who can hear the voice of the phantoms ringing all around.
Phantoms however have no legal deed to claim these houses as their own. Yet they stay inside these houses since they once lived there and were once the legal owner of the houses. Now when they are dead and their houses are inhabited by the living mortals, they still leap up from their graves stretching their grimy hand to claim their rights over the houses they once lived. In fact, the spooky world of spirits surrounds us the way atmosphere surrounds us. They are the ever present
reality of life, moving like mists and vapours in the air. Their existence can be felt only when we overcome our yearning for material need and look forward to spiritual attainment. The worries and anxieties due to our longing for materialistic needs is actually the influence of some unseen stars in some remote planet. We cannot deny the power of such unseen force which controls us in a major way.
A troubled mind is often eased with the sight of the moon showering its rays upon the sea. It looks like a floating bridge of moon beams, which brings to our mind the thought of the transcendental world where the phantoms live. Our thoughts are connected with the transcendental world through this bridge of light which descends down on earth from the world of phantoms. But, unlike the phantoms, we cannot cross the bridge, though our thoughts travel through its wobbling floors.
Haunted Houses Poem Introduction
Published in 1858 in the Birds of Passage collection, Longfellow’s Haunted Houses may have been influenced by the loss of his first wife to a miscarriage. The poem though appears spooky with “phantoms” all around, is actually an amiable presentation of the supernatural world with ghosts being just a changed human form, pursuing human activities soundlessly. Longfellow however means to suggest that the phantoms are just an extended part of the normal world, “harmless” and invisible to humans.