MY FAVOURITE CHILDHOOD POEM, The Listeners BY WALTER DE LA MARE
948
Published 2024-07-07
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;
‘Is there anybody there?’ he said.
But no one descended to the Traveller;
No head from the leaf-fringed sill
Leaned over and looked into his grey eyes,
Where he stood perplexed and still.
But only a host of phantom listeners
That dwelt in the lone house then
Stood listening in the quiet of the moonlight
To that voice from the world of men:
Stood thronging the faint moonbeams on the dark stair,
That goes down to the empty hall,
Hearkening in an air stirred and shaken
By the lonely Traveller’s call.
And he felt in his heart their strangeness,
Their stillness answering his cry,
While his horse moved, cropping the dark turf,
’Neath the starred and leafy sky;
For he suddenly smote on the door, even
Louder, and lifted his head:—
‘Tell them I came, and no one answered,
That I kept my word,’ he said.
Never the least stir made the listeners,
Though every word he spake
Fell echoing through the shadowiness of the still house
From the one man left awake:
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.
www.poetryfoundation.org/poets/walter-de-la-mare
www.britannica.com/biography/Walter-de-la-Mare
www.poetseers.org/poets/walter-de-la-mare/
🎼 Music:
The Lark Ascending, Ralph Vaughan Williams
rvwsociety.com/
🎼 Richard Tognetti (performer) 🎻
www.aco.com.au/the-orchestra/musicians/richard-tog…
www.aco.com.au/the-orchestra/musicians/richard-tog…
All Comments (15)
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I hope you enjoy this poem as much as I did when I was child. Please pass on to anyone you think might enjoy.If you want to show your appreciation, you can buy me a cocoa so I can stay focussed while editing this vids for your truly ;) All books bought for research purposes are donated back to charity 💚buymeacoffee.com/wordswithro
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I've just been transported to another time and place! magic, just pure magic 🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰
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Just beautiful!
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Listening to this on repeat over and over again!
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Great Ro ! Love this one !!
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Keep coming back to this one. I literally get lost in thought
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you are a gift 🥺💐
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Stunning read, Love your choice not to make a film this time because it makes the listener ;) focus on the words and the silences. Thank you Ro for your services to poetry🙏
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I wish they had auto like for your videos Ro, they are perfection. I literally look forward to get home from work and listen to your voice
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I love how you remind me of poems and poets I have forgotten many years ago. The accompanying music is beautiful too.
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Also really love the music choice!
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Stunning so peaceful. Sent you a dm for work opportunity ;)
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i loved this poem too, Ive not heard it in years. Beautiful reading Ro 🥲 You are making me rediscover classical music. Lovely pairing. Hope to see you soon 💚💗
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The abbott of Ababrathok
