Understanding Longfellow's Haunted Houses Poem

Hello, Namaskar, Vanakkam. In this explanation video, I'm going to focus on Haunted Houses by H.W. Longfellow, which is the first poem in the ICSE Class 10 syllabus as part of your Treasure Chest textbook. Now, a couple of things before I start the explanation. Number one, I personally think the poem is quite complex, especially the second half of the poem. And I personally feel that this poem should have been part of the ISE class 11 or class 12 syllabus. This is definitely above the class 10 level as far as the toughness quotient is concerned, as far as the complicity quotient is concerned. Number two, please do not expect a 15-20 minute short version, quick fix kind of, kulji kind of an approach explanation on studying with Sudhir. I will do a well-researched, word-by-word line by line explanation so that from my side, I will try to ensure that there is no room for any doubt at the end of the explanation video. Okay. Because there are 10 stanzas. A 20 minute video will mean that, you know, you don't even devote two minutes. You devote just about two minutes to each stanza, which I personally feel for a poem of this nature is simply not enough. Okay. So I saw a couple of comments saying that can't you do shorter videos, not shorter videos. I can make this video in 5 minutes. But how much benefit will you get from it? That is something which you will have to gauge. Okay, so let's get started with the poem detailed explanation. Okay, so let's first talk about the poet. And you should always read the box which is something which I always advise my students to So Henry Wadsworth Longfellow is the name of the poet. He was considered one of the most prominent American poets of the 19th century. And he reminded Americans of their roots, where they came from. I mean, when you say of their roots, essentially means that he wrote about where they came from, their origin. OK, now what is this poem about? Now, the poet here talks about all the men who have lived in their houses and died there. And he believes that even after their death, they're still pretty much around. You can feel their presence. So they are the phantoms. They are the phantoms, the ghost who walks. If you have been used to reading phantom comics, which I don't think children of your generation are, at least we used to. So phantom comics, phantom is known as the ghost who walks. Okay. So the phantoms who are now living in the haunted houses. They roam about doing their work. The men who live there now feel the presence of these ghosts at different places in the house. However, they also feel that as if something is moving in the air. Okay, they feel as if something is moving in the air. Now, this is one of the photographs that I created of a typical haunted house. You see the very eerie looking bats hovering around the house. the trees which have no vegetation so they are all dried up and this kind of a house which gives you a very spooky kind of a feeling you would feel scared in a house like this in a mansion like this okay there are a whole lot of creepers the clouds etc okay now at the same time the texture of the poem is not of a spooky poem it is actually a very sentimental kind of a poem. While he is talking about ghosts, it is not a typical horror kind of a spooky kind of a poem, which you would normally associate with the subject of this nature dealing with ghosts. It is a sentimental poem. Please use this particular word in your answer that focuses on the fact that spiritual stuff or spiritual is also permanent that just because somebody dies it doesn't mean that that becomes temporary there is also a sense of permanence of the spiritual so the message is that our loved ones always remain with us even after they are dead and gone because they live on in our thoughts in our memories obviously if let's say your great grandfather grandfather is no longer with you you always remember the person right so even after they have gone physically their presence does not go away now the amusing fact which i found in my research is that when a party i mean in this particular point not the next part of point is what i want to talk about When a party is organized, the number of guests is always more than the people who have invited. You have invited 10 people, but there are 14 people. Why? Because the other four people are actually ghosts. So the uninvited guests are the ghosts. The people sitting by the fireside cannot see them, but the poet can see them. Now, the interesting part, which I found in my research, is that the 2nd of November is observed as the day of the dead in many countries. On this day... I mean, you have something similar in the Hindu calendar as well. On this day, people remember their loved ones who have passed away and visit their graves. Now, why was Longfellow called a fireside poet? Now, this is an aside, which generally for your general knowledge, because his poems are meant to be read out as a form of entertainment for the family and the friends gathered by a fireside. I just thought at this time, we just imagine a situation by a fireside. obviously it will be dark you tell these stories about ghosts how would people feel they would feel very involved very engrossed at the same time a little scared and kind of imagining even as longfellow would read out his poem so just get i why i'm telling you all these things before i start the poem is that i want your frame of mind your mindset to be inside the poem to be able to imagine and i'll show you a couple of more photographs which will help you go into the poem visually speaking because I don't believe in you know just telling you words and words. If you are able to imagine something visually, I showed you one photograph, I'll show you two more photographs so that you are able to imagine something visually while understanding the poem. It will make it more interesting, you will be more involved in the poem. Now let's go through the summary of the poem. What happens in the poem? It's about a deserted house that was once full of life. It was once full of life means once there were a lot of living beings, human beings there. But now it is abandoned. So all it has is memories of the people who lived there, the past inhabitants. So now it is described in the poem as a symbol of an earlier time when there was a lot of joy and fun. Now it is a haunted house, haunted by the ghosts. who are the past inhabitants of the same house. Now, see this photograph. It gives you a sense. A full moon, the bats, you see the windows, etc., which seem to be either broken and there are some curtains, etc., which seem to be in bat shape. You see a lot of these kind of shrubs, which are there on the house. And then you have a ghost, a typical kind of a ghost. Just imagine. You are listening to this poem around a fireside and suddenly you feel a hand on your shoulder and you look back and you see someone like that. Okay, I just find the thought very amusing. And there you see a lot of graves are also there around the house. So this is an image which has been generated. I put the text and you get a sense. So just keep this in mind while you are reading the poem, understanding the poem. Okay, the poem focuses on the permanence of the memories, that the memories are permanent, the people have gone away, but the memories are permanent and the importance of those memories. So the poet is making the point that even though the physical structures may wither with time, you're seeing the building in a rundown, dilapidated kind of a condition, but the memories associated with the people while they lived in that building, in that house, they live on. They persist and they haunt those spaces. They even come and stay with you at the dining table when dinner is being served. So the poem is basically, and please note down this phrase, it's useful for your answers. See, whatever phrases I've used out here are phrases and words which you can use in your answers. That's precisely the idea behind telling you all this. They're an exploration of nostalgia. Okay, the passage of time. and the enduring power of memories. Please use this entire line. So the poet is making the reader think about the transient. Means nature goes away. I mean, life goes away. You know, it's temporary. And the weight of the emotions of the past, you know, because they stay along with you. They have a particular, I mean, it's not a burden. It is a weight you like to carry. You think about it. They may cost you some kind of sadness at some point in time, but they may also bring you some. Nice memories of the times gone by. You know, when you spend time with someone you loved very dearly. The rhyme scheme is ABAB. There is a comfort associated with the regular rhyming always. ABAB. It imparts a gentleness that is not associated with the notion of haunting. It's not something which is very jerky. Okay. So Longfellow says all houses are haunted and that makes it a less menacing house. Your house is also haunted. My house is also haunted. So it's not something which is very unique to a particular house in a particular locality or area. Okay. And it comforts us because it's an acknowledgement of the fact that our loved ones. continue to walk among us. They don't leave us even though they have been buried, even though you see their graves, but they seem to exist around us. Okay, they occupy our living spaces and silently observe us and feel connected to us all the time. I hope this makes it easy for you to get into the poem. What are the themes of the poem? This is something which you would need for your longer answer, especially the last answer. Memory and the past. The poem suggests that the houses have become haunted by the memories of the people who lived and died there. These memories linger like ghosts, creating a sense of the past within the present. OK, so the connection between the past and the present, the inevitability of death. Everybody has to die at some point of time or the other. So he's acknowledging that people who have lived will eventually become haunted houses because their inhabitants pass away. The power of the place. OK. So that places hold on to the essence of those who have inhabited them. That there is a strong connection between the human being and the places that they inhabit. So there is a certain sense of power of the place itself. So there is a connection between the physical space as in the house and the people who lived there. Then the nature of the ghost. So Longfellow is portraying the ghost in a very gentle light. They are not menacing creatures. They are not out to terrify you. They are not out there to scare you. They are harmless ghosts who glide through the houses. And they are unnoticed by the living people. They can't see except the poet. And then finally the human nature and its duality. The tussle between. This is the second part of the poem which is a little abstract. I feel because it also talks about spiritual aspirations. Now let me come to the text of the poem. I hope with the help of the photographs, with the help of whatever I have told you so far, you are in that frame of mind. Now let us get into the text of the poem. There are 10 stanzas in all. All houses wherein men have lived and died are haunted houses. So he is making a very clear point right at the beginning. Through the open doors, the harmless... Phantoms on their errands glide with feet that make no sound upon the floors. Okay. So you see the rhyme scheme. Died, glide, doors, floors. Okay. A, B, A, B. Now haunted means a place which is visited by ghosts and phantoms essentially means ghosts. Okay. Then errands is a short journey. Errands is a short journey. which is to collect or deliver something. When you are sent to collect something from someone or to deliver something to someone. Okay. Glide means to move. Where is glide? Yeah. Glide is here. It means to move easily in a very easy manner. Okay. So these are the three word meanings I wanted to say. Now, please understand and listen to this carefully. Every house has a history. Okay. It has the memories of the men, the people who lived there. And the poet is calling them as haunted houses. The first line. Okay. Houses also are a metaphor. Please understand this. I am going slow deliberately. Houses also are a metaphor for our bodies or life. Being haunted refers to the influence left on our lives by the... people we encounter at different stages we are also one is a house the other thing is also a metaphor that we are like a house and we meet different people at different stages in our life you know you may meet your friends your parents your neighbors your relatives etc etc your classmates everybody now all of them leave a mark on your mind on your personality at different stages of your life okay Those memories also stay on with you. So those memories will also haunt you even after like you pass out of, there will be some classmate who was there in class 8 with you. Then he or she left and he is no longer with you. But what he said, the time you spent, it is still there as part of your consciousness, your memory. It is locked in the hard disk. So just like every house has a history, similarly, every person carries the impact and the memories of past influences or interactions. Okay. Through the open doors. What does this mean? Through the open doors. Through the open doors suggests that the ghosts are not restricted by any kind of physical barriers. Okay. They can easily pass through any kind of solid objects like doors. I mean, they can just pass through them. Okay. They don't have to open the door in that sense. And this points to their very, please note down this word, very ethereal nature. Very ethereal nature. And open doors also conveys openness. But open doors also conveys a sense of vulnerability. But essentially a sense of freedom. Harmless phantoms is a reference to the ghost. They are individuals who have been part of our lives and have left behind imprints on our life and it could be all kinds of imprints. It could be something which is very important, very meaningful. Sometimes it could just be very subtle. It may not be something very important. So harmless, what does harmless straight away convey? That they are not to be scared of. They are not dangerous. They are not malicious. Kind of spirits. They exist, but they don't threaten you. You may feel scared of them, but if you happen to see them, but they are not there to scare you or threaten you in any way. They are not posing a threat to your existence. On their errands, glide. Now glide, as I said, is referring to a movement which is rather easy in its nature. It's very effortless kind of movement in the air. Now errands such as... That the ghosts seem to have some kind of unfinished business. That there is some work which they have not finished so far. Okay. So the movement seems to suggest that there is some purpose of their movement. It is not meaningless movement. Errants. The word errants conveys that there is a purpose behind their movement. It is not meaningless kind of movement. Understood? feet that make no sound upon the floors it suggests that they don't make their presence felt it's not a very obvious way of because if they are walking on the floor it would make a noise but no okay it is not making any kind of sound so they are not making their presence felt in any way so it reinforces the idea that the ghosts are not physical beings and they do not interact with the physical world in a way by way of creating sound okay so it's a reference to a sound imagery but sound that does not exist so the first stanza what is it doing it is creating a sense of mystery it is creating a sense of mystery it is creating a sense of intrigue okay you wonder what is happening uh that There are those invisible ghosts who are present, but they do not intrude into your life, but they just go about doing some errands, some work or the other, collecting or delivering something they are doing. And you are left wondering at the end of the first answer, I mean, what work could they possibly be doing? What errands they may be on? And by saying all houses, the poet is kind of saying that it is common to everyone. It is not specific only to a few houses. Let's move to. Stanza two. 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. Again you see A, B, A, B. So what impalpable means something that cannot be felt physically. Something that cannot be felt physically. Now in this stanza the... lines describe the way the humans encounter the ghostly presence inside the house now the first two lines the first two lines convey that they are everywhere we meet them at the doorway near the door on the way to the door on the staircase and also the passages they come and go as though you know i mean they continue to occupy this space and they continue to be around everywhere in the house so they are everywhere they are not confined only to a single room or only to the terrace or only to the you know some kind of an attic no they are everywhere in the doorway on the staircase and in the passages also and there they encounter the living beings. Impalpable impressions on the air. Impalpable means impossible to touch physically, to feel physically. So this reinforces the idea what? That the ghosts are not solid presence. They are not something which can be felt in a way. It is like very faint impressions or feelings in the air. Okay, the essence of something moving to and fro. It again reinforces the very delicate nature of the ghost. A sense of something. You know, it's not something physical. It's just a feeling, a sense of something. He's not telling you what that something is. You feel that there is a sense of something which is moving to and through. So people may not see the ghost directly, but they have a feeling that I felt something move by my side. It's a sense of something. Okay. So the second stanza, then it is talking about this very invisible kind of presence, which creates a sense of, please note this down, a sense of unease. It's not a comfort. You feel something is there, but you can't see it. So how would you feel? You will feel a sense of unease. You will feel a sense of uncertainty. Okay. That's what is the thing. So while the ghosts, I repeat, are not scary. But their presence can only be felt, but they cannot be seen. They are reminder of the, you know, what happened in this house, who lived in the house in the past. Stanza 3. There are more guests at the table than the host invited. The illuminated hall is thronged with quiet, inoffensive ghosts as silent as the pictures on the wall. So you see again, A, A, B, B. Hall, wall, host. ghost. Okay. Now, what is saying inoffensive? What is inoffensive means? Inoffensive means that they are harmless in every respect. Now, here the gathering inside a haunted house is described and the focus is on the presence of the ghost. So, the first line, there are more guests at the table than the host. It creates a sense of again unease. There's a sense of surprise because it is suggesting that there are unseen and uninvited guests at the dining table. They are present as part of the gathering. Let me show you a photograph. This will give you an idea. Now you see these are all the ghosts. Now there would be some guy. Now this guy seems to be living beings. But these all seem to be ghosts. Okay. They're all ghosts. They're all ghosts. So they are also there as part of the gathering inside the house and look at the lighting. Everything kind of gives you is, you know, it's it's it's a sense of unease. I don't know why I'm finding it very funny. OK, so. So there are more guests at the table, as you found out now, than the host invited that more than the number of people who are invited by the host. There are more guests at the different tables and. So, there is a constant unseen presence inside the house. The illuminated hall is thronged with quiet inoffensive ghosts. What does it mean? It conveys that the ghosts are many. Thronged suggests that it is a crowd. You see, there are quite a few ghosts I showed you in that photograph. So, thronged conveys a sense of crowd. That you know, kaafi bheed hai. Okay, so that's what is being conveyed. And as silent. As silent means that they are. very quiet okay they are not very vocal they are not creating a racket they are not creating too much of noise okay so they are quiet means they are not intruding into the gathering of the people who have been invited by the hosts who are living in that building inoffensive also means that they are just present there they are harmless they are not evil creatures in any way they are as silent as the pictures on the wall So, you know, they are not making a noise. For instance, in the wall, you are seeing these pictures out here. Right. So just like these pictures, they are very silent. They are not making any kind of noise. So it kind of emphasizes the lack of sound by the ghost that they are blending into the background of the house. You know, they are not they can their presence can be felt, but they cannot be seen. And the pictures. On the wall, there is another interesting meaning. Another interesting meaning is that at one point in time, these ghosts may have been part of these pictures. Their photograph may have been in these pictures. It's quite possible that someone like this may have been the person in that photograph also. So it shows that the living and the dead. Please remember this. This is an important point that the living people there in that house and the dead people. are kind of co-existing. There is a sense of co-existence between the people who are dead and the people who are living. And this also adds to the sense of intrigue and mystique of this particular scene. Okay. It also shows that the dead are kind of silently observing the living people now who may have been their grandchildren or great-grandchildren or whatever. Right. Next answer. I hope you are understanding this completely. It takes a lot of effort to do very thorough research. 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. Forms means some kind of shapes. Okay. Perceive means to see or. to feel okay uh now he is talking about the narrator and a visitor now and the contrast is spoken about how the narrator sees or feels perceives and how the visitor sees or perceives so um the visitor who is a stranger okay the this is referring to the visitor to the house so the visitor cannot see the Ghosts, the forms are the ghosts. This is a reference to the ghosts. He cannot see the ghosts or hear the ghostly sounds that the speaker, the narrator of this particular poem is able to experience. The visitor, that is he, the stranger, he can only perceive what is visible. He can see the photographs on the wall, but he cannot see the other people who I just showed you in the photograph above. But the speaker can see and hear not just what is the present, what is what is is meaning the present he but perceives what is while unto me all that has been is visible and clear that is but whereas i am concerned i can see what has visible and what is clear that is but also what has been referring to the past so what has been is a reference to the past tense the ghosts are past inhabitants of the house and the speaker can perceive them you That is see and feel them clearly. But this visitor, the stranger to the house, he cannot see that. So it shows that the speaker has the ability to feel the supernatural. The speaker, I repeat, has the ability to feel the supernatural. And he's also aware of the presence of the past inhabitants of that particular house. So it also makes you wonder that the speaker perhaps is also one of the ghosts. Because he's... Only then he will be capable of seeing the other ghost. Okay, it's a little bit of and that's one of the interesting interpretations I found in my research that you feel that the speaker also may have been one of the ghosts of the who is there inside that particular house. We have no title deeds to house our lands. Owners and occupants of earlier dates from graves forgotten stretch their dusty hands and hold in mortmain. still their old estates now what is he saying now this here now it starts getting a little more complex what mean this particular word out here what does it mean it is a legal term it is a legal rate term which refers to property that cannot be sold or transferred it is like perpetual permanent ownership it is referring to permanent ownership Because it's referring to property that cannot be transferred into some other person's name or it cannot be sold either. So it explores what this particular stanza does is to explore the concept of ownership with a history of past residents. That that house may have been built by a great great grandfather. OK. And it kind of goes on and it is set from the perspective of the ghost. So the first line says we. So now you realize what I said in the last stanza that the speaker seems to be a ghost himself. So now the use of the word we. So now the point being made in this particular stanza. is that the first line is spoken by we, which refers to the ghosts who are inhabiting the house, who are there in the doorway, the passage, etc., etc., the staircase, etc. Title deeds. We have no title deeds. Title deeds are legal documents which are used to prove ownership of a property. You are aware of that. So the statement conveys that the ghosts, in spite of being the former occupants of that particular house, they don't owe... hold any kind of legal ownership anymore because they didn't got so they don't hold legal ownership of that house is what is being conveyed through the word we have no title deeds the second line owners and occupants of earlier dates clarifies that they are the past owners and occupants of that particular house graves forgotten what does it mean it conveys a very powerful imagery which is why i showed you the graves in that photograph the second photograph it conveys a powerful imagery because it imagines the ghosts are buried in graves which are forgotten you have buried them and then you are no longer taking care you are not going there you are not placing flowers etc and praying at the grave of so and so so they are forgotten graves so they kind of reach out with their dusty hands so dusty why dusty why is the word dusty been used now these are the kind of questions which can come the word dusty has been used because you bury them inside the earth so when you are burying them inside the earth you are burying them along with the soil and the mud so they are now inside the earth which is why the use of the word dusty it also conveys the passage of time with the passage of time their hands have also become dusty motwin i already explained to you that it's a legal term referring to property which cannot be sold or transferred so the line and hold in what means still their old estates suggest that the ghost despite being dead despite not being there in the title deeds still cling on to a sense of ownership of their old estates still hold on i repeat still they their names are not in the title deeds but the ghost still hold on as if they're still in ownership of their old estate, the land and the house that they once lived on, once inhabited. So the stanza essentially is conveying what? It is conveying that the ghosts have a, please use this phrase, have a supernatural, have a supernatural claim to that particular house. It also talks about the lingering memories of the inhabitants of the house, the history of the house. and that even after their death even after they have been buried inside those forgotten graves they feel a sense of attachment towards the house that they once lived in so the line essentially is challenging the concept of ownership you may feel people are dead and gone now the ownership is this thing but they feel that it is like mott pain that it cannot be sold or transferred that they still have some kind of a sense of ownership of the house even though entitled deeds their names do not still exist. Okay. So ownership, what you're trying to say, convey, is that ownership is not just a legal document. It is also about the lives that once inhabited that particular space. See, my style of teaching, if you realize by now, I also repeat because the more I say it, it kind of gets locked in your mind space that much better. You know, it's almost like teaching and also revising at the same time. It kind of gets locked in your mind. If you feel it is slow, you can always see it at 1.25x kind of speed. Now, the spirit world and my suggestion, I am not one to kind of be very bothered about likes and all that kind of thing. Someone had said some very interesting phrase that likes on a video on YouTube is like food, but it's not nutrition. OK, so what if you really feel you have gained from this video? and you would like to help which you should what you should do is to share this video over whatsapp etc with your friends classmates you know people who you think because i always believe the more you share you share this video and say that oh i thought i gained from this which i am pretty sure you would uh that much confidence i have on my ability and you share it that student may that classmate may feel that okay he did me a good turn she did me a good turn let me help him or her also with something else so that's what you should do so share this video with your friends is all i say uh this thing so that This spirit is spread, okay? And always remember, okay? Chal, halfway through the poem. The spirit world around this world of sense. You see the word being used two times in the same sentence. World of sense is a reference to the spirit world. You have understood by now. We are talking about the world of the spirits. The world of sense is a reference to the real world. Okay. Ethereal air. Ethereal air. This one is a reference to the otherworldly atmosphere. You know, the world of the ghost. Vaha ka mahal. What is the atmosphere out there? That is what it's referring to. Wafts is a reference of passing lightly. You know, it's a light waft of air. You know, it's like a light passage of air. So this explodes. Now the poem gets complex. This explodes the connection between the physical world, the world of sense, and the world of ghosts, the spirit world. Okay. Now the first line, the spirit world around this world of sense talks of the two worlds as if they exist in parallel. as if they kind of coexist. It's talking about coexistence. So the world of sense refers to the physical world that we are obviously aware of, which we can perceive through our sense of touch, eyes, you can hear everything, right? Smell, everything, touch. The spirit world is not something which you are able to perceive. It represents the space of the dead people, your ancestors most likely. So that is a slightly intangible. It's a little vague. It's a little abstract kind of a world. So the spirit world floats like an atmosphere. It floats like an atmosphere, which is around the earth. It is invisible. But at the same time, it floats like an atmosphere everywhere. It passes lightly through those earthly mists and vapors dense. But it is absolutely essential, a vital breath of more ethereal air. So it is... Absolutely essential for life to flourish on earth. So the spirit world is unseen, but it kind of permeates through the physical world in many senses. So everywhere wafts through. Ka matlab kya hai? It talks about the everywhere-ness, the pervasiveness of the spirit world. Wafts is generally used, is a word used for smell. Okay. So it wafts through the earthy mists and vapors. Suggests once again that it is present everywhere. You can, you know. it is present even though you cannot perceive it um mists and vapors it also is a metaphor for you know it's almost like there is a veil between the two worlds you know if there is a mist when there is a mist uh in winter for instance early morning you go especially in north india you go there is fog there is mist the visibility is poor it's a sims so he has used the word missing papers in that kind of sense that there is a mist because of which you cannot the real world and the other side of the world is the ethereal world the world of those you cannot see it because there is some kind of a curtain of mist between the two so that has been used as a metaphor by the poet out here meaning of the last line a vital breath of more ethereal air it means that the spiritual world is described as ethereal air permeating means it is kind of spreading through the dense mist of our earthly existence you know there is a dense mist okay but it kind of you know it is there all around us so the last line essentially is talking about a vital breath vital breath means it emphasizes the importance of the spiritual world you know just because you cannot perceive it you cannot say it's not important it is important it is a source of vital breath suggesting that it is you Actually, it has a nourishing quality. It is actually giving life. It has a life-giving kind of quality. Ethereal means something which is also spiritual. Okay. When I say life-giving quality means it is something which is important. Ethereal means spiritual. Otherworldly, it is also spoken about in a very spiritual kind of sense. Okay. So, There is an intertwining of the spiritual and the physical. and this kind of creates a sense of mystery and wonder you know whenever there is a mist whenever the visibility is not clear you will wonder what is there i can see the visibility only about 100 meters i don't know whether the road ends there because you can see when you are driving you can see the road only till a particular distance you don't know whether there is a gorge there whether there is a road there you cannot see whether there is a river flowing you have no idea right so you It is basically suggesting that there is more to reality than what we can perceive and the spiritual world plays an important role in our world. I know this is all getting very abstract. So I'm trying to explain to you word by word so that there is clarity at least to what each line means because your questions will be according to that only. It's not going to get more tough. Our little lives are kept in equipos. by opposite attractions and desires the struggle of the instinct that enjoys and the more noble instinct that aspires this means balance okay so the in the first line this is talking about a state of equal balance between opposing forces so he's saying that the concept of balance in human life that are little lights that our usual lives are pulled in different directions, but somehow we maintain a sense of equilibrium. There are different tensions. This project work has to be done. We have to attend some function in the family. So there are different pressures, but we somehow maintain our equilibrium. What creates the sense of balance? Because we are driven by two opposing forces. What are those two opposing forces? Attractions and desires. Please understand this. It's a little important. Not little important, it is important. It's a little complex. Attractions means some kind of enticement, some kind of, you know, allurement. You know, it is some kind of temptation, which has a slightly negative kind of a connotation. So it is talking about our instincts of a slightly base nature. Whereas desires has a positive quality to it because it refers to our aspirations and higher goals. You know, I want to. top my class. So that is something which is a desire. Attraction has a slightly negative connotation to it. Okay. So the struggle of the instinct that enjoys the third line and the more noble instinct that aspires the fourth line. Now these two lines further elaborate on these two opposing forces of attractions and desires. So the instinct that enjoys it kind of represents our desire for pleasure. okay and immediate kind of you know that we want gratification we want fulfillment of that desire and that is something which is a slightly base nature it's a slightly primal kind of a force you know when we just want something which is not considered something which is very positive in its quality so uh the more noble instinct that aspires is the positive quality because it refers to our more lofty goals are aspirations or ambitions etc it is a desire for growth it's a desire to improve oneself and that is what leaves a more lasting impact so our our goal always should be to go after our desires which is of a positive quality than getting tempted by the attractions in our life so basically this stanza is conveying that human life is a pull between oppose our desires and attractions which side you go whether you get pulled by desires which will take you into something more meaningful in life or you get pulled by the attractions which will only take you down and only waste your time and i'm sure all of you can relate to something like this so it is two opposite kind of forces now by talking about both instinct and more noble instinct now this is again an important point you realize he talks about instinct Then he talks about the more noble instinct. So the poet is acknowledging the importance of being human because some individuals may lean towards enjoyment. Some individuals may lean towards ambition, that this is something which I want to achieve in life. So the poet is saying that both of them can coexist and that is the complexity of human nature. And this is what shapes us as a human being. This is what distinguishes A from B from C, right? now for example one of the students who one of the candidates who has got into the upsc of 2023 He was a police constable. He was insulted and humiliated by his circle inspector. And he thought, I am not going to do this. So he kind of appeared for the UPSC, cracked it, and now he's going to be an income tax officer. That's what counts. Or the son of a handloom beaver who passed away due to cancer about six years ago. His mother rolls biddies for a living coming from back of beyond. Karimnagar district of Telangana. He sat for the UPSC and he's among the top 20 or top 30, 17th rank or 27th rank. Now he's going to be an IS officer. He's driven by the desire. He's driven by the lofty ambitions of his life. He has not got pulled by negative energy of attractions. So that is what he's talking about. Each one of you, each one of us also has to be driven by the desires. to do something more meaningful in life instead of getting tempted by the attractions in our life so both of them exist in everyone's life and the desire for and that is what we need to go after the more noble instinct because that is something which is more inspirational that is something that is will take you to a higher level 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. So these perturbations, this perpetual jar. Now this introduces a feeling of disharmony, a feeling of unease within human beings. Perturbations essentially means disturbances or disruptions or disturbances. Okay, both you can use. Jaar suggests a clash or a disagreement. Okay, so it is talking about a sense of disharmony. So it is talking about a constant internal struggle. So the jaar is of earthly wants. You know, jo zarurate hai, what are the needs. Okay, and the jaar. is of earthly wants but the aspirations are high the aspirations where do they come from the aspirations come from you know something which is unseen so the conflict between our earthly wants this one there will be a conflict i want to attend this party but then you also have to achieve a particular goal my friend pulila gopichan the national badminton coach always used to say that you know You cannot aspire to be an Olympic medalist or a world champion in badminton if you also want to attend a party every weekend. You also want to take a break and go on a long holiday with your friends and eat junk food every few days and then also say that I want to win a medal. Used to say that these things cannot coexist. You need to make a choice whether you want a medal and thereby make the sacrifices for that or have a fun life. then you forget about this. These cannot coexist. So that is something which each one of you need to think about. Make correlation of any of these poems or stories with your own life. You'll be able to relate to it that much better. So what he's saying, the poet is saying, is that there is always a conflict between our earthly bonds, which is our desire for physical comfort. Oh, I sleep for 2 hours. I am very sleepy. Or let me just go and see a movie on Netflix. It's okay. But you don't realize that you would waste those two, two and a half hours. And our aspirations high is talking about our ambitions, our goals in life for more meaningful things in life. Come from the influence of an unseen star and undiscovered planet in our sky. This is the metaphorical explanation for the conflict. An unseen star or an undiscovered planet. It's representing an unknown kind of a force. It's an influence on our behavior. It suggests that, you know, our internal struggle is not unique. It happens with everyone. Everyone goes through this kind of an internal struggle. But what the poet is doing is to use the imagery of some kind of a celestial body, some kind of a heavenly body, which is making this influence on us. And that's what, you know, in astrology, we always say, you know, that in your zodiac, this is there. It is Rahu, it is Ketu. Now Ketu are what? They are all celestial bodies as per this concept of astrology which is essentially in Hinduism. So the influence of these celestial bodies on what will happen in your immediate present and immediate future. So it is seen to be associated with destiny of some kind, with fate as seen in astrological signs. So this suggests that the conflict between your desires and aspirations is part of human life, that it would be under some kind of influence. So The moment he talks about celestial stars or undiscovered planet, there is a sense of mistake. You know, if your astrologer tells you, oh because of Rahu in your third house, your next three months are not looking very good. Now you don't know what is there. How is that influencing you? Why is it not influencing my neighbor? Why is it not influencing my brother? Why is it only influencing me? You don't know. These are unexplained kind of things. But the astrologist says that that's what explained and it's only for a period of three months you do this it will this thing now according to science scientists will tell you all this is not believable but there will be people who would say that astrological science is also some kind of a science so that's what he's saying the influence of an unseen star or an undiscovered planet in the sky you don't have any knowledge but they seem to have some kind of influence on what will happen in your life So it all adds a sense of mystique and intrigue and suspense as far as the poem is particular concerned. Now there's also a historical context to this because at the time when this poem was written, you know, there was a popular notion that, you know, celestial bodies have some kind of an influence on human nature, human behavior, what happens in human life and perhaps this is what Longfellow is referring to in this particular line, in this particular stanza. stanza 9 and as the moon from some dark gate of cloud throws over the sea a floating bridge of light across those trim i found this very surprising it started with ghosts in at the dining table and then it moves into something totally unrelated i found one of the reasons why i delayed doing this particular poem's explanation was that i wanted to kind of i revised it in fact four times so that there is clarity in my mind while i'm explaining this because i found it very very as i said complex for want of a better word now uh as the moon from some dark gate of cloud throws over the sea a floating bridge of light across those trembling planks planks is as you know it's a flat piece of wood okay it's a flat piece of wood uh realm means in the region Okay, in the region. Now in the first line, the use of as conveys what? It is a simile. What is the poet trying to say? That he is trying to connect the moonlight on the sea to a bridge between the physical and the spiritual world. The moonlight as on the sea, as the moonlight falling on the sea as some kind of a bridge between the physical and the world of spirit. as the moon he's introducing the comparison he's introducing the comparison dark gives you again a sense of mystery whatever is dark is essentially mysterious the cloud has some kind of a gate like quality you know the cloud is like a gate a gate of cloud uh through which the moon is passing through that gate you know the clouds are like a gate and the moon is passing through that So the moonlight is imagined as some kind of a bridge between the physical and the spiritual worlds. It is constructed by light. Moonlight is essentially light. So it's constructed from light stretching across the sea, floating, a floating bridge of light. Floating again conveys a sense of impermanent. Floating has a sense of being very ethereal and an impermanent kind of a nature, the moonlit path. It is not something there permanent. It's not something physically there. but it is creating a sense of a bridge so the symbol is used to kind of is used to kind of create a sense of wonder a sense of mystique and mystery and the moonlight is not just a source of light across the sea it is creating some kind of a magical pathway please use this phrase it is creating a sense of magical pathway across the surface of the water Across whose trembling plans? Now the speaker is imagining. Fancy means imagination. Okay, he is kind of fancies misimagination, crowding across the trembling plants of the moonlight, moonlit path. Why is it a trembling plants? Because trembling conveys a sense of uncertainty. It conveys a sense of something which is fragile. It is not something which is can be completely dependent upon. Kabhi bhi, it can kind of collapse. So the bridge, while it is very beautiful, thanks to the moonlight, it is not. entirely very stable. Our fancies crowd means that the speaker is not just observing the moonlit path, their fancies are actively drawn to it. Their imagination is drawn to it. He's looking at it and kind of imagining some kind of a world as a bridge. So they're eager to explore where it leads and crowd suggests a rush of curiosity and a desire to venture into the universe. unknown you know our fancies crowd means there is a sense of thronging once again into the realm of mystery and night it talks about the destination of all those imagination of all those fancies so they are drawn towards the realm of mystery and night night and mystery they're almost like together um it conveys the unknown it conveys the unseen something which is not clear you cannot see in the darkness and obviously it's hinting therefore at the spiritual world. Night again conveys a sense of mystique. So the entire stanza, complicated and complex stanza, it is kind of reinforcing the sense of the imagination. Okay. The moonlight is interpreted as a bridge, I repeat. And the use, this is very important. He has kind of ended, after the comma, he has put this dash. It's not a hyphen, it's a dash. It kind of gives you a sense of anticipation. What is he going to write? So he has put a dash at the end of the ninth stanza. So the last stanza, Abyss. Abyss means it is a bottomless hole. That's the meaning of this word. So from the world of spirit, there descends a bridge of light connecting it with this. What does the first two? What do the first two lines mean? so this line uses the moonlit path as a metaphor so from there he has connected it so so means is kind of connecting it that's why the use of the dash so he is saying that the moonlit path is a metaphor for a bridge between the physical world that is with this connecting with this referring to the physical world and the spiritual world so that there is some kind of a connection between the two worlds that's what he's trying to convey over whose unsteady floor that sways and bends one wander our thoughts above the dark abyss so he's saying that this ray again reinforces the metaphorical bridge the moonlit path and the unsteady floor why is he talking about it as an unsteady floor that it is an uncertain it's slightly dangerous kind of a connection and dark abyss is a reference again to the unknown nature of the spiritual world and you know in your mind you know certain things are very subconscious mind it's all very abstract so there is a sense of risk danger mystique mystery so it's like a dark abyss you are not very clear about what these particular thoughts may mean which may come sometimes in your dreams for instance you may get a lot of thoughts which are not very clear that's what this kind of a dark abyss refers to so the poet is trying to convey that communication with the ghost could be risky because of the trembling nature of the bridge. The bridge which is uncertain, it is kind of not very steady, it is not permanent. So any kind of communication with the ghost, with the spiritual world could actually be a potential risk because of the uncertain nature of this bridge which is formed by the moonlight. Okay, with this we come to the end of the poem. As I said, the last five stanzas, please revise it again because it's not something which you can understand in the first go. It will take time. It took me time. Similarly, I've already told you as silent as the pictures on the wall, wherever you will find the use of as or like. Alliteration, impalpable impressions, the M and the P sound, a sense of something, haunted houses. These are all alliterations. Personification. the moon personified as a heavenly being imagery both visual imagery auditory imagery silence of the ghost visual imagery harmless phantoms floating bridge of light these are all visual imagery then the metaphor the spirit world is a metaphor for the realm of the dead or the very intangible intangible means something which is not you know which is very uncertain uh the earthly wants and aspirations high are metaphors for the conflicting forces that drive human behavior right the bridge of light it is used to establish connection between the two worlds the physical and the spiritual world personification is another poetic device which has been used the clouds are personified as having a dark gate adding a sense of mystery and control to the mystery image of the moon repetition is another literary device used uh all that has been emphasizes the speaker's unique ability to perceive the past within the house then finally enjambment which is where a sentence runs without a pause you know it runs from one sentence to the other at the end of the line and this can again create a sense of anticipation and flow and this has been there in many parts of the poem. So with this, we come to the end of this particular poem. I hope I have done justice to it. And as I said, you will need to just revise it a couple of times in order to be able to understand the different themes. So you understand the themes and you relate to it, take down notes that will make the job of understanding this poem and being able to answer questions on it that much easier. Okay, tata, bye-bye. Thank you very much. God bless you.

Number one, I personally think the poem is quite complex, especially the second half of the poem. And I personally feel that this poem should have been part of the ISE class 11 or class 12 syllabus. This is definitely above the class 10 level as far as the toughness quotient is concerned, as far as the complicity quotient is concerned. Number two, please do not expect a 15-20 minute short version, quick fix kind of, kulji kind of an approach explanation on studying with Sudhir. I will do a well-researched, word-by-word line by line explanation so that from my side, I will try to ensure that there is no room for any doubt at the end of the explanation video.

Okay. Because there are 10 stanzas. A 20 minute video will mean that, you know, you don't even devote two minutes. You devote just about two minutes to each stanza, which I personally feel for a poem of this nature is simply not enough. Okay.

So I saw a couple of comments saying that can't you do shorter videos, not shorter videos. I can make this video in 5 minutes. But how much benefit will you get from it?

That is something which you will have to gauge. Okay, so let's get started with the poem detailed explanation. Okay, so let's first talk about the poet. And you should always read the box which is something which I always advise my students to So Henry Wadsworth Longfellow is the name of the poet.

He was considered one of the most prominent American poets of the 19th century. And he reminded Americans of their roots, where they came from. I mean, when you say of their roots, essentially means that he wrote about where they came from, their origin. OK, now what is this poem about?

Now, the poet here talks about all the men who have lived in their houses and died there. And he believes that even after their death, they're still pretty much around. You can feel their presence. So they are the phantoms.

They are the phantoms, the ghost who walks. If you have been used to reading phantom comics, which I don't think children of your generation are, at least we used to. So phantom comics, phantom is known as the ghost who walks.

Okay. So the phantoms who are now living in the haunted houses. They roam about doing their work.

The men who live there now feel the presence of these ghosts at different places in the house. However, they also feel that as if something is moving in the air. Okay, they feel as if something is moving in the air.

Now, this is one of the photographs that I created of a typical haunted house. You see the very eerie looking bats hovering around the house. the trees which have no vegetation so they are all dried up and this kind of a house which gives you a very spooky kind of a feeling you would feel scared in a house like this in a mansion like this okay there are a whole lot of creepers the clouds etc okay now at the same time the texture of the poem is not of a spooky poem it is actually a very sentimental kind of a poem.

While he is talking about ghosts, it is not a typical horror kind of a spooky kind of a poem, which you would normally associate with the subject of this nature dealing with ghosts. It is a sentimental poem. Please use this particular word in your answer that focuses on the fact that spiritual stuff or spiritual is also permanent that just because somebody dies it doesn't mean that that becomes temporary there is also a sense of permanence of the spiritual so the message is that our loved ones always remain with us even after they are dead and gone because they live on in our thoughts in our memories obviously if let's say your great grandfather grandfather is no longer with you you always remember the person right so even after they have gone physically their presence does not go away now the amusing fact which i found in my research is that when a party i mean in this particular point not the next part of point is what i want to talk about When a party is organized, the number of guests is always more than the people who have invited. You have invited 10 people, but there are 14 people. Why?

Because the other four people are actually ghosts. So the uninvited guests are the ghosts. The people sitting by the fireside cannot see them, but the poet can see them.

Now, the interesting part, which I found in my research, is that the 2nd of November is observed as the day of the dead in many countries. On this day... I mean, you have something similar in the Hindu calendar as well. On this day, people remember their loved ones who have passed away and visit their graves. Now, why was Longfellow called a fireside poet?

Now, this is an aside, which generally for your general knowledge, because his poems are meant to be read out as a form of entertainment for the family and the friends gathered by a fireside. I just thought at this time, we just imagine a situation by a fireside. obviously it will be dark you tell these stories about ghosts how would people feel they would feel very involved very engrossed at the same time a little scared and kind of imagining even as longfellow would read out his poem so just get i why i'm telling you all these things before i start the poem is that i want your frame of mind your mindset to be inside the poem to be able to imagine and i'll show you a couple of more photographs which will help you go into the poem visually speaking because I don't believe in you know just telling you words and words. If you are able to imagine something visually, I showed you one photograph, I'll show you two more photographs so that you are able to imagine something visually while understanding the poem.

It will make it more interesting, you will be more involved in the poem. Now let's go through the summary of the poem. What happens in the poem? It's about a deserted house that was once full of life.

It was once full of life means once there were a lot of living beings, human beings there. But now it is abandoned. So all it has is memories of the people who lived there, the past inhabitants.

So now it is described in the poem as a symbol of an earlier time when there was a lot of joy and fun. Now it is a haunted house, haunted by the ghosts. who are the past inhabitants of the same house. Now, see this photograph. It gives you a sense.

A full moon, the bats, you see the windows, etc., which seem to be either broken and there are some curtains, etc., which seem to be in bat shape. You see a lot of these kind of shrubs, which are there on the house. And then you have a ghost, a typical kind of a ghost.

Just imagine. You are listening to this poem around a fireside and suddenly you feel a hand on your shoulder and you look back and you see someone like that. Okay, I just find the thought very amusing. And there you see a lot of graves are also there around the house. So this is an image which has been generated.

I put the text and you get a sense. So just keep this in mind while you are reading the poem, understanding the poem. Okay, the poem focuses on the permanence of the memories, that the memories are permanent, the people have gone away, but the memories are permanent and the importance of those memories.

So the poet is making the point that even though the physical structures may wither with time, you're seeing the building in a rundown, dilapidated kind of a condition, but the memories associated with the people while they lived in that building, in that house, they live on. They persist and they haunt those spaces. They even come and stay with you at the dining table when dinner is being served. So the poem is basically, and please note down this phrase, it's useful for your answers.

See, whatever phrases I've used out here are phrases and words which you can use in your answers. That's precisely the idea behind telling you all this. They're an exploration of nostalgia.

Okay, the passage of time. and the enduring power of memories. Please use this entire line. So the poet is making the reader think about the transient.

Means nature goes away. I mean, life goes away. You know, it's temporary.

And the weight of the emotions of the past, you know, because they stay along with you. They have a particular, I mean, it's not a burden. It is a weight you like to carry.

You think about it. They may cost you some kind of sadness at some point in time, but they may also bring you some. Nice memories of the times gone by.

You know, when you spend time with someone you loved very dearly. The rhyme scheme is ABAB. There is a comfort associated with the regular rhyming always.

ABAB. It imparts a gentleness that is not associated with the notion of haunting. It's not something which is very jerky.

Okay. So Longfellow says all houses are haunted and that makes it a less menacing house. Your house is also haunted. My house is also haunted.

So it's not something which is very unique to a particular house in a particular locality or area. Okay. And it comforts us because it's an acknowledgement of the fact that our loved ones.

continue to walk among us. They don't leave us even though they have been buried, even though you see their graves, but they seem to exist around us. Okay, they occupy our living spaces and silently observe us and feel connected to us all the time. I hope this makes it easy for you to get into the poem.

What are the themes of the poem? This is something which you would need for your longer answer, especially the last answer. Memory and the past.

The poem suggests that the houses have become haunted by the memories of the people who lived and died there. These memories linger like ghosts, creating a sense of the past within the present. OK, so the connection between the past and the present, the inevitability of death.

Everybody has to die at some point of time or the other. So he's acknowledging that people who have lived will eventually become haunted houses because their inhabitants pass away. The power of the place.

OK. So that places hold on to the essence of those who have inhabited them. That there is a strong connection between the human being and the places that they inhabit. So there is a certain sense of power of the place itself.

So there is a connection between the physical space as in the house and the people who lived there. Then the nature of the ghost. So Longfellow is portraying the ghost in a very gentle light. They are not menacing creatures.

They are not out to terrify you. They are not out there to scare you. They are harmless ghosts who glide through the houses. And they are unnoticed by the living people.

They can't see except the poet. And then finally the human nature and its duality. The tussle between. This is the second part of the poem which is a little abstract. I feel because it also talks about spiritual aspirations.

Now let me come to the text of the poem. I hope with the help of the photographs, with the help of whatever I have told you so far, you are in that frame of mind. Now let us get into the text of the poem.

There are 10 stanzas in all. All houses wherein men have lived and died are haunted houses. So he is making a very clear point right at the beginning. Through the open doors, the harmless... Phantoms on their errands glide with feet that make no sound upon the floors.

Okay. So you see the rhyme scheme. Died, glide, doors, floors. Okay.

A, B, A, B. Now haunted means a place which is visited by ghosts and phantoms essentially means ghosts. Okay. Then errands is a short journey. Errands is a short journey.

which is to collect or deliver something. When you are sent to collect something from someone or to deliver something to someone. Okay. Glide means to move.

Where is glide? Yeah. Glide is here.

It means to move easily in a very easy manner. Okay. So these are the three word meanings I wanted to say. Now, please understand and listen to this carefully. Every house has a history.

Okay. It has the memories of the men, the people who lived there. And the poet is calling them as haunted houses. The first line. Okay.

Houses also are a metaphor. Please understand this. I am going slow deliberately.

Houses also are a metaphor for our bodies or life. Being haunted refers to the influence left on our lives by the... people we encounter at different stages we are also one is a house the other thing is also a metaphor that we are like a house and we meet different people at different stages in our life you know you may meet your friends your parents your neighbors your relatives etc etc your classmates everybody now all of them leave a mark on your mind on your personality at different stages of your life okay Those memories also stay on with you. So those memories will also haunt you even after like you pass out of, there will be some classmate who was there in class 8 with you.

Then he or she left and he is no longer with you. But what he said, the time you spent, it is still there as part of your consciousness, your memory. It is locked in the hard disk.

So just like every house has a history, similarly, every person carries the impact and the memories of past influences or interactions. Okay. Through the open doors.

What does this mean? Through the open doors. Through the open doors suggests that the ghosts are not restricted by any kind of physical barriers.

Okay. They can easily pass through any kind of solid objects like doors. I mean, they can just pass through them. Okay.

They don't have to open the door in that sense. And this points to their very, please note down this word, very ethereal nature. Very ethereal nature. And open doors also conveys openness.

But open doors also conveys a sense of vulnerability. But essentially a sense of freedom. Harmless phantoms is a reference to the ghost.

They are individuals who have been part of our lives and have left behind imprints on our life and it could be all kinds of imprints. It could be something which is very important, very meaningful. Sometimes it could just be very subtle. It may not be something very important. So harmless, what does harmless straight away convey?

That they are not to be scared of. They are not dangerous. They are not malicious. Kind of spirits. They exist, but they don't threaten you.

You may feel scared of them, but if you happen to see them, but they are not there to scare you or threaten you in any way. They are not posing a threat to your existence. On their errands, glide.

Now glide, as I said, is referring to a movement which is rather easy in its nature. It's very effortless kind of movement in the air. Now errands such as... That the ghosts seem to have some kind of unfinished business. That there is some work which they have not finished so far.

Okay. So the movement seems to suggest that there is some purpose of their movement. It is not meaningless movement. Errants.

The word errants conveys that there is a purpose behind their movement. It is not meaningless kind of movement. Understood?

feet that make no sound upon the floors it suggests that they don't make their presence felt it's not a very obvious way of because if they are walking on the floor it would make a noise but no okay it is not making any kind of sound so they are not making their presence felt in any way so it reinforces the idea that the ghosts are not physical beings and they do not interact with the physical world in a way by way of creating sound okay so it's a reference to a sound imagery but sound that does not exist so the first stanza what is it doing it is creating a sense of mystery it is creating a sense of mystery it is creating a sense of intrigue okay you wonder what is happening uh that There are those invisible ghosts who are present, but they do not intrude into your life, but they just go about doing some errands, some work or the other, collecting or delivering something they are doing. And you are left wondering at the end of the first answer, I mean, what work could they possibly be doing? What errands they may be on? And by saying all houses, the poet is kind of saying that it is common to everyone.

It is not specific only to a few houses. Let's move to. Stanza two. 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. Again you see A, B, A, B. So what impalpable means something that cannot be felt physically.

Something that cannot be felt physically. Now in this stanza the... lines describe the way the humans encounter the ghostly presence inside the house now the first two lines the first two lines convey that they are everywhere we meet them at the doorway near the door on the way to the door on the staircase and also the passages they come and go as though you know i mean they continue to occupy this space and they continue to be around everywhere in the house so they are everywhere they are not confined only to a single room or only to the terrace or only to the you know some kind of an attic no they are everywhere in the doorway on the staircase and in the passages also and there they encounter the living beings. Impalpable impressions on the air. Impalpable means impossible to touch physically, to feel physically.

So this reinforces the idea what? That the ghosts are not solid presence. They are not something which can be felt in a way.

It is like very faint impressions or feelings in the air. Okay, the essence of something moving to and fro. It again reinforces the very delicate nature of the ghost.

A sense of something. You know, it's not something physical. It's just a feeling, a sense of something.

He's not telling you what that something is. You feel that there is a sense of something which is moving to and through. So people may not see the ghost directly, but they have a feeling that I felt something move by my side. It's a sense of something.

Okay. So the second stanza, then it is talking about this very invisible kind of presence, which creates a sense of, please note this down, a sense of unease. It's not a comfort.

You feel something is there, but you can't see it. So how would you feel? You will feel a sense of unease.

You will feel a sense of uncertainty. Okay. That's what is the thing. So while the ghosts, I repeat, are not scary. But their presence can only be felt, but they cannot be seen.

They are reminder of the, you know, what happened in this house, who lived in the house in the past. Stanza 3. There are more guests at the table than the host invited. The illuminated hall is thronged with quiet, inoffensive ghosts as silent as the pictures on the wall. So you see again, A, A, B, B. Hall, wall, host.

ghost. Okay. Now, what is saying inoffensive?

What is inoffensive means? Inoffensive means that they are harmless in every respect. Now, here the gathering inside a haunted house is described and the focus is on the presence of the ghost.

So, the first line, there are more guests at the table than the host. It creates a sense of again unease. There's a sense of surprise because it is suggesting that there are unseen and uninvited guests at the dining table.

They are present as part of the gathering. Let me show you a photograph. This will give you an idea. Now you see these are all the ghosts.

Now there would be some guy. Now this guy seems to be living beings. But these all seem to be ghosts.

Okay. They're all ghosts. They're all ghosts.

So they are also there as part of the gathering inside the house and look at the lighting. Everything kind of gives you is, you know, it's it's it's a sense of unease. I don't know why I'm finding it very funny. OK, so. So there are more guests at the table, as you found out now, than the host invited that more than the number of people who are invited by the host.

There are more guests at the different tables and. So, there is a constant unseen presence inside the house. The illuminated hall is thronged with quiet inoffensive ghosts.

What does it mean? It conveys that the ghosts are many. Thronged suggests that it is a crowd. You see, there are quite a few ghosts I showed you in that photograph. So, thronged conveys a sense of crowd.

That you know, kaafi bheed hai. Okay, so that's what is being conveyed. And as silent.

As silent means that they are. very quiet okay they are not very vocal they are not creating a racket they are not creating too much of noise okay so they are quiet means they are not intruding into the gathering of the people who have been invited by the hosts who are living in that building inoffensive also means that they are just present there they are harmless they are not evil creatures in any way they are as silent as the pictures on the wall So, you know, they are not making a noise. For instance, in the wall, you are seeing these pictures out here.

Right. So just like these pictures, they are very silent. They are not making any kind of noise. So it kind of emphasizes the lack of sound by the ghost that they are blending into the background of the house. You know, they are not they can their presence can be felt, but they cannot be seen.

And the pictures. On the wall, there is another interesting meaning. Another interesting meaning is that at one point in time, these ghosts may have been part of these pictures. Their photograph may have been in these pictures.

It's quite possible that someone like this may have been the person in that photograph also. So it shows that the living and the dead. Please remember this. This is an important point that the living people there in that house and the dead people. are kind of co-existing.

There is a sense of co-existence between the people who are dead and the people who are living. And this also adds to the sense of intrigue and mystique of this particular scene. Okay. It also shows that the dead are kind of silently observing the living people now who may have been their grandchildren or great-grandchildren or whatever. Right.

Next answer. I hope you are understanding this completely. It takes a lot of effort to do very thorough research. 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. Forms means some kind of shapes. Okay. Perceive means to see or. to feel okay uh now he is talking about the narrator and a visitor now and the contrast is spoken about how the narrator sees or feels perceives and how the visitor sees or perceives so um the visitor who is a stranger okay the this is referring to the visitor to the house so the visitor cannot see the Ghosts, the forms are the ghosts.

This is a reference to the ghosts. He cannot see the ghosts or hear the ghostly sounds that the speaker, the narrator of this particular poem is able to experience. The visitor, that is he, the stranger, he can only perceive what is visible. He can see the photographs on the wall, but he cannot see the other people who I just showed you in the photograph above. But the speaker can see and hear not just what is the present, what is what is is meaning the present he but perceives what is while unto me all that has been is visible and clear that is but whereas i am concerned i can see what has visible and what is clear that is but also what has been referring to the past so what has been is a reference to the past tense the ghosts are past inhabitants of the house and the speaker can perceive them you That is see and feel them clearly.

But this visitor, the stranger to the house, he cannot see that. So it shows that the speaker has the ability to feel the supernatural. The speaker, I repeat, has the ability to feel the supernatural.

And he's also aware of the presence of the past inhabitants of that particular house. So it also makes you wonder that the speaker perhaps is also one of the ghosts. Because he's...

Only then he will be capable of seeing the other ghost. Okay, it's a little bit of and that's one of the interesting interpretations I found in my research that you feel that the speaker also may have been one of the ghosts of the who is there inside that particular house. We have no title deeds to house our lands.

Owners and occupants of earlier dates from graves forgotten stretch their dusty hands and hold in mortmain. still their old estates now what is he saying now this here now it starts getting a little more complex what mean this particular word out here what does it mean it is a legal term it is a legal rate term which refers to property that cannot be sold or transferred it is like perpetual permanent ownership it is referring to permanent ownership Because it's referring to property that cannot be transferred into some other person's name or it cannot be sold either. So it explores what this particular stanza does is to explore the concept of ownership with a history of past residents. That that house may have been built by a great great grandfather.

OK. And it kind of goes on and it is set from the perspective of the ghost. So the first line says we.

So now you realize what I said in the last stanza that the speaker seems to be a ghost himself. So now the use of the word we. So now the point being made in this particular stanza.

is that the first line is spoken by we, which refers to the ghosts who are inhabiting the house, who are there in the doorway, the passage, etc., etc., the staircase, etc. Title deeds. We have no title deeds.

Title deeds are legal documents which are used to prove ownership of a property. You are aware of that. So the statement conveys that the ghosts, in spite of being the former occupants of that particular house, they don't owe... hold any kind of legal ownership anymore because they didn't got so they don't hold legal ownership of that house is what is being conveyed through the word we have no title deeds the second line owners and occupants of earlier dates clarifies that they are the past owners and occupants of that particular house graves forgotten what does it mean it conveys a very powerful imagery which is why i showed you the graves in that photograph the second photograph it conveys a powerful imagery because it imagines the ghosts are buried in graves which are forgotten you have buried them and then you are no longer taking care you are not going there you are not placing flowers etc and praying at the grave of so and so so they are forgotten graves so they kind of reach out with their dusty hands so dusty why dusty why is the word dusty been used now these are the kind of questions which can come the word dusty has been used because you bury them inside the earth so when you are burying them inside the earth you are burying them along with the soil and the mud so they are now inside the earth which is why the use of the word dusty it also conveys the passage of time with the passage of time their hands have also become dusty motwin i already explained to you that it's a legal term referring to property which cannot be sold or transferred so the line and hold in what means still their old estates suggest that the ghost despite being dead despite not being there in the title deeds still cling on to a sense of ownership of their old estates still hold on i repeat still they their names are not in the title deeds but the ghost still hold on as if they're still in ownership of their old estate, the land and the house that they once lived on, once inhabited. So the stanza essentially is conveying what?

It is conveying that the ghosts have a, please use this phrase, have a supernatural, have a supernatural claim to that particular house. It also talks about the lingering memories of the inhabitants of the house, the history of the house. and that even after their death even after they have been buried inside those forgotten graves they feel a sense of attachment towards the house that they once lived in so the line essentially is challenging the concept of ownership you may feel people are dead and gone now the ownership is this thing but they feel that it is like mott pain that it cannot be sold or transferred that they still have some kind of a sense of ownership of the house even though entitled deeds their names do not still exist. Okay.

So ownership, what you're trying to say, convey, is that ownership is not just a legal document. It is also about the lives that once inhabited that particular space. See, my style of teaching, if you realize by now, I also repeat because the more I say it, it kind of gets locked in your mind space that much better.

You know, it's almost like teaching and also revising at the same time. It kind of gets locked in your mind. If you feel it is slow, you can always see it at 1.25x kind of speed. Now, the spirit world and my suggestion, I am not one to kind of be very bothered about likes and all that kind of thing.

Someone had said some very interesting phrase that likes on a video on YouTube is like food, but it's not nutrition. OK, so what if you really feel you have gained from this video? and you would like to help which you should what you should do is to share this video over whatsapp etc with your friends classmates you know people who you think because i always believe the more you share you share this video and say that oh i thought i gained from this which i am pretty sure you would uh that much confidence i have on my ability and you share it that student may that classmate may feel that okay he did me a good turn she did me a good turn let me help him or her also with something else so that's what you should do so share this video with your friends is all i say uh this thing so that This spirit is spread, okay?

And always remember, okay? Chal, halfway through the poem. The spirit world around this world of sense. You see the word being used two times in the same sentence. World of sense is a reference to the spirit world.

You have understood by now. We are talking about the world of the spirits. The world of sense is a reference to the real world. Okay. Ethereal air.

Ethereal air. This one is a reference to the otherworldly atmosphere. You know, the world of the ghost.

Vaha ka mahal. What is the atmosphere out there? That is what it's referring to. Wafts is a reference of passing lightly.

You know, it's a light waft of air. You know, it's like a light passage of air. So this explodes.

Now the poem gets complex. This explodes the connection between the physical world, the world of sense, and the world of ghosts, the spirit world. Okay.

Now the first line, the spirit world around this world of sense talks of the two worlds as if they exist in parallel. as if they kind of coexist. It's talking about coexistence.

So the world of sense refers to the physical world that we are obviously aware of, which we can perceive through our sense of touch, eyes, you can hear everything, right? Smell, everything, touch. The spirit world is not something which you are able to perceive. It represents the space of the dead people, your ancestors most likely. So that is a slightly intangible.

It's a little vague. It's a little abstract kind of a world. So the spirit world floats like an atmosphere. It floats like an atmosphere, which is around the earth. It is invisible.

But at the same time, it floats like an atmosphere everywhere. It passes lightly through those earthly mists and vapors dense. But it is absolutely essential, a vital breath of more ethereal air.

So it is... Absolutely essential for life to flourish on earth. So the spirit world is unseen, but it kind of permeates through the physical world in many senses. So everywhere wafts through.

Ka matlab kya hai? It talks about the everywhere-ness, the pervasiveness of the spirit world. Wafts is generally used, is a word used for smell.

Okay. So it wafts through the earthy mists and vapors. Suggests once again that it is present everywhere. You can, you know. it is present even though you cannot perceive it um mists and vapors it also is a metaphor for you know it's almost like there is a veil between the two worlds you know if there is a mist when there is a mist uh in winter for instance early morning you go especially in north india you go there is fog there is mist the visibility is poor it's a sims so he has used the word missing papers in that kind of sense that there is a mist because of which you cannot the real world and the other side of the world is the ethereal world the world of those you cannot see it because there is some kind of a curtain of mist between the two so that has been used as a metaphor by the poet out here meaning of the last line a vital breath of more ethereal air it means that the spiritual world is described as ethereal air permeating means it is kind of spreading through the dense mist of our earthly existence you know there is a dense mist okay but it kind of you know it is there all around us so the last line essentially is talking about a vital breath vital breath means it emphasizes the importance of the spiritual world you know just because you cannot perceive it you cannot say it's not important it is important it is a source of vital breath suggesting that it is you Actually, it has a nourishing quality.

It is actually giving life. It has a life-giving kind of quality. Ethereal means something which is also spiritual.

Okay. When I say life-giving quality means it is something which is important. Ethereal means spiritual.

Otherworldly, it is also spoken about in a very spiritual kind of sense. Okay. So, There is an intertwining of the spiritual and the physical. and this kind of creates a sense of mystery and wonder you know whenever there is a mist whenever the visibility is not clear you will wonder what is there i can see the visibility only about 100 meters i don't know whether the road ends there because you can see when you are driving you can see the road only till a particular distance you don't know whether there is a gorge there whether there is a road there you cannot see whether there is a river flowing you have no idea right so you It is basically suggesting that there is more to reality than what we can perceive and the spiritual world plays an important role in our world. I know this is all getting very abstract.

So I'm trying to explain to you word by word so that there is clarity at least to what each line means because your questions will be according to that only. It's not going to get more tough. Our little lives are kept in equipos. by opposite attractions and desires the struggle of the instinct that enjoys and the more noble instinct that aspires this means balance okay so the in the first line this is talking about a state of equal balance between opposing forces so he's saying that the concept of balance in human life that are little lights that our usual lives are pulled in different directions, but somehow we maintain a sense of equilibrium.

There are different tensions. This project work has to be done. We have to attend some function in the family. So there are different pressures, but we somehow maintain our equilibrium. What creates the sense of balance?

Because we are driven by two opposing forces. What are those two opposing forces? Attractions and desires. Please understand this. It's a little important.

Not little important, it is important. It's a little complex. Attractions means some kind of enticement, some kind of, you know, allurement. You know, it is some kind of temptation, which has a slightly negative kind of a connotation. So it is talking about our instincts of a slightly base nature.

Whereas desires has a positive quality to it because it refers to our aspirations and higher goals. You know, I want to. top my class.

So that is something which is a desire. Attraction has a slightly negative connotation to it. Okay. So the struggle of the instinct that enjoys the third line and the more noble instinct that aspires the fourth line. Now these two lines further elaborate on these two opposing forces of attractions and desires.

So the instinct that enjoys it kind of represents our desire for pleasure. okay and immediate kind of you know that we want gratification we want fulfillment of that desire and that is something which is a slightly base nature it's a slightly primal kind of a force you know when we just want something which is not considered something which is very positive in its quality so uh the more noble instinct that aspires is the positive quality because it refers to our more lofty goals are aspirations or ambitions etc it is a desire for growth it's a desire to improve oneself and that is what leaves a more lasting impact so our our goal always should be to go after our desires which is of a positive quality than getting tempted by the attractions in our life so basically this stanza is conveying that human life is a pull between oppose our desires and attractions which side you go whether you get pulled by desires which will take you into something more meaningful in life or you get pulled by the attractions which will only take you down and only waste your time and i'm sure all of you can relate to something like this so it is two opposite kind of forces now by talking about both instinct and more noble instinct now this is again an important point you realize he talks about instinct Then he talks about the more noble instinct. So the poet is acknowledging the importance of being human because some individuals may lean towards enjoyment.

Some individuals may lean towards ambition, that this is something which I want to achieve in life. So the poet is saying that both of them can coexist and that is the complexity of human nature. And this is what shapes us as a human being.

This is what distinguishes A from B from C, right? now for example one of the students who one of the candidates who has got into the upsc of 2023 He was a police constable. He was insulted and humiliated by his circle inspector.

And he thought, I am not going to do this. So he kind of appeared for the UPSC, cracked it, and now he's going to be an income tax officer. That's what counts.

Or the son of a handloom beaver who passed away due to cancer about six years ago. His mother rolls biddies for a living coming from back of beyond. Karimnagar district of Telangana.

He sat for the UPSC and he's among the top 20 or top 30, 17th rank or 27th rank. Now he's going to be an IS officer. He's driven by the desire.

He's driven by the lofty ambitions of his life. He has not got pulled by negative energy of attractions. So that is what he's talking about.

Each one of you, each one of us also has to be driven by the desires. to do something more meaningful in life instead of getting tempted by the attractions in our life so both of them exist in everyone's life and the desire for and that is what we need to go after the more noble instinct because that is something which is more inspirational that is something that is will take you to a higher level 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. So these perturbations, this perpetual jar. Now this introduces a feeling of disharmony, a feeling of unease within human beings. Perturbations essentially means disturbances or disruptions or disturbances.

Okay, both you can use. Jaar suggests a clash or a disagreement. Okay, so it is talking about a sense of disharmony. So it is talking about a constant internal struggle.

So the jaar is of earthly wants. You know, jo zarurate hai, what are the needs. Okay, and the jaar.

is of earthly wants but the aspirations are high the aspirations where do they come from the aspirations come from you know something which is unseen so the conflict between our earthly wants this one there will be a conflict i want to attend this party but then you also have to achieve a particular goal my friend pulila gopichan the national badminton coach always used to say that you know You cannot aspire to be an Olympic medalist or a world champion in badminton if you also want to attend a party every weekend. You also want to take a break and go on a long holiday with your friends and eat junk food every few days and then also say that I want to win a medal. Used to say that these things cannot coexist.

You need to make a choice whether you want a medal and thereby make the sacrifices for that or have a fun life. then you forget about this. These cannot coexist. So that is something which each one of you need to think about.

Make correlation of any of these poems or stories with your own life. You'll be able to relate to it that much better. So what he's saying, the poet is saying, is that there is always a conflict between our earthly bonds, which is our desire for physical comfort.

Oh, I sleep for 2 hours. I am very sleepy. Or let me just go and see a movie on Netflix. It's okay.

But you don't realize that you would waste those two, two and a half hours. And our aspirations high is talking about our ambitions, our goals in life for more meaningful things in life. Come from the influence of an unseen star and undiscovered planet in our sky.

This is the metaphorical explanation for the conflict. An unseen star or an undiscovered planet. It's representing an unknown kind of a force. It's an influence on our behavior.

It suggests that, you know, our internal struggle is not unique. It happens with everyone. Everyone goes through this kind of an internal struggle.

But what the poet is doing is to use the imagery of some kind of a celestial body, some kind of a heavenly body, which is making this influence on us. And that's what, you know, in astrology, we always say, you know, that in your zodiac, this is there. It is Rahu, it is Ketu. Now Ketu are what? They are all celestial bodies as per this concept of astrology which is essentially in Hinduism.

So the influence of these celestial bodies on what will happen in your immediate present and immediate future. So it is seen to be associated with destiny of some kind, with fate as seen in astrological signs. So this suggests that the conflict between your desires and aspirations is part of human life, that it would be under some kind of influence.

So The moment he talks about celestial stars or undiscovered planet, there is a sense of mistake. You know, if your astrologer tells you, oh because of Rahu in your third house, your next three months are not looking very good. Now you don't know what is there. How is that influencing you? Why is it not influencing my neighbor?

Why is it not influencing my brother? Why is it only influencing me? You don't know. These are unexplained kind of things. But the astrologist says that that's what explained and it's only for a period of three months you do this it will this thing now according to science scientists will tell you all this is not believable but there will be people who would say that astrological science is also some kind of a science so that's what he's saying the influence of an unseen star or an undiscovered planet in the sky you don't have any knowledge but they seem to have some kind of influence on what will happen in your life So it all adds a sense of mystique and intrigue and suspense as far as the poem is particular concerned.

Now there's also a historical context to this because at the time when this poem was written, you know, there was a popular notion that, you know, celestial bodies have some kind of an influence on human nature, human behavior, what happens in human life and perhaps this is what Longfellow is referring to in this particular line, in this particular stanza. stanza 9 and as the moon from some dark gate of cloud throws over the sea a floating bridge of light across those trim i found this very surprising it started with ghosts in at the dining table and then it moves into something totally unrelated i found one of the reasons why i delayed doing this particular poem's explanation was that i wanted to kind of i revised it in fact four times so that there is clarity in my mind while i'm explaining this because i found it very very as i said complex for want of a better word now uh as the moon from some dark gate of cloud throws over the sea a floating bridge of light across those trembling planks planks is as you know it's a flat piece of wood okay it's a flat piece of wood uh realm means in the region Okay, in the region. Now in the first line, the use of as conveys what? It is a simile. What is the poet trying to say?

That he is trying to connect the moonlight on the sea to a bridge between the physical and the spiritual world. The moonlight as on the sea, as the moonlight falling on the sea as some kind of a bridge between the physical and the world of spirit. as the moon he's introducing the comparison he's introducing the comparison dark gives you again a sense of mystery whatever is dark is essentially mysterious the cloud has some kind of a gate like quality you know the cloud is like a gate a gate of cloud uh through which the moon is passing through that gate you know the clouds are like a gate and the moon is passing through that So the moonlight is imagined as some kind of a bridge between the physical and the spiritual worlds.

It is constructed by light. Moonlight is essentially light. So it's constructed from light stretching across the sea, floating, a floating bridge of light.

Floating again conveys a sense of impermanent. Floating has a sense of being very ethereal and an impermanent kind of a nature, the moonlit path. It is not something there permanent.

It's not something physically there. but it is creating a sense of a bridge so the symbol is used to kind of is used to kind of create a sense of wonder a sense of mystique and mystery and the moonlight is not just a source of light across the sea it is creating some kind of a magical pathway please use this phrase it is creating a sense of magical pathway across the surface of the water Across whose trembling plans? Now the speaker is imagining. Fancy means imagination. Okay, he is kind of fancies misimagination, crowding across the trembling plants of the moonlight, moonlit path.

Why is it a trembling plants? Because trembling conveys a sense of uncertainty. It conveys a sense of something which is fragile.

It is not something which is can be completely dependent upon. Kabhi bhi, it can kind of collapse. So the bridge, while it is very beautiful, thanks to the moonlight, it is not. entirely very stable. Our fancies crowd means that the speaker is not just observing the moonlit path, their fancies are actively drawn to it.

Their imagination is drawn to it. He's looking at it and kind of imagining some kind of a world as a bridge. So they're eager to explore where it leads and crowd suggests a rush of curiosity and a desire to venture into the universe. unknown you know our fancies crowd means there is a sense of thronging once again into the realm of mystery and night it talks about the destination of all those imagination of all those fancies so they are drawn towards the realm of mystery and night night and mystery they're almost like together um it conveys the unknown it conveys the unseen something which is not clear you cannot see in the darkness and obviously it's hinting therefore at the spiritual world.

Night again conveys a sense of mystique. So the entire stanza, complicated and complex stanza, it is kind of reinforcing the sense of the imagination. Okay. The moonlight is interpreted as a bridge, I repeat.

And the use, this is very important. He has kind of ended, after the comma, he has put this dash. It's not a hyphen, it's a dash. It kind of gives you a sense of anticipation.

What is he going to write? So he has put a dash at the end of the ninth stanza. So the last stanza, Abyss. Abyss means it is a bottomless hole. That's the meaning of this word.

So from the world of spirit, there descends a bridge of light connecting it with this. What does the first two? What do the first two lines mean?

so this line uses the moonlit path as a metaphor so from there he has connected it so so means is kind of connecting it that's why the use of the dash so he is saying that the moonlit path is a metaphor for a bridge between the physical world that is with this connecting with this referring to the physical world and the spiritual world so that there is some kind of a connection between the two worlds that's what he's trying to convey over whose unsteady floor that sways and bends one wander our thoughts above the dark abyss so he's saying that this ray again reinforces the metaphorical bridge the moonlit path and the unsteady floor why is he talking about it as an unsteady floor that it is an uncertain it's slightly dangerous kind of a connection and dark abyss is a reference again to the unknown nature of the spiritual world and you know in your mind you know certain things are very subconscious mind it's all very abstract so there is a sense of risk danger mystique mystery so it's like a dark abyss you are not very clear about what these particular thoughts may mean which may come sometimes in your dreams for instance you may get a lot of thoughts which are not very clear that's what this kind of a dark abyss refers to so the poet is trying to convey that communication with the ghost could be risky because of the trembling nature of the bridge. The bridge which is uncertain, it is kind of not very steady, it is not permanent. So any kind of communication with the ghost, with the spiritual world could actually be a potential risk because of the uncertain nature of this bridge which is formed by the moonlight.

Okay, with this we come to the end of the poem. As I said, the last five stanzas, please revise it again because it's not something which you can understand in the first go. It will take time.

It took me time. Similarly, I've already told you as silent as the pictures on the wall, wherever you will find the use of as or like. Alliteration, impalpable impressions, the M and the P sound, a sense of something, haunted houses.

These are all alliterations. Personification. the moon personified as a heavenly being imagery both visual imagery auditory imagery silence of the ghost visual imagery harmless phantoms floating bridge of light these are all visual imagery then the metaphor the spirit world is a metaphor for the realm of the dead or the very intangible intangible means something which is not you know which is very uncertain uh the earthly wants and aspirations high are metaphors for the conflicting forces that drive human behavior right the bridge of light it is used to establish connection between the two worlds the physical and the spiritual world personification is another poetic device which has been used the clouds are personified as having a dark gate adding a sense of mystery and control to the mystery image of the moon repetition is another literary device used uh all that has been emphasizes the speaker's unique ability to perceive the past within the house then finally enjambment which is where a sentence runs without a pause you know it runs from one sentence to the other at the end of the line and this can again create a sense of anticipation and flow and this has been there in many parts of the poem. So with this, we come to the end of this particular poem. I hope I have done justice to it.

And as I said, you will need to just revise it a couple of times in order to be able to understand the different themes. So you understand the themes and you relate to it, take down notes that will make the job of understanding this poem and being able to answer questions on it that much easier. Okay, tata, bye-bye. Thank you very much.

God bless you.

Transcript for:Understanding Longfellow's Haunted Houses Poem

Transcript for:
Understanding Longfellow's Haunted Houses Poem