HAUNTED

HOUSES
BY H.W. Longfellow
 Summary
The speaker says that all houses are frequented by ghosts of those who were born there, lived
there and died there. They enter through open doors and do their work while they move
around lightly, without making any noise. The speaker comes across them at various places in
the house – the stairs, the passage way and at the doors. They cannot be seen or heard but
their impressions are there in the air. Even at dinner parties, there are more attendants than
the people invited by the host. These are the ghosts that are present at the dinner table.
Perhaps the speaker is a ghost because he can see other ghosts while the stranger sitting
beside him, next to the fireplace can only see the present living world. The speaker is one of
the ghosts and he says that the ghosts do not own the houses where they visit but they
owned them when they were alive. Now they are buried and forgotten by their offsprings. So
they stretch their hands to grab their houses back and they do not want to give them away to
their descendents. The world of ghosts is like an atmosphere which is wrapped around the
world of the living. The human life is full of desire to enjoy and achieve, this predicament
gives a balance between input and output. The moonlight is like a bridge which connects the
two worlds. At night time, the moonlight gives us dreams and imaginations which guide us
to do the desired actions during the day.
All houses wherein men have lived and died
Are haunted houses. Through the open doors
The harmless phantoms on their errands glide,
With feet that make no sound upon the floors.

Word Meaning
Haunted: visited by ghosts
Phantoms: ghosts
Errands: tasks
Glide: move lightly and smoothly
We meet them at the door way, on the stair,
Along the passages they come and go,
Impalpable impressions on the air,
A sense of something moving to and fro.

Word Meaning
Impalpable: something or somebody that cannot
be felt physically
There are more guests at table than the hosts
Invited; the illuminated hall
Is thronged with quiet, inoffensive ghosts,
As silent as the pictures on the wall.

Word Meaning
Illuminated: lighted
Thronged: crowded
Inoffensive: harmlessy
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.

Word Meaning
Forms: shapes
Perceive: see
We have no title-deeds to house or lands;
Owners and occupants of earlier dates
From graves forgotten stretch their dusty hands,
And hold in mortmain still their old estates.

Word Meaning
Title-deeds: legal documents of ownership
Stretch: spread
Hold in mortmain: hold in inalienable possession
The spirit-world around this world of sense
Floats like an atmosphere, and everywhere
Wafts through these earthly mists and vapours dense
A vital breath of more ethereal air.

Word Meaning
World of sense: real world that can be felt by the
senses
Wafts: passes lightly
Vital: important
Ethereal air: other worldly atmosphere
Our little lives are kept in equipoise
By opposite attractions and desires;
The struggle of the instinct that enjoys,
And the more noble instinct that aspires.

Word Meaning
Equipoise: balance
Aspires: desires
Instinct: natural reaction
Noble: good, virtuous
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.

Word Meaning
Perturbations: mental disturbances
Perpetual jar: here, immortal soul
Aspirations: aim, ambition
And as the moon from some dark gate of cloud
Throws o’er the sea a floating bridge of light,
Across whose trembling planks our fancies crowd
Into the realm of mystery and night,-

Word Meaning
Planks: flat pieces of wood
Fancies: imaginations
Realm: region
So from the world of spirits there descends
A bridge of light, connecting it with this,
O’er whose unsteady floor, that sways and bends,
Wander our thoughts above the dark abyss.

Word Meaning
Descends: comes down
Unsteady: moving
Sways: moves from side to side
Abyss: bottomless hole or space
 Poetic Devices
1. Rhyme scheme – abab

2. Enjambment – When a sentence continues to the next line without

use of any punctuation mark at the end of the line. The device of
enjambment has been used at various instances in the poem.

3. Simile – Comparison between two things using ‘like’ or ‘as’.

inoffensive ghosts,
As silent as the pictures on the wall.
The spirit-world around this world of sense
Floats like an atmosphere
 Poetic Devices
4. Metaphor – an indirect comparison between the qualities of two
things.
this perpetual jar
Of earthly wants and aspirations high
(here, the perpetual jar is used to denote the immortal soul)

So from the world of spirits there descends

A bridge of light, connecting it with this,
(here, the bridge of light is a mysterious bridge which connects the
human world and the ghostly world)
 Poetic Devices
5. Personification – when a human quality is attributed to a non human
or object.
And as the moon from some dark gate of cloud
Throws o’er the sea a floating bridge of light,
(here, the act of throwing personifies the moon)

6. Alliteration – The repetition of a consonant sound at the start of two

or more consecutive words
Haunted houses
Little lives
 Poetic Devices
7. Anaphora – when two or more consecutive lines start with the same
word.
The stranger at my fireside cannot see
The forms I see, nor hear the sounds I hear;

8. Antithesis – when opposite words are closely placed.

lived and died
come and go
To and fro
THE GLOVE &
THE LIONS
BY Leigh Hunt
 Summary
Once there was a King named Francis. He was a kind-hearted king. His favourite sport was
lion fight. He organized the event in the royal stadium. There was a royal audience in the
stands, one being the Count de Lorge and his lover. The king also liked the lady.
As the royal lions entered the arena, they growled, roared and stared at each other. They
showed off their horrible fangs. Soon they entered into a bloody fight, the blows were so
mighty that they blew off the mud into the air. The king commented that all the brave
men were better off in the stand than to be a part of such a ferocious fight.
The Count’s lover overheard the king’s comment and she wanted to show off her lover’s
bravery. She called out to the audience to witness the rare scenario. She would throw her
glove into the arena and the brave count would get it back for her to prove his love. Once
she threw it and smiled at the count, he bowed at her.
The count was quick to jump into the arena and get the glove without allowing the lions
enough time to react. He got the glove and threw it at his beloved’s face. The king
commented that the Count’s action was justified. No true lover will ever put the beloved’s
life in danger. The lady’s act showed her pride in her beauty and thus, she did not love the
Count.
King Francis was a hearty king, and loved a royal sport,
And one day as his lions fought, sat looking on the court;
The nobles filled the benches, and the ladies in their pride,
And ‘ mongst them sat the Count de Lorge, with one for whom he
sighed:
And truly ’twas a gallant thing to see that crowning show,
Valour and love, and a king above, and the royal beasts below.

Word Meaning Gallant: brave

Hearty: good-hearted Crowning: complete / perfect
Royal sport: here, lion fighting Valour: bravery
Sighed: the king was enamoured of A king above: the reference may
the lady’s charms and was jealous of also be to God here
the count
Ramped and roared the lions, with horrid laughing jaws;
They bit, they glared, gave blows like beams, a wind went with
their paws;
With wallowing might and stifled roar they rolled on one another;
Till all the pit with sand and mane was in a thunderous smother;
The bloody foam above the bars came whisking through the air;
Said Francis then, “Faith, gentlemen, we’re better here than there.”

Word Meaning Wallowing: rolling about (in

mud or water)
Ramped: walked on the slope
Stifled: suppressed
Horrid: horrible
Mane: long hair on the neck
Glared: stared angrily
Smother: cover
Beams: pieces of wood / electric
Whisking: taking something
beams (shocking)
somewhere quickly
De Lorge’s love o’erheard the King, a beauteous lively dame
With smiling lips and sharp bright eyes, which always seemed the
same;
She thought, the Count my lover is brave as brave can be;
He surely would do wondrous things to show his love of me;
King, ladies, lovers, all look on; the occasion is divine;
I’ll drop my glove, to prove his love; great glory will be mine.

Word Meaning
Divine: heavenly, here rare
Love: beloved
Drop: throw
Beauteous: beautiful
Glory: cause of pride or pleasure
Lively: full of life, vivacious
or both
Dame: a young lady
Wondrous: wonderful
She dropped her glove, to prove his love, then looked at him and
smiled;
He bowed, and in a moment leaped among the lions wild;
The leap was quick, return was quick, he has regained his place,
Then threw the glove, but not with love, right in the lady’s face.
“By God!” said Francis, “rightly done!” and he rose from where he sat:
“No love,” quoth he, “but vanity, sets love a task like that.”

Word Meaning
Bowed: bent down the head to show Vanity: too much pride in one’s
respect beauty, achievements, etc.
Leaped: jumped Task: job, assignment
Quoth: said
 Poetic Devices
1. Rhyme scheme – aabbcc

2. Simile – Comparison between two things using ‘like’ or ‘as’.

They bit, they glared, gave blows like beams, a wind went with their
paws (the blows given by the lions were so powerful like wooden logs)

3. Anaphora – when two or more consecutive lines start with the same
word.
And ‘ mongst them sat the Count de Lorge, with one for whom he
sighed:
And truly ’twas a gallant thing to see that crowning show,
 Poetic Devices
4. Alliteration – The repetition of a consonant sound at the start of two
or more consecutive words
Ramped and roared
With wallowing
Ladies. Lovers
Great glory
Then threw the
WHEN GREAT
TREES FALL
BY Maya Angelou
 Summary
The poet says that when an old, big tree uproots and falls, the Earth trembles and causes
even the massive rocks to shudder. The fearless animals like the lions also hide behind the
tall grass. Even the mighty elephants run in search for safer places. The smaller animals
and insects hide and remain quiet. Their sense organs stop working due to the intense
fear. Then she talks of the death of great men. When such souls depart, it becomes
difficult for us to breathe. Our senses cannot work. Our vision is unclear and we realize the
pain of such loss. We are reminded of the kindness of these souls, the unfulfilled promises
which we will not be able to fulfil. The part of our life which is attached to these souls also
ends. Our soul which was nurtured by them shrinks and our mind which was formed of
their shining qualities falls apart. This does not make us mad with anger. However, it is so
grave as if we are all alone in a dark cave of sadness. After this initial period of intense
sadness and pain, there is peace. It comes slowly and gradually. There is a kind of electric
vibration of tranquility. It energizes our senses which have an inner talk with us and say
that the great souls once existed and now, we can also achieve that greatness. We can be
great like them because once, they too existed.
When great trees fall,
rocks on distant hills shudder,
lions hunker down
in tall grasses,
and even elephants
lumber after safety.

Word Meaning
Shudder: tremble
Hunker: squat
Lumber: move slowly and awkwardly
When great trees fall
in forests,
small things recoil into silence,
their senses
eroded beyond fear.

Word Meaning
Recoil: shrink
Eroded: worn out
When great souls die,
Word Meaning
the air around us becomes
light, rare, sterile. Rare: here, not in
We breathe, briefly. adequate quantity
Our eyes, briefly, Sterile: here, not good
see with to breathe
a hurtful clarity. Hurtful clarity:
Our memory, suddenly sharpened, understanding which
examines, is painful
gnaws on kind words Gnaws on: continues
unsaid, to remind us painfully
promised walks Unsaid: words which
never taken. remain unspoken
Great souls die and
Word Meaning
our reality, bound to
them, takes leave of us. Bound: attached
Our souls, Nurture: care and
dependent upon their encouragement
nurture, Radiance: bright
now shrink, wizened. qualities
Our minds, formed Wizened: shrivelled
and informed by their Fall away: sag, slacken
radiance, fall away. Dark cold caves: dark
We are not so much maddened caves of despair
as reduced to the unutterable ignorance
of dark, cold waves.
And when great souls die, Word Meaning
after a period peace blooms,
Soothing: comforting
slowly and always Restored: brought
irregularly. Spaces fill back
with a kind of
soothing electric vibration.
Our senses, restored, never
to be the same, whisper to us.
They existed. They existed.
We can be. Be and be
better. For they existed
 Poetic Devices
1. Extended metaphor – When an indirect comparison between the
quality of two things is seen throughout a poem.
Trees have been compared to men.

2. Enjambment – when the same sentence continues to the next line

without the use of punctuation mark at the end of the line

3. Alliteration – the repetition of a consonant sound at the start of two

or more consecutive words.
Breathe, briefly
Much maddened
 Poetic Devices
4. Repetition – the repeated use of a sentence or a word to emphasize
on it
When great trees fall
When great souls die
They existed, they existed
Be and be
A CONSIDERABLE
SPECK
BY Robert Frost
 Summary
Once the narrator was writing on a white sheet of paper when a tiny dust particle flew
over the sheet. Initially, he considered that it had blown off due to his breath but on closer
look, he realized that the particle was running here and there and that it was a tiny insect.
The insect could think and was trying to save itself. It ran and at times stopped due to the
fear of the narrator’s pen. The it reached the area where the narrator had written and the
ink was still wet. The insect smelt or drank the ink. It disliked it because it turned and tried
to fly away. The tiny being tried various ways to save itself, its confidence reduced when it
realized that it could not save itself. The creature was too small to have feet but it did have
a pair with which it ran wildly to save itself. Finally, it bowed to the narrator’s will and
surrendered itself in the middle of the sheet. The narrator was not an animal lover, the
type of people who fought for animal rights and showed that they had a lot of love for
these beings. He simply felt that the tiny insect was harmless. So, he did not fiddle with it.
He let it be there and waited for the insect to go to sleep. The narrator has the ability to
think and he recognizes when he sees the display of intelligence by anyone. This insect’s
display of intelligence to save itself is appreciated by the poet.
A speck that would have been beneath
Word Meaning
my sight
On any but a paper sheet so white Speck: a very small
Set off across what I had written there. spot / a small piece of
And I had idly poised my pen in air dirt
To stop it with a period of ink Set off: ran
When something strange about it Idly: without any
made me think, purpose, lazily
This was no dust speck by my Poised: held steady
breathing blown, Unmistakably:
But unmistakably a living mite undoubtedly
With inclinations it could call its own. Mite: a very small
insect
Inclinations: feelings
It paused as with suspicion of my pen, Word Meaning
And then came racing wildly on again
To where my manuscript was not yet Racing: running
Manuscript: piece of
dry;
written text
Then paused again and either drank Paused: stopped
or smelt- Loathing: strong
With loathing, for again it turned to dislike or hatred
fly. Plainly: clearly
Plainly with an intelligence I dealt.
It seemed too tiny to have room for Word Meaning
feet, Room: here, space
Yet must have had a set of them A set of them: here, a set of
complete feet
Terror: fright
To express how much it didn’t want to Cunning: cleverness
die. Faltered: walked with less
It ran with terror and with cunning confidence
Hesitate: uncertain /
crept. reluctant
It faltered: I could see it hesitate; Cower down: hand down
Then in the middle of the open sheet and move backward in fear
Desperation: a state of
Cower down in desperation to accept hopelessness which leads
Whatever I accorded it of fate. to extreme behaviour
Accorded: granted
I have none of the tenderer-than- Word Meaning
thou
tenderer-than-thou:
Collectivistic regimenting love more loving / delicate
With which the modern world is than you are (attitude)
being swept. Collectivistic:
But this poor microscopic item concerned with some
now! group, class or society,
not individuals
Since it was nothing I knew evil of
Regimenting:
I let it lie there till I hope it slept. something imposed
strictly by the state or
Swept: strongly affected society
Microscopic item: almost invisible
insect (mite)
I have a mind myself and Word Meaning
recognize Mind: Ability to think
Mind when I meet with it in any Guise: Cover
guise Display of Mind: show
No one can know how glad I am of intelligence
to find
On any sheet the least display of
mind.
Poetic Devices
1. Rhyme scheme- irregular rhyme has been used

2. Oxymoron – the adjective used for a noun is contrary to the

noun’s qualities.
‘Considerable speck’

3. Imagery – visual imagery has been deployed to show the mite’s

movement.
Poetic Devices
4. Alliteration – repetition of a consonant sound at the start of two
or more consecutive words.
Been beneath
Cunning crept
Made me
With which
Breathing blown
Mind myself
Something strange
Could call
My manuscript
Too tiny
Have had
Poetic Devices
5. Anaphora – two or more consecutive lines start with the same
word
I let it lie there till I hope it slept.
I have a mind myself and recognize

6. Inversion – the structure of the sentence is altered

This was no dust speck by my breathing blown,
Plainly with an intelligence I dealt.
Yet must have had a set of them complete
On any sheet the least display of mind
Poetic Devices
7. Enjambment – when the same sentence continues to the next
lines and the lines do not have any punctuation mark in the end.
Enjambment has been used at various places in the poem.
THE POWER OF
MUSIC
BY Sukumar Ray
 Summary
During the summer season, one can hear the song of Bhisma Lochan Sharma. It is loud
and can be heard from Delhi to Burma. His voice is not pleasant. So it seems that perhaps
he has lost a bet and has to sing because of that or he has decided to sing forcefully. The
people are confused and cannot think properly due to the unpleasant song. They run
around to save themselves and a stampede occurs. Their faces are pale and they look ill
due to Bhisma’s unpleasant voice. They request him to stop singing. Even the animals are
affected by the loud noise. The bullock carts get overturned and the horses come out on
the roads. But the singer continues. The animals disliked the sound of his song as soon as
they heard it. They cry in revolt and even raise their feet in the air. The fishes try to escape
the noise by diving deep into the water. Even the tree trembles and gets uprooted. The
thud sound can be heard even a mile away. The birds flying in the sky overturn. All the
people cry and request Bhisma to stop or else they will die. The sky also weeps on hearing
his noise. A wise male goat appears. He attacks Bhisma with his horns. Its bellow sound is
similar to the noise made by Bhisma. Bhisma is thrown up in the air, and he rotates
around. Thus Bhisma stops and the world gets a gift of silence
When summer comes, we hear the Word Meaning
hums
Bhisma Lochan Sharma. Hums: sings
You catch his strain on hill and plain
Strain: song / music
Staked: put on bet
from Delhi
Hell-bent: determined,
down to Burma.
stubborn
He sings as though he’s staked his Dazed: unable to think
life, he sings clearly
as though he’s hell-bent; Retire: leave
The people, dazed, retire amazed Amazed: greatly
although they surprised
know it’s well-meant.
They’re trampled in the panic rout or Word Meaning
languish
pale and sickly, Trampled: crushed
Panic rout: stampede
And plead ‘My friend, we’re near our
Languish: force to
end, oh
suffer
stop your singing quickly! ‘ Sickly: ill
The bullock-carts are overturned, and Plead: request
horses Near our end: have lost
line the roadside; patience
But Bhisma Lochan, unconcerned, ‘booming out his
goes broadside’: sings in
booming out his broadside. such a loud voice that
sounds harsh to others
The wretched brutes resent the blare Word Meaning
the hour
they hear it sounded, Wretched: pitiful
Brutes: animals (horses)
They whine and stare with feet in air
Resent: protest
or wonder
Blare: loud, unpleasant
quite confounded. noise
The fishes dived below the lake in Whine: cry out
frantic search Confounded: highly
for silence, upset
The very trees collapse and shake – Dived: plunge down
you hear the Frantic: desperate
crash a mile hence – Collapse: fall down
Crash: loud sound (thud)
And in the sky the feathered fly turn Word Meaning
turtle while
they’re winging, Feathered fly: birds
Turn turtle: go upside
Again we cry, ‘We’re going to die, oh
down
won’t you
Winging: flying
stop your singing? Soared: sang so loudly
But Bhisma’s soared beyond our Grumble: complain in an
reach, howe’er unpleasant way
we plead and grumble; Welkin: sky
The welkin weeps to hear his Screech: loud, unpleasant
screech, and mighty sound
mansions tumble. Mighty: strong
Mansions: buildings
Tumble: fall down
But now there comes a billy goat, a Word Meaning
most
sagacious fellow, Billy goat: male goat
Sagacious: wise
He downs his horns and charges
Downs: put down
straight, with
Charges: hits
bellow answ’ring bellow. Bellow: shout in a loud
The strains of song are tossed and voice
whirled by Whirled: circled
blast of brutal violence, Tossed: thrown up in the
And Bhisma Lochan grants the world air
the golden
gift of silence.
Poetic Devices
1.Rhyme scheme – abcb

2.Personification – Horses, sky and goat have been personified.

3.Alliteration – Welkin weeps

He’s hell-bent Hear his
Booming out his broadside Mighty mansions
Feathered fly His horns
Turn turtle Strains of song
Stop your singing Blast of brutal
Golden gift
Thank You !