4.1 Word bank
| Word / phrase | Meaning in the poem |
|---|---|
| wherein | in which |
| haunted | visited by ghosts |
| phantoms | ghosts, spirits |
| errands | small tasks; journeys made for a purpose |
| glide | move smoothly and silently |
| impalpable | that cannot be touched or felt physically |
| impressions | faint feelings or effects |
| to and fro | backwards and forwards |
| illuminated | lit up |
| thronged | crowded |
| inoffensive | harmless, not causing offence |
| fireside | the area round a fireplace; home |
| perceives | sees, notices, understands |
| unto me | to me |
| title-deeds | legal documents proving ownership of property |
| occupants | people who live in a place |
| of earlier dates | of former times |
| mortmain | "dead hand": permanent ownership of property that can never be transferred |
| estates | large properties with land |
| world of sense | the physical world known through the five senses |
| atmosphere | the air surrounding the earth |
| wafts | carries gently through the air |
| vapours (vapors) | mists, clouds of moisture |
| dense | thick |
| vital | life-giving |
| ethereal | extremely light and delicate; heavenly |
| equipoise | balance between opposing forces |
| instinct | a natural urge |
| aspires | aims high, longs for something noble |
| perturbations | disturbances, agitation |
| perpetual | never-ending |
| jar | a clash, a jolt |
| aspirations | high hopes and ambitions |
| o'er | over |
| planks | long flat pieces of wood (here, of the bridge) |
| fancies | imaginations |
| realm | kingdom, region |
| descends | comes down |
| abyss | a deep, bottomless pit; the unknown |
4.2 Phrases and expressions
| Expression | Meaning |
|---|---|
| on their errands | going about their business |
| to and fro | back and forth |
| more guests … than the hosts invited | uninvited spirits at the table |
| what is / all that has been | the present / the past |
| stretch their dusty hands | reach out from the grave |
| hold in mortmain | keep permanent possession |
| this world of sense | the physical world |
| kept in equipoise | held in balance |
| a floating bridge of light | the path of moonlight across the sea |
| the dark abyss | the mystery of death and the unknown |
4.3 Figures of speech
| Line | Figure of speech |
|---|---|
| "The harmless phantoms on their errands glide" | personification (ghosts with errands); oxymoron-like contrast (harmless phantoms) |
| "Impalpable impressions on the air" | alliteration |
| "As silent as the pictures on the wall" | simile |
| "From graves forgotten stretch their dusty hands" | personification; imagery |
| "hold in mortmain still their old estates" | metaphor |
| "The spirit-world … Floats like an atmosphere" | simile |
| "These perturbations, this perpetual jar" | alliteration |
| "an unseen star, / An undiscovered planet in our sky" | metaphor |
| "the moon from some dark gate of cloud" | metaphor (gate of cloud) |
| "a floating bridge of light … trembling planks" | metaphor; personification (trembling) |
| "And as the moon … So from the world of spirits" | extended simile |
| "Wander our thoughts above the dark abyss" | personification; inversion |
4.4 Form and sound
| Feature | In the poem |
|---|---|
| stanzas | ten quatrains (four-line stanzas) |
| rhyme scheme | ABAB in every stanza (died/glide, doors/floors) |
| metre | iambic pentameter (five da-DUM beats per line) |
| structure | stanzas 1–5: the house and its ghosts; stanzas 6–10: the spirit-world and the soul |
| tone | calm, reflective, reassuring |