5.1 About the poem
| Point | Detail |
|---|---|
| poet | Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, American |
| published | 1858 |
| form | ten quatrains, rhyme scheme ABAB, iambic pentameter |
| what makes a house haunted | people have lived and died in it |
| how the phantoms move | they glide, with feet that make no sound |
| where they are met | doorway, stair, passages, hall, table |
| who cannot see them | the stranger at the speaker's fireside |
| what the stranger perceives | "what is" — the present |
| what the speaker sees | "all that has been" — the past (as well as the present) |
| legal terms used | title-deeds; mortmain |
| the unseen influence | "an unseen star, / An undiscovered planet" |
| closing image | the moon's bridge of light over the sea; a bridge of light from the spirit-world |
5.2 The poem's movement
| Stanzas | Focus |
|---|---|
| 1–3 | the gentle ghosts in our homes |
| 4 | the speaker sees the past; the stranger only the present |
| 5 | we do not truly own our houses; the dead keep their claim |
| 6 | the spirit-world surrounds the physical world |
| 7–8 | our inner conflict, caused by an unseen spiritual pull |
| 9–10 | the bridge of light connecting the two worlds |
5.3 Traditional ghosts and Longfellow's ghosts
| Traditional ghosts | Longfellow's ghosts |
|---|---|
| frightening, vengeful, malevolent | harmless, inoffensive, quiet |
| haunt a few dark, ruined houses | haunt all houses where people have lived and died |
| appear at midnight with noise and terror | glide silently, at doorways and dinner tables |
| create fear | create comfort, security and a sense of continuity |
(2025 specimen Q6(v).)