Poem at a glance
- St 1: all houses where people lived and died are haunted; harmless phantoms glide on their errands; soundless feet.
- St 2: met at the doorway, stair, passages; impalpable impressions; something moving to and fro.
- St 3: more guests at table than invited; illuminated hall thronged with quiet, inoffensive ghosts, silent as the pictures on the wall.
- St 4: the stranger at my fireside sees only what is; to me all that has been is visible and clear.
- St 5: no title-deeds; dead owners stretch their dusty hands from forgotten graves; mortmain.
- St 6: the spirit-world floats like an atmosphere; vital breath of more ethereal air.
- St 7: lives in equipoise — the instinct that enjoys vs the instinct that aspires.
- St 8: perturbations, perpetual jar — from an unseen star, an undiscovered planet.
- St 9–10: moon's floating bridge of light over the sea → a bridge of light from the spirit-world; unsteady floor; thoughts above the dark abyss.
- Form: 10 quatrains; ABAB; iambic pentameter. Mood: comfort and security.
Common traps
| Trap | Correct idea |
|---|---|
| The phantoms "slide" | They glide (2025 specimen). |
| The stranger sees the spirits | Only the speaker sees the past (2027 specimen). |
| Only old, ruined houses are haunted | All houses where people lived and died. |
| The ghosts are vengeful | They are harmless, inoffensive, benign. |
| Mortmain means "main road" | It means "dead hand" — permanent ownership. |
| The bridge is steady | Its floor "sways and bends". |