Samacheer Kalvi Class 7 English Solutions Term 1 Poem 2 The Listeners

Warm Up (Text Book Page No. 102)

Question. You are walking into a grove at 12 noon. You feel that somebody is following you. When you look behind, nobody is there. How would you feel? What would you do? Share it in the class.
Answer: If I were walking in a grove at noon and felt someone following me but saw no one, I would feel quite scared and worried. My heart would pound fast. To feel safer, I would immediately pray to God for protection from any bad spirits or unknown dangers. This would give me a sense of peace in a confusing moment.
In simple words: I would feel afraid and pray to God to keep me safe if I felt someone was following me but saw no one.

🎯 Exam Tip: When sharing personal feelings, use vivid but simple words to describe your emotions and actions, making sure they are appropriate for the scenario.

Textual Exercise

Question B. Find a line from the poem to match the pictures given below and write it in the blank.
Answer: The lines from the poem that match the pictures are:
- And his horse in the silence champed the grasses.
- That dwelt in the lone house then.
- And he smote upon the door again a second time.
- But only a host of phantom listeners.
- Where he stood perplexed and still.
In simple words: The task is to find the exact sentences from the poem that describe what each picture shows.

🎯 Exam Tip: When matching lines to descriptions, carefully read each line and visualize the scene it describes to ensure it fits perfectly with the given image or context.

D. Answer the Following Questions.

Question 1. Who is the speaker?
Answer: The poet is the speaker of the poem. They are the one telling the story and describing what happens.
In simple words: The poet is the person speaking in the poem.

🎯 Exam Tip: Identifying the speaker helps understand the perspective and tone of the poem. In this case, it's the poet narrating.

Question 2. What was the horse doing?
Answer: The horse was biting and chewing the grass very loudly. Its actions created a distinct sound in the quiet environment, which was one of the few sounds heard.
In simple words: The horse was eating grass noisily.

🎯 Exam Tip: Notice details like sounds and actions, as they often contribute to the atmosphere and setting of a poem or story.

Question 3. Who were the listeners?
Answer: The listeners were a group of phantom, or ghost, figures. They silently gathered inside the house, unseen by the Traveller, creating a mysterious presence.
In simple words: Ghostly figures, or phantoms, were the listeners.

🎯 Exam Tip: Understanding who the "listeners" are is key to grasping the central mystery and theme of the poem.

Question 4. How did the Traveller feel when nobody answered?
Answer: The Traveller felt confused and stood very still when no one answered his knocks. He was likely puzzled and a bit uneasy about the silence and lack of response. His stillness showed his bewilderment.
In simple words: The Traveller felt confused and stood still because no one replied to him.

🎯 Exam Tip: Pay attention to characters' reactions to events, as this reveals their personality and the mood of the text.

Question 5. What kind of feeling does the poem create?
Answer: The poem creates a mysterious and somewhat eerie feeling. It makes the reader feel a sense of suspense and wonder about what truly happened at the house. The atmosphere is mystical, leaving a lingering sense of the unknown.
In simple words: The poem creates a mysterious and spooky feeling.

🎯 Exam Tip: When asked about the "feeling" or "mood" of a poem, think about the words the poet uses and how they make you feel as you read.

E. Work in Pairs And Answer The Questions Given Below.

Question 1. Of the forest's ferny floor. Pick out the words alliterated.
Answer: The words that show alliteration are "forest's," "ferny," and "floor." These words all start with the 'f' sound, which creates a musical effect in the line.
In simple words: The alliterated words are 'forest's', 'ferny', and 'floor' because they all start with the same 'f' sound.

🎯 Exam Tip: Alliteration happens when words close together start with the same sound. Look for repeating consonant sounds at the beginning of words.

Question 2. Pick out the rhyming words from the poem.
Answer: Some rhyming words from the poem are: head - said, sill - still, and then - men, hall - call. These pairs of words have similar ending sounds, which adds a rhythm to the poem.
In simple words: Rhyming words are 'head' and 'said', 'sill' and 'still', 'then' and 'men', and 'hall' and 'call'.

🎯 Exam Tip: To find rhyming words, listen for similar sounds at the end of words, especially at the end of lines in a poem.

Question 3. Write the words which are used to create a sense of mystery.
Answer: Words used to create a sense of mystery include: "no one descended," "no head," "a host of phantom listeners," "quiet of the moonlight," "dark stair," and "air stirred and shaken." These words paint a picture of an eerie, unknown presence. They make the reader feel like something unseen is happening.
In simple words: Words like "no one descended," "phantom listeners," "quiet moonlight," and "dark stair" make the poem feel mysterious.

🎯 Exam Tip: Authors use specific words to build atmosphere; look for adjectives, verbs, and nouns that suggest strangeness, silence, or the unknown to identify mystery-creating words.

Writing (Text Book Page No. 128)

Question F. Discuss in groups. Draw the haunted house described in the poem and write a paragraph about it in your own words.
Answer: The haunted house stands alone at the very top of a hill. There are no signs of people living nearby, making it feel isolated. Bats fly around above the house in the moonlight, adding to its spooky feel. All the trees around it are dead and without leaves, making the place look bare and lifeless. Even though it might seem old, the poem makes it sound almost new, which makes it even scarier to imagine. It feels as if this house is truly home to ghosts, just as the poem suggests. Such an image helps to intensify the eerie atmosphere.
In simple words: The house is on a hill with no people around. Bats fly there, and the trees are dead. It looks scary, like ghosts live there.

🎯 Exam Tip: When describing a scene, use sensory details (what you see, hear, feel) to make your writing vivid and help the reader imagine it clearly.

7th English Guide The Listeners Additional Appreciation Questions Answers

Question 1. And he smote upon the door again a second time. Is there anybody here? he said.
(a) What did the poet do?
(b) What did he say?
Answer:
(a) The poet knocked on the door loudly. He did this to try and get someone from inside the house to come out or respond. He wanted to make sure his presence was noticed.
(b) He asked, "Is there anybody here?" He wanted to know if anyone was inside the house before entering or leaving.
In simple words: (a) The poet knocked hard on the door. (b) He asked if anyone was inside.

🎯 Exam Tip: For quote-based questions, accurately recall both the action performed and the exact words spoken, as shown in the text.

Question 2. No head form the leaf-fringed sill Leaned over and looked into his grey eyes, Where he stood perplexed and still.
(a) Did the poet get any response from the house?
(b) Pick-out rhyming words in the above lines.
(c) How did the poet stand when there was no response?
Answer:
(a) No, the poet did not get any response from the house. There was complete silence, indicating no one answered his call.
(b) The rhyming words in these lines are "sill" and "still." They share the same ending sound, giving the lines a rhythmic quality.
(c) When there was no response, the poet stood confused and without moving. His stillness showed his bewilderment at the silence.
In simple words: (a) No, the poet got no answer. (b) "Sill" and "still" rhyme. (c) He stood still and confused because no one replied.

🎯 Exam Tip: When analyzing lines, identify direct answers to questions about events and feelings, and actively look for sound devices like rhyme for literary analysis.

Question 3. But only a host of phantom listeners That dwelt in the lone house then
(a) In the opinion of the poet who dwelt in the lone house?
Answer: (a) In the poet's opinion, a group of ghost listeners lived in the lonely house. He felt the house was surrounded by these unseen spirits. This creates a sense of mystery and adds to the eerie atmosphere.
In simple words: The poet believed that ghost listeners lived in the quiet house.

🎯 Exam Tip: For questions asking for the "poet's opinion," infer their perspective from the descriptive words and atmospheric details used in the poem.

The Listeners Summary in English

A traveler and his horse arrived at a house late at night. The traveler knocked on the door twice, hoping to find someone inside. However, no one answered his call except for a bird and a group of ghost-like listeners. The lonely traveler received no response from anyone inside, leaving him alone with the silent, unseen phantoms.

The Listeners Summary in Tamil

குதிரையில் வந்த பயணி, இரவு நேரத்தில், வழியில் ஒரு வீடு இருப்பதை கண்டான். வீட்டில் யாரேனும் உள்ளனரா என்று அறிய இருமுறை கதவை தட்டினான். ஒரு பறவையும் தனி வீட்டில் உள்ள ஆவிகளின் கூட்டம் தவிர வேறு யாரும் பயணியின் குரலைக் கேட்க அங்கு இல்லை. தனியாக வந்த பயணியின் குரலுக்கு யாரும் பதில் அளிக்கவில்லை

The Listeners About The Author In English

Walter de la Mare (1873-1956) was an English writer known for his poetry, short stories, and novels. He is especially famous for his works written for children. His poem 'The Listeners' is considered to be his most well-known piece. He had a great imagination.

The Listeners About The Author In Tamil

வால்ட்டர் டி லா மேர் ஓர் ஆங்கிலக் கவிஞரும், சிறுகதை எழுத்தாளரும், நாவலாசிரியரும் ஆவார். குழந்தைகளுக்கான அவருடைய படைப்புகளுக்காக அவர் பெரிதும் அறியப்படுகிறார். 'உற்றுக்கேட்பவர்கள்' என்னும் கவிதை அவருடைய மிகப் புகழ்பெற்ற கவிதையாகக் கருதப்படுகிறது.