Poetry Unbound Poetry Unbound Bonus — Walter de la Mare
Mar 9, 2026
A tender reading of Walter de la Mare's moonlit poem brings a haunting nocturnal scene to life. Reflections follow on why speaking aloud matters and the compulsion to declare a visit. Listener memories and a playful focus on horse imagery and alliteration add personal warmth. Closing notes outline future plans and ways to follow the creator's work.
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Childhood Memory Of Learning The Poem
- Pádraig Ó Tuama recounts memorizing Walter de la Mare's "The Listeners" at age 11 and being captivated by its sound and drama.
- He describes the poem's opening scene: a traveller knocking on a moonlit door while his horse champs the forest grass, which enchanted him as a child.
Speaking Into Absence As Bearing Witness
- The poem frames unseen presences as listeners who respond with silence, highlighting speaking into absence as an act of witness.
- Pádraig notes the traveller's insistence — "Tell them I came" — as bearing witness even when only phantom listeners remain.
The Poem Shows The Need To Speak Aloud
- Pádraig interprets the poem as showing we need to speak things aloud, sometimes to the dead or to silence itself.
- He suggests the poem knows inner needs to voice commitments, giving the traveller's words moral and emotional weight.
