“Ghost House” by Robert Frost
I DWELL in a lonely house I know
That vanished many a summer ago,
And left no trace but the cellar walls,
And a cellar in which the daylight falls,
And the purple-stemmed wild raspberries grow.
O’er ruined fences the grape-vines shield
The woods come back to the mowing field;
The orchard tree has grown one copse
Of new wood and old where the woodpecker chops;
The footpath down to the well is healed.
I dwell with a strangely aching heart
In that vanished abode there far apart
On that disused and forgotten road
That has no dust-bath now for the toad.
Night comes; the black bats tumble and dart;
The whippoorwill is coming to shout
And hush and cluck and flutter about:
I hear him begin far enough away
Full many a time to say his say
Before he arrives to say it out.
It is under the small, dim, summer star.
I know not who these mute folk are
Who share the unlit place with me—
Those stones out under the low-limbed tree
Doubtless bear names that the mosses mar.
They are tireless folk, but slow and sad,
Though two, close-keeping, are lass and lad,—
With none among them that ever sings,
And yet, in view of how many things,
As sweet companions as might be had.
1. The first two lines of the poem serve which purpose?
(a) foreshadow the speaker’s death
(b) establish the premise that the speaker is longing for the past
(c) develop the relationship between the speaker and nature
(d) convey the idea that the past is something to be forgotten
(e) emphasize the need to make an impact on people while alive
2. In context, the phrase “left no trace” in line three suggests which of the following?
(a) death is lonelier than life
(b) people are forgotten after death
(c) human endeavors disappear over time
(d) the soul remembers life after it is finished
(e) there is never any evidence of existence
3. Line 10 (“The footpath down to the well is healed”) marks which shift in tone?
(a) nostalgic to reassuring
(b) mournful to sincere
(c) anxious to awestruck
(d) reflective to sensational
(e) tragic to wondrous
4. What imagery helps the reader infer who the “mute folk” are?
(a) “I dwell with a strangely aching heart”
(b) “Night comes; the black bats tumble and dart;”
(c) “Those stones out under the low-limbed tree”
(d) “With none among them that ever sings
(e) “As sweet companions as might be had”
5. In lines 7-9 (“The woods come back . . . woodpecker chops”), the speaker implies which of the following?
(a) the soul remains on earth after death
(b) life is a continual cycle of birth and death
(c) nature reclaims the land after humans depart
(d) the past is forgotten by both humans and nature
(e) nature is a powerful and rejuvenation force
6. In context, the phrase “left no trace” in line three suggests which of the following?
(a) death is lonelier than life
(b) people are forgotten after death
(c) human endeavors disappears over time
(d) the soul remembers life after it is finished
(e) there is never any evidence of existence
7. Which lines from the poem do NOT help develop the theme?
(a) “I dwell in a lonely house I know”
(b) “the woods come back to the mowing field”
(c) “the whippoorwill is coming to shout”
(d) “they are tireless folk, but slow and sad”
(e) “with none among them that ever sings”
8. Which of the following best describes the speaker’s voice?
(a) abrasive and blunt
(b) feeble and lifeless
(c) lyrical and soothing
(d) tender and warm
(e) wistful and hushed
9. the overall tone of the poem is best described as what?
(a) bitter and pessimistic
(b) contended and resigned
(c) melancholy and reflective
(d) tragic and gloomy
(e) peaceful and nostalgic
10. For the speaker, the “ghost house” represents which of the following?
(a) beloved past
(b) eternal rest
(c) childhood innocence
(d) haven from grief
(e) shelter for the soul
11. The silence of the ghosts in line 28 contrasts with the singing of the whippoorwill in line 16 for which purpose?
(a) the symbolize how completely the past is forgotten
(b) to juxtapose the joy of living with the sadness of death
(c) to emphasize that nature transcends the limits of humanity
(d) to minimize the place of human beings in the life cycle
(e) to justify the speaker’s decision to live alone among the ghosts
