What is the meaning of this poem?
Title: The Old Stone House
Author: Walter De la Mare [More Titles by De la Mare]
Nothing on the grey roof, nothing on the brown,
Only a little greening where the rain drips down;
Nobody at the window, nobody at the door,
Only a little hollow which a foot once wore;
But still I tread on tiptoe, still tiptoe on I go,
Past nettles, porch, and weedy well, for oh, I know
A friendless face is peering, and a still clear eye
Peeps closely through the casement
as my step goes by.
Thanks.
it sounds to me like a little boy has been dared to go up to (or possibly in) an old, dilapidated house.
the ‘haunted’ house.
hes scared (tiptoe).
1st 2 lines–the roof is so old its two-toned, and rain can leave a green mold.
2nd 2–it looks like no ones there, and no one has even visited for a long time… ‘little hollow’–a worn spot on a step or the porch showing that once upon a time, people did visit there)
3rd line–the yard is overgrown–doesn’t even get mowed. the well puts us in an older time period for the setting. (late 19th, early 20th century?)
last 3 lines–i think he sees the unfriendly face peering out at him as he creeps by (for oh, i know), but not for a while. and i believe it an old person “..a STILL clear eye”
nice visual.
very nice.
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