Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained

"The Ghosts of the House" by William Meredith is a contemplative and poignant meditation on the presence of past spirits within the spaces we inhabit, particularly within a home filled with love and life. The poem explores themes of memory, love, mortality, and the invisible yet palpable presence of those who have gone before us. Through vivid imagery and an introspective tone, Meredith reflects on the relationship between the living and the spectral, the seen and the unseen.

The poem opens with an invocation to "Enabling love," described as the "roof of this drafty hutch." This metaphor suggests that love provides shelter and warmth, protecting the inhabitants of the home from the metaphorical drafts of life. The speaker acknowledges the presence of "children and friends and pets," but focuses particularly on "the dear one asleep beside me now," referring to a partner who shares the bed. The intimate image of the "warm body-house I sack like a Hun / nightly in your service" introduces a raw, almost primal aspect of physical love, highlighting the vulnerability and intimacy within the relationship.

The speaker then addresses the "haunts who stay with us here," acknowledging the presence of ghosts or spirits within the home. These entities are depicted as existing in "a little space for a long while," suggesting a confined, timeless existence. The ghosts are described as being "wakeful when we sleep," a poignant image that underscores their perpetual presence and watchfulness. They "avert their sad glance / when we're clumsy with one another," indicating a sympathetic yet distant observation of the living's imperfections and mistakes.

The ghosts are depicted as looking at "something we can't look at yet," perhaps alluding to a knowledge or awareness beyond the grasp of the living. The poem hints at a shared physical space, as the ghosts "creak the boards beside the bed we creak," suggesting a parallel existence that intersects with the material world. The phrase "in some hard durance" conveys the idea of enduring a difficult or constrained existence, a state of being that the ghosts inhabit.

The speaker empathizes with the ghosts, wondering, "And if we're weary at night, what must they be?" This rhetorical question expresses compassion for the ghosts' unending vigilance and perhaps their unfulfilled desires. The speaker then offers a plea to "Bed them like us at last under your roof," asking for the ghosts to find rest and peace, just as the living do.

The poem continues with a reflection on the universal journey of lovers, set by a stern force—possibly fate or the universe—to "walk the hallways of the world-hutch for a lucky while." This imagery evokes the idea of life as a temporary, shared experience, with lovers traversing the world's corridors, experiencing the fleeting nature of existence. The speaker expresses a wish for the spirits to experience a similar kindness: "speaking good of our short durance here, / wishing our sibling spirits nothing but good." This line highlights the desire for compassion and goodwill, both for the living and the spectral.

The speaker makes a heartfelt request for the ghosts to "see these chambers once with the daylight eyes you lend to lovers for our mortal time." This request suggests a longing for the ghosts to experience the fullness of life, with all its vibrancy and warmth, which is often associated with the perspective of lovers. The poem concludes with a poignant wish: "Or change some loveless stalker into me / before my bone-house clatters into lime." Here, the speaker contemplates the transformation of a "loveless stalker"—a ghost or spirit—into a living person capable of experiencing love, even if it means taking the speaker's place before their body decays into dust.

"The Ghosts of the House" is a meditation on the thin veil between the living and the dead, and the enduring presence of those who have passed on. Meredith explores the interplay between the physical and the ethereal, the temporary and the eternal, and the capacity for love and compassion to bridge these realms. The poem's introspective and empathetic tone invites readers to consider the presence of unseen forces in their lives and the shared human experience of love, memory, and mortality.

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