This poem by Walter de la Mare is a hauntingly beautiful exploration of the mysterious presence of unseen listeners in the night. It is a lyrical meditation on the idea of being heard and understood, even in the darkness and silence of the night. The poem is written from the perspective of a
Walter John de la Mare was an English poet, short story writer and novelist. He is probably best remembered for his works for children, for his poem "The Listeners", and for his psychological horror short fiction, including "Seaton's Aunt", "The Green Room" and "All Hallows". In 1921, his novel Memoirs of a Midget won the James Tait Black Memorial Prize for fiction, and his post-war Collected Stories for Children won the 1947 Carnegie Medal for British children's books.