MCQs for "The Haunted House" by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

1. Which of the following lines suggests that the house is haunted?

a) "All houses wherein men have lived and died"

b) "The harmless phantoms on their errands glide"
c) "The house is silent, empty, and cold"
d) "The lights dimmed, and the doors shut tight"

2. What is implied by the "harmless phantoms"?

a) Real ghosts that haunt the house

b) People who live in the house
c) Memories and past experiences
d) Unseen forces in nature

3. The phrase “impression on the air” is an example of:

a) Hyperbole
b) Onomatopoeia
c) Personification
d) Alliteration

4. According to the poem, the ghosts are:

a) Dangerous and malevolent

b) Harmless and peaceful
c) Loud and intrusive
d) Visible to all people

5. In the line "We meet them at the door-way, on the stair," the ghosts are described as:

a) Moving silently
b) Being unapproachable
c) Causing fear and panic
d) Visible to all who enter

6. The phrase “as silent as the pictures on the wall” is an example of:

a) Simile
b) Metaphor
c) Personification
d) Hyperbole

7. The "guests at the table" refer to:

a) Real guests
b) The spirits or ghosts
c) The host's family
d) Imaginary figures

8. The "stranger at my fireside" symbolizes:

a) A new person who doesn't experience the haunting

b) The narrator's family member
c) A passing traveler
d) A ghostly visitor

9. The line "We have no title-deeds to house or lands" suggests that:

a) The narrator owns the house

b) The narrator does not claim ownership of the house
c) The house belongs to the spirits
d) The house is up for sale

10. What is meant by "mortmain" in the context of the poem?

a) A place of worship
b) A concept of old, unchangeable ownership
c) A legal term for property transfer
d) A tomb or burial ground

11. The "spirit-world" in the poem symbolizes:

a) The afterlife and the supernatural

b) An imaginary world created by the narrator
c) The natural world we experience
d) A philosophical concept of life and death

12. What is the poet trying to convey through the phrase "a vital breath of more ethereal
air"?
a) A scientific explanation of life after death
b) A connection between the living world and the spirit world
c) The breath of fresh air in a haunted house
d) The feeling of joy and hope in a dark house

13. Which of the following is a central theme of the poem?

a) The passage of time and the inevitability of death

b) The contrast between nature and technology
c) The mystery of human emotions
d) The beauty of life and creation

14. The phrase "Our little lives are kept in equipoise" means that:

a) Our lives are unstable and uncertain

b) We are constantly in balance between opposing forces
c) We are unbalanced and chaotic
d) Our lives are controlled by external forces

15. In the line “These perturbations, this perpetual jar,” the poet refers to:

a) The physical decay of the house

b) The conflict between human desires and instincts
c) The sound of footsteps in the house
d) The peace in the house after the ghosts depart

16. The "unseen star" in the poem refers to:

a) A literal star in the sky

b) An unknown celestial body
c) A metaphor for an unknown force influencing lives
d) A figure of light guiding the ghosts

17. In the metaphor "As the moon from some dark gate of cloud / Throws o’er the sea a
floating bridge of light," the moon is compared to:

a) A beacon guiding ships at sea

b) The link between life and death
c) The source of all life and energy
d) A ghostly presence illuminating the house
18. The “floating bridge of light” symbolizes:

a) A connection between the physical and spiritual realms

b) A literal bridge over the sea
c) The moon’s light on a stormy night
d) A bridge made of memories

19. Which of the following best describes the tone of the poem?

a) Cheerful and hopeful

b) Mysterious and eerie
c) Angry and vengeful
d) Light-hearted and humorous

20. What literary device is used in the line "A bridge of light, connecting it with this"?

a) Personification
b) Simile
c) Allusion
d) Metaphor

21. What does the poet mean by “Wander our thoughts above the dark abyss”?

a) The human mind contemplates the unknown

b) The ghosts are lost in the afterlife
c) The house is filled with darkness
d) The spirits move freely between worlds

22. The overall structure of the poem is best described as:

a) Free verse with irregular rhyme

b) A narrative with a clear storyline
c) A series of reflections and meditations
d) A song with a repetitive chorus

23. The phrase "The struggle of the instinct that enjoys, / And the more noble instinct that
aspires" refers to:

a) The conflict between the body’s desires and the soul’s higher aspirations
b) The balance between good and evil
c) The tension between family members
d) The struggle for power and control in the house
24. How does Longfellow create a feeling of unease or eeriness in the poem?

a) By using cheerful imagery

b) Through descriptions of ghosts and spirits that roam silently
c) By creating a sense of peace and calm
d) By focusing on the beauty of nature

25. Which of the following lines most effectively conveys the idea that the ghosts are ever-
present and part of the house?

a) "We meet them at the door, and at the door / They vanish, and we see them no more."
b) "The house is a tomb, and the tomb is a house"
c) "All houses wherein men have lived and died / Are haunted houses."
d) "There are more guests at table than the hosts invited."

26. What does the poet mean by "harmless phantoms" in the poem?

a) Literal ghosts
b) Spirits of the deceased who cause no harm
c) Imaginary creatures
d) Unseen natural forces

27. Which of the following phrases best captures the mood of the poem?

a) "The joyous life of the living"

b) "The eerie silence of the night"
c) "The peaceful garden"
d) "The bustling sounds of the city"

28. The phrase "Impalpable impressions on the air" refers to:

a) A physical sensation
b) A feeling of presence that cannot be seen or touched
c) A breeze that moves through the house
d) The sound of footsteps

29. The "guests at the table" in the poem are:

a) Spirits who occupy the house

b) Actual visitors who dine with the host
c) Impressions made by the narrator’s family
d) Metaphors for the narrator’s memories
30. What is the significance of the line "The stranger at my fireside cannot see /
The forms I see"?

a) It shows how ghosts are visible only to certain people

b) It suggests that the stranger is not welcome in the house
c) It indicates the narrator is imagining the ghosts
d) It reflects how the stranger is unaware of the past in the house

31. What does the term "mortmain" mean in the context of the poem?

a) The continuing ownership of a house by the dead

b) A legal contract signed by the living
c) The graveyard where souls rest
d) A mystical force that controls the house

32. What idea does Longfellow express through the phrase "The spirit-world
around this world of sense"?

a) The connection between the physical world and the spiritual world
b) The separation between life and death
c) The idea that only the living experience true reality
d) That spirits are unaware of the living world

33. The phrase “A vital breath of more ethereal air” suggests that:

a) Spirits have a physical presence in the house

b) The air in the house is thin and stale
c) The spirit world has a more subtle and intangible influence on the living
d) The house is filled with the scent of roses

34. What does "our little lives are kept in equipoise" mean?

a) Life is constantly out of balance

b) Life is influenced by opposite forces
c) People lead lives filled with joy and excitement
d) All human desires are the same

35. The poet refers to "perturbations" in the poem to highlight:

a) The peaceful existence of the spirits
b) The unease caused by the presence of the ghosts
c) The emotional turmoil of the narrator
d) The balance between good and evil

36. The "unseen star" that the poet refers to is a metaphor for:

a) The guiding force of the spirits

b) The unknown influence on human desires
c) The shining moon in the sky
d) The bright light of hope

37. The idea that "the moon from some dark gate of cloud / Throws o’er the sea a
floating bridge of light" represents:

a) The power of nature to control the ghosts

b) The connection between the living and the spirits
c) The moon’s influence on the ocean waves
d) The idea of a peaceful afterlife

38. The “bridge of light” in the poem can be seen as symbolic of:

a) The passage of time

b) The connection between life and death
c) A literal bridge over a river
d) The strength of the spirits

39. What does the phrase "Wander our thoughts above the dark abyss" suggest?

a) Our thoughts float freely between life and death

b) Our thoughts are consumed by darkness
c) Our minds are trapped in earthly desires
d) Our thoughts are grounded in reality

40. The phrase “a sense of something moving to and fro” in the poem primarily
emphasizes:

a) The physical movement of the ghosts

b) The disturbance in the narrator’s thoughts
c) The atmosphere of mystery and unease in the house
d) The noise made by the wind in the house
41. The line "There are more guests at table than the hosts invited" implies:

a) The house is overcrowded with spirits

b) The host has a large family
c) The spirits are more numerous than the living
d) The narrator enjoys hosting large gatherings

42. The poet’s use of the term "mortmain" serves to suggest:

a) The house is haunted by the spirits of the dead

b) The house has no true owner, and it belongs to the dead
c) The narrator has inherited the house legally
d) The house is falling apart

43. What is the effect of the phrase "a floating bridge of light"?

a) It represents the fragility and uncertainty of life

b) It symbolizes the transition between life and the afterlife
c) It depicts a peaceful scene of the spirits returning home
d) It shows the connection between the living and the physical world

44. The idea that "owners and occupants of earlier dates / From graves forgotten
stretch their dusty hands" suggests:

a) The house is filled with treasures left by previous owners

b) The past inhabitants of the house are still present in spirit
c) The spirits of the dead are in conflict with the living
d) The house has been abandoned by its living owners

45. The phrase "a bridge of light, connecting it with this" refers to:

a) The literal connection between the living and the dead

b) A metaphor for human imagination
c) A passage to the unknown land
d) The glow of candles in the house

46. Which of the following best explains the significance of the "invisible" ghosts in
the poem?

a) They symbolize the forgotten memories of the house

b) They represent the dangers of the house
c) They are physical beings hidden from view
d) They are the spirits of people who once lived in the house

47. The line “We have no title-deeds to house or lands” implies that:

a) The house belongs to the spirits

b) The house is owned by the narrator
c) The house belongs to the family of the living
d) The house has no legal owner, as it is now under the control of the dead

48. What role do the ghosts play in the poem?

a) They are threatening and cause terror

b) They represent the past and the memories of those who have lived and died
c) They are spirits trapped in the house, unable to move on
d) They are symbolic of the narrator’s feelings of loneliness

49. What does Longfellow suggest about death in "The Haunted House"?

a) Death is a final and peaceful transition

b) Death leads to an afterlife where the dead continue to influence the living
c) Death is to be feared and resisted
d) Death brings an eternal rest and silence

50. The description of “a sense of something moving to and fro” in the poem
primarily emphasizes:

a) The physical movement of the ghosts

b) The disturbance in the narrator’s thoughts
c) The atmosphere of mystery and unease in the house
d) The noise made by the wind in the house

Answer Key:
1. b) "The harmless phantoms on their errands glide"
2. c) Memories and past experiences
3. c) Personification
4. b) Harmless and peaceful
5. a) Moving silently
6. a) Simile
7. b) The spirits or ghosts
8. a) A new person who doesn't experience the hauntings
9. b) The narrator does not claim ownership of the house
10. b) A concept of old, unchangeable ownership
11. a) The afterlife and the supernatural
12. b) A connection between the living world and the spirit world
13. a) The passage of time and the inevitability of death
14. b) We are constantly in balance between opposing forces
15. b) The conflict between human desires and instincts
16. c) A metaphor for an unknown force influencing lives
17. b) The link between life and death
18. a) A connection between the physical and spiritual realms
19. b) Mysterious and eerie
20. d) Metaphor
21. a) The human mind contemplates the unknown
22. c) A series of reflections and meditations
23. a) The conflict between the body’s desires and the soul’s higher aspirations
24. b) Through descriptions of ghosts and spirits that roam silently
25. c) "All houses wherein men have lived and died / Are haunted houses.

26. b) Spirits of the deceased who cause no harm

27. b) "The eerie silence of the night"
28. b) A feeling of presence that cannot be seen or touched
29. a) Spirits who occupy the house
30. d) It reflects how the stranger is unaware of the past in the house
31. a) The continuing ownership of a house by the dead
32. a) The connection between the physical world and the spiritual world
33. c) The spirit world has a more subtle and intangible influence on the living
34. b) Life is influenced by opposite forces
35. b) The unease caused by the presence of the ghosts
36. b) The unknown influence on human desires
37. b) The connection between the living and the spirits
38. b) The connection between life and death
39. a) Our thoughts float freely between life and death
40. b) The footsteps of the spirits moving around
41. c) The spirits are more numerous than the living
42. b) The house has no true owner, and it belongs to the dead
43. b) It symbolizes the transition between life and the afterlife
44. b) The past inhabitants of the house are still present in spirit
45. a) The literal connection between the living and the dead
46. a) They symbolize the forgotten memories of the house
47. a) The house belongs to the spirits
48. b) They represent the past and the memories of those who have lived and died
49. b) Death leads to an afterlife where the dead continue to influence the living
50. a) the physical movement of the ghosts