“The Highwayman” by Alfred Noyes - images.pcmac.org

1 The highwayman by Alfred NoyesIn your blue literature book, turn to page out your today s date at the top of your the date, write the name of the poem and author. The highwayman by Alfred NoyesSome background: The highwayman is loosely based on the legends of notorious highwaymen who terrorized -and charmed -the English countryside between the seventeenth and nineteenth centuries. The most famous of all highwaymen was Dick Turpin. Legend has it that Turpin rode from London to York, a distance of about 190 miles (50-60 miles on horseback is the general time a horse can travel a day), in 15 hours. His motive was to create a false alibi for a robbery he had just committed. Turpin was eventually found and executed.

2 The highwayman by Alfred NoyesLet s listen to the play in its entirety before studying it in depth. The highwayman by Alfred NoyesSummary: The highwayman is a narrative poem that tells a romantic tale of love, betrayal, honor, and death. A dashing robber loves Bess. The soldiers set up a trap and take Bess hostage. She manages to warn the highwayman but dies in the process. He is killed trying to avenge her Vocabularynarrative poem (628)stanza -a group of lines in a poemtorrent (630)bound (632)FootnotesWrite into your notes all the footnotes in this poem. There are eleven of 1: The wind was a torrent p. the setting of our the three two examples of word symbolizes the beating of the horse s hooves?

3 Stanza 1 windy night, moon is pale and gives off light, there s a road, a rider, and an old wind was a torrent of darkness moon was a ghostly galleon road was ribbon of moonlight 3. ghostly galleon road was a ribbon 4. riding -repetition sounds like horse s hoovesStanza 2: He d a French cocked-hat kind of hat is the highwayman wearing? does he have at his chin? color is his coat? What material is it? are his pants made of? did he wear on his feet? was his pistol butt twinkling? was his rapier twinkling ? can the sky be jeweled ?Stanza 2 cocked; tricorn; like Jack Sparrow ; the amount shows how wealthy you colored and it s (deer) and boots that reach his thigh; protect his be covered with jewels; silver or be covered with jewels; silver or light up like jewelsStanza 2 evidence in stanza two suggests that the highwayman is a successful, wealthy robber?

4 Stanza 2 -Answer can afford his outfit -velvet, lace, tailor pants, and jeweled 3: Over the cobbles would the inn be locked and barred ? is Bess? does she look like? the two examples of the two examples of would the highwayman whistle a tune? Why is this important? is dark red love knot symbolic in this stanza?Stanza 3 -Answers s nighttime. Everyone s inn s landlord s , long black hair4. cobbles he clattered and clashed the window, and 5. clattered clashed 6. He s getting Bess s attention; their love is secret7. It s symbolic of the highwayman and Bess s 4: And dark in the dark is Tim? Tim s physical would his face be white and peaked ? whom is he in love? animal is he associated with?

5 How is this symbolic? is Tim doing that a bit naughty? one metaphor and two 4 takes care of the and not intelligent; a bit s scared he ll get caught; -low in society; obedient; uneducated; he s waiting; others treat him that on the highwayman and BessStanza 4 -Answers7. metaphor - his eyes were hollows of madness similes - his hair like moldy hair dumb as a dog Stanza 5: One kiss, my bonny what country does the highwayman hail? prize is he after? (hint: two possibilities) does he mean - yellow gold ? (two possibilities) should Bess watch for the highwayman ? do we know that the highwayman would do anything to get back to Bess? Stanza 5 -Answers (money, jewels); ; wedding ring for the moonlight, he ll come before morning5.

6 Though hell should bar the way Stanza 6 - He rose upright did Bess do with her hair? does her hair brand him? word does the author repeat for effect? is west symbolic? the at least one 6 -Answers the length fall out of the her hair touches him, it marks him as belonging to moonlight sun, the end of the day, death (symbolically)5. his face burnt like a brand 6. Black cascade of perfume ; he rose upright in the stirrups ; kissed its waves ; tugged at the reins ; galloped away Part 2 Stanza 7 - He did not come in line in stanza 7 shows a passage of time? the new are the men marching into town? To what country do they belong? word is repeated for an effect?Part 2 Stanza 7 -Answers 1.

7 He did not come in the ;/And out of the tawny sunset, before the rise of the moon, 2. road was a gypsy s ribbon . -British soldiers from England under King George s marching -has a harsh sound = tells us about the soldiersStanza 8 - They said no word words suggest that the soldiers might be drunk? do the soldiers do to Bess? Why? is death at each window symbolically? is one window more hellish than the rest?5. Hell has been used twice. What is the connection between the two times it s been used?Stanza 8 -Answer1. drank his [landlord s] ale and gag her in front of a window as bait for the at every where Bess and the highwayman could see each highwayman foreshadows this hell when he said though hell should bar the way Stanza 9 - They tied her up does it mean they tied her up to attention ?

8 Is a sniggering jest ? was the gun pointed? is the phrase keep good watch! and they kissed her ironic? is the doomed man in line 51?Stanza 9 -Answers her her watch is the only thing she can do and kissing someone is usually affection but they are threatening her with her death and her love s highwaymanStanza 10 - She twisted her hands p. is Bess trying to do in this stanza? is one word in this stanza that highly symbolic? What does it stand for? two examples of one example of one example of one example of a 10 out of her bonds 2. blood -death; life; foreshadows the highwayman s blood at the end; love3. stretched and strained tip of one finger touched it 1. hours crawled 2.

9 Midnight 3. hours crawled by like years Stanza 11 - The tip of one finger p. can Bess s finger touch? does Bess not want the soldiers to hear what she is doing? line in this stanza indicated that Bess has made up her mind about what she intends to do? is the [bare] road symbolic? does the moonlight aid Bess?Stanza 11 -Answers trigger of the doesn t want them alerted to her plan3. she would not strive again hasn t arrived; her life is bare if he is her see to kill herselfStanza 12 - Tlot-tlot p. one example of one example of one example of one example of 12 -Answers1. tlot-tlot 2. brow of the hill 3. riding-riding-riding 4. she stood up, straight and still. Stanza 13 - Tlot-tlot in the frosty silence two examples of one was Bess s face like a light to the highwayman (multiple answers here) has the moonlight changed from the beginning of the story until now?

10 Stanza 13 -answers1. nearer he came and nearer moonlight 1. her face was like a light pale/scared; Heaven s light, signal light or warning, light to lead the the beginning, moonlight let Bess see the highwayman ; now he will be killed because the light will show that he s arrivedStanza 14 - He turned. He spurred is spurred to the west symbolic of? has the highwayman learned in this stanza? is his emotional state in this stanza?Stanza 14 highwayman s is s sad his face was gray to hear Stanza 15 - Back, he spurred like a two is the highwayman seeking in this stanza? do we know he is ready to fight?4. Dog is used symbolically in this stanza. What does it symbolize now? stanza goes back to the clothes he is wearing.