Plot. The poem, set in 18th-century rural England, tells the story of an unnamed highwayman who is in love with Bess, an innkeeper’s daughter.
Betrayed to the authorities by Tim
, a jealous ostler, the highwayman escapes ambush when Bess sacrifices her life to warn him.
What happens to Bess the landlord’s daughter in the highwayman?
Bowed, with her head o’er the musket, drenched with her own blood! How Bess, the landlord’s daughter, The landlord’s black-eyed daughter,
Had watched for her love in the moonlight, and died in the darkness there.
Is the highwayman poem a true story?
“The Highwayman”
This poem is
based on a true story that the poet heard
while he was on vacation in that part of England where highwaymen used to lie in wait for stagecoaches.
What is the purpose of the first stanza of the highway man?
The first stanza
establishes the stormy tone that will pervade the entire poem
.
What was the theme of the poem the highwayman?
‘The Highwayman’ by Alfred Noyes is a gothic narrative of tells of the story of the highwayman, the red coats who wanted to capture him, and his lover. The poem details
the love affair going on between the highwayman and the landlord’s daughter Bess
. Their love is pure and strong.
Why is Tim angry at the highwayman?
“Back he spurred like a madman, shouting a curse to the sky.” What caused the highwayman to be so angry? He found out Bess was dead. “Not till
dawn he heard it, his face grew gray to hear
,” which suggests his anger of hearing the news that his lover was shot.
What does ghostly galleon mean?
The next big metaphor compares the moon to a “ghostly galleon.” A galleon is
a big old ship
, the kind that would have carried Spanish gold across the seas. So the moon is like a ship sailing through the sky. You see the mood he’s aiming for here? This is a spooky nighttime scene, a good setting for a sad, scary story.
Who is the hero in the highwayman poem?
Terms in this set (10)
The redcoats are villains and
the Highwayman
is the hero.
Why does Tim eavesdrop on the highwayman and Bess?
Why does Tim eavesdrop on the highwayman and Bess?
He’s in love with Bess. He’s bored.
Why does Bess stop struggling?
Bess struggles to touch the trigger because she plans to shoot herself. The shot will warn the highwayman of the danger at the inn and he will ride away before he is shot and killed. Why does Bess stop struggling? Bess stops struggling
because her finger is on the trigger
.
What prize was after highwayman?
Highwaymen first became a serious nuisance after the English Civil War (1649) and several of them were old soldiers who had been unable to return to a ‘normal’ life. That same year, Parliament offered
a £10
reward for the arrest of a highwayman who could be successfully convicted.
What does the moonlight symbolize in the highwayman?
The image of the pale white moon lighting up the scene underlines key moments in the plot. This is a big line, full
of the sadness of Bess’ death
. She waited in the moonlight, but she “died in the darkness.” We should point out the alliteration there too (“died,” “darkness”).
Why did Alfred Noyes write the highwayman?
The narrative poem, “The Highwayman” by Alfred Noyes, is a story about love, murder, sacrifice, and heartbreak. Noyes’ purpose in writing the poem is
to simply tell a story about England and the love between the highwayman, a criminal who robs people as they travel the roads, and the innkeeper’s daughter, Bess
.
How do we know that the highwayman was in a good mood Why was he in a good mood?
Expert Answers
The highwayman’s attitude at the beginning of the poem is jaunty and confident, in line with his debonair appearance.
He whistles a tune at the window and asks Bess for a kiss as soon as she appears
. He then reveals one of the reasons for this good mood.
What is the summary of the highwayman?
The poem, set in 18th-century rural England, tells the story of
an unnamed highwayman who is in love with Bess, a landlord’s daughter
. Betrayed to the authorities by Tim, a jealous ostler, the highwayman escapes ambush when Bess sacrifices her life to warn him.
Would you characterize Bess as foolish or brave in the highwayman?
Bess’s actions in “The Highwayman” characterize her more as
brave than foolish
because her actions alert the highwayman to the danger waiting for him.
