Analysis Of The Poem The Highwayman

Decent Essays
“The highwayman came riding-riding-riding-The highwayman came riding, up to the old inn door.” “The Highwayman” is a long and detailed poem describing the short love life of the highwayman and Bess. The poem also describes their love 's end. In the poem the highway man 's character is soon revealed as a well to do thief. He then falls in love with the landlord 's daughter, and promises to return. Soldiers arrive at the inn and lay their trap for the highwayman. Bess gives up her life to warn the highwayman and then heartbroken at the death of Bess, the highwayman returns to the inn where he is quickly gunned down and killed. Written in August of 1906 by Alfred Noyes, “The Highwayman” is a magnificent work of poetic terms and literary devices. In the poem, Noyes uses a steady rhyme scheme, similes, and metaphors to help communicate the heartbreaking and tragic love life of Bess and the highwayman.
One of many poetic terms used in the poem “The Highwayman”, the rhyme in the poem helps set the mood, keep the poem alive, and
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The author uses similes in the poem to help compare an item or a character to something else. The similes in the poem “The Highwayman” help paint a picture of the character or item that Noyes is referring to into your mind. A simile used in this poem is “ His hair like moldy hay.” This simile from the poem helps you see what Tim the ostler really looks like. Another simile used in the poem is “His face burnt like a brand”. This simile helps you understand how the highwayman is feeling at this given moment, and its paints a clear picture in your mind of an embarrassed person. Without the similes used in “The Highwayman”, the story would be very bland, and it would be difficult to picture the characters in your mind. For example, if the author were just to say, “Tim had yellow and orange hair.” The poem would be very bland and the picture created in your head would not be as

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