What are the main events in the highwayman poem?
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 is the purpose of the first stanza of 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.
What happens to the highway man in the poem?
This poem starts out with a highwayman (that’s a robber who holds people up on the road) visiting his girlfriend Bess at her father’s inn. The highwayman tries to get away, but it doesn’t work. He gets mowed down by the soldiers in the middle of the road, and dies in a pool of blood.
How did Highwayman die?
Betrayed to the authorities by Tim, a jealous ostler, the highwayman escapes ambush when Bess sacrifices her life by shooting her chest to warn him. Learning of her death, he dies in a futile attempt at revenge, shot down on the highway. The Highwayman Summary. …
What does death at every window mean?
When King George’s men come to the inn and wait for the highwayman, tying up Bess to lure him there, the poem says that ‘there was death at every window’. But this personification of death tells you that someone is going to die and that it is a bad thing that King George’s men are there to capture the highwayman.
Why is the Highwayman a hero?
Why is the Highwayman a hero? The key to a highwayman being regarded as a hero is to have charisma, charm and a motivation that others can understand and also sympathise with. A decent fashion sense and a speedy horse all helps as well.
What does Moonlight mean in Highwayman?
The highwayman had relied on the moonlight to bring him back to Bess, promising, “I’ll come to thee by moonlight.” As it turns out, the moonlight reflects the death of the couple. It leads them to their deaths instead of reunification.
What does his face burnt like a brand mean?
His face burnt like a brand. The simile here is the phrase “his face burnt like a brand,” as, again, “like” is used to draw a comparison between “face” and the iron tool heated to very high temperatures and used to “brand” or mark an animal, identifying the animal with a particular ranch or farm.