Critical essay the highway man
"The Highwayman" by Alfred Noyes is a ballad about how Bess, the landlord's daughter, sacrifices herself for the love of the highwayman. The poet describes the atmosphere of the moor by night and conveys the suspense of the situation when the redcoats come to arrest the highwayman. He does this by use of effective imagery, clever word choice, sound effects and rhythm. The poem takes place on a stormy night:"The wind was a torrent of darkness."This metaphor is effective in creating an eerie atmosphere as it suggests the wind is blustery and it is very dark. The atmosphere is further developed with a description of the moon:This image creates a spooky, mysterious setting. The moon was pale in the night sky and surrounded by a "sea" of clouds.
It also helps to add tension to the poem. Even his weapons are clean and well looked after:"He rode with a jewelled twinkle,His pistol butts a-twinkle,His rapier hilt a-twinkle. He uses repetition in the poem, also to create effect:"A highwayman came riding, riding, riding""A red-coat troop came marching, marching, marching"The repetition of "riding" and "marching" gives the effect that the highwayman and the red-coats are getting closer and closer which gives tension to the poem. "This shows us that all his weapons are very well cared for and are shiny. In conclusion, Alfred Noyes' use of imagery, word choice, sound effects and rhythm all help to create atmosphere and tension which makes 'The Highwayman' a memorable poem. All of these help us to imagine the romantic figure of the highwayman. "The way the punctuation is set gives the effect that Bess has been struggling for a long time which helps create suspense in the poem. The poem gives the indication that the highwayman is very particular about his appearance. ore developed by a description of the road:"The road was a ribbon of moonlight"This suggests that the road was long, straight and it reflected the light of the moon. Onomatopoeia is also used very successfully; it helps to add atmosphere to the poem:"tlot tlot, tlot tlot"This helps you imagine the sound of the horse's hooves against the cobbles. Alfred Noyes uses clever word choice to describe the romantic figure of the highwayman. Alfred Noyes uses alliteration and onomatopoeia effectively to create tension in the poem. When the highwayman discovers that Bess is dead he returns eager for revenge:"Back, he spurred like a madman, shouting a curse to the sky,With the white road smoking behind him and his rapier brandished high"The way the punctuation and pace is set suggests that the highwayman is going very fast and that he is angry which helps add tension to the poem. The varying rhythm and pace also creates tension in the poem:"They stretched and strained in the darkness, and hours crawled by like years,Till now, on the stroke of midnight,Cold, on the stroke of midnight.
Common topics in this essay:
Alfred Noyes,
Alfred Noyes',
tension poem,
alfred noyes,
word choice,
tlot tlot,
helps add,
add tension poem,
word choice sound,
tlot tlot tlot,
clever word choice,
atmosphere developed description,
choice sound,
clever word,
atmosphere developed,
add tension,
sound effects,
|
Acceptance Essays
