The Highwayman Analysis Notes for Parents
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The Highwayman – Notes for parents Introduction It was written at the beginning of the twentieth century. It is a story of a highway robber and his lady-love. It’s a riveting story, filled with action and blood and betrayal, but he also weaves it all into a great love plot. Basic story 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. He's on the move (apparently he's got some robbing to do) so he only has time for one kiss. He promises that he'll be back by the next night at the latest. The next evening, instead of the highwayman, some British soldiers show up. These guys are real jerks. They drink a bunch of beer, they tie up Bess, and then they wait at the windows to shoot the highwayman when he comes back. Bess is tied up with a gun at her chest, and she wriggles around until she has her finger on the trigger. Then, when she hears the highwayman's horse, she fires the gun, and gives her life to warn him about the ambush. 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. Still, on certain winter nights, his ghost still rides down the highway to meet Bess. Verse by verse analysis (stanza by stanza) Stanza 1 Line 1 The wind was a torrent of darkness among the gusty trees, The speaker of this poem opens strong, with three big metaphors all in a row. First he compares the wind to a "torrent of darkness." We imagine that "torrent" being like a black river, rushing and swirling along. Line 2 The moon was a ghostly galleon tossed upon cloudy seas, 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 night time scene, a good setting for a sad, scary story. Line 3 The road was a ribbon of moonlight over the purple moor, Now he introduces the road, which is a major location in this poem. On this dark, windy night, it shines bright and white, a thin strip of light like a "ribbon of moonlight." The bright road runs through a purple "moor" (those are the open, grassy fields that you find a lot in England). They aren't really purple of course, but the night and the moonlight must be making them look that way. Lines 4-6 And the highwayman came riding-- Riding--riding-- The highwayman came riding, up to the old inn-door. Here comes our main guy – the highwayman. All these lines tell us is that he's riding up to the old door of an inn. Of course they do it with a little more style than that. They especially emphasize the repetitive rhythm of his "riding--riding--riding." You'll notice that this is a pretty simple story, but the speaker works hard to make it gripping for the reader. Stanza 2 Lines 7-8 He'd a French cocked-hat on his forehead, a bunch of lace at his chin, A coat of the claret velvet, and breeches of brown doe-skin; This highwayman is a snappy dresser. He's got a French hat on, and a bunch of lace tucked into the top of his shirt. His coat is made of velvet and it's claret-coloured (that's a deep red wine colour). His breeches (pants) are made of doe skin (really soft leather made from deer hide). Line 9 They fitted with never a wrinkle: his boots were up to the thigh. Apparently the pants fit tight, with no wrinkles, and his boots are thigh high. Now if a man today tried to impress the ladies by wearing thigh high boots and tight pants and lace, it probably wouldn't work out so well. Let's just take it for granted that this kind of stuff used to be considered ‘studly.’ Plus these clothes give us a little hint of when this poem was set. We'd guess that it takes place some time in the eighteenth century, but definitely a long time before it was written (in 1906). Lines 10-12 And he rode with a jewelled twinkle, His pistol butts a-twinkle, His rapier hilt a-twinkle, under the jewelled sky. This guy is dressed up so fancily that he seems to twinkle like a jewel. These lines also let us know that he's heavily armed, with pistols and a rapier (a long thin sword). Plus the sky is "jewelled" too. Everything in this stanza is glittering with beauty and excitement. Stanza 3 Lines 13-14 Over the cobbles he clattered and clashed in the dark inn-yard, He tapped with his whip on the shutters, but all was locked and barred; The highwayman comes into the dark courtyard of the inn, making a lot of noise on the paving stones ("the cobbles"). He taps on the shutters that cover the windows, but everything is locked up, so he doesn't get any response. Lines 15-18 He whistled a tune to the window, and who should be waiting there But the landlord's black-eyed daughter, Bess, the landlord's daughter, Plaiting a dark red love-knot into her long black hair. Trying again, he gives a whistle, and the landlord's daughter Bess shows up. Apparently she's pretty good looking too, and the speaker spends some time telling us about her black eyes and long black hair. When the highwayman shows up, Bess is braiding ("plaiting") a "love-knot" into her hair. This love-knot would be some kind of ribbon, tied in a knot to symbolize her love for (you guessed it!) the highwayman. The knot is dark-red, a color associated with love and passion, but also, of course, blood. More on that later. Stanza 4 Lines 19-21 And dark in the dark old inn-yard a stable-wicket creaked Where Tim the ostler listened; his face was white and peaked; His eyes were hollows of madness, his hair like moldy hay, Now, all of a sudden, we turn away from the couple we just met, and meet a third character. First we hear the creaking sound of a "stable-wicket" (that means a door or gate in a stable). Apparently someone is eavesdropping on the two lovers. It turns out to be Tim, the ostler (the guy who takes care of the horses at an inn). Tim's a crazy- looking guy, with a pinched white face, insane eyes, and hair that looks like mouldy hay. Lines 21-23 But he loved the landlord's daughter, The landlord's red-lipped daughter, Dumb as a dog he listened, and he heard the robber say-- Crazy Tim is also in love with Bess, although it's hard to imagine he has much of a chance. The speaker mentions her "red lips" which helps to emphasize her sexiness and the contrast with poor Tim's white face. As Tim listens to the highwayman, the speaker tells us he is "dumb as a dog." In this case "dumb" just means silent, but the comparison to a dog is no accident. We're definitely supposed to notice the difference between the beautiful lovers and this pathetic, ugly servant. Stanza 5 Line 25-26 "One kiss, my bonny sweetheart, I'm after a prize tonight, But I shall be back with the yellow gold before the morning light; Now it's back to the highwayman, who tells his "bonny [pretty] sweetheart" that he's headed off to do some robbing tonight. He promises her that he'll be back by morning, with gold in hand. Lines 27-30 Yet, if they press me sharply, and harry me through the day, Then look for me by moonlight, Watch for me by moonlight, I'll come to thee by moonlight, though hell should bar the way." But…(and this is important) the highwayman warns Bess that he might be chased, that the law might "harry" (bother and harass) him all day. In that case, he tells her to wait for nighttime ("moonlight"). Then he promises he'll come see her, no matter what, even if "hell should bar the way" (we might say "come hell or high water"). Stanza 6 Lines 31-33 He rose upright in the stirrups; he scarce could reach her hand, But she loosened her hair in the casement. His face burnt like a brand As the black cascade of perfume came tumbling over his breast; Now we hear about the kiss goodbye, which is a pretty romantic moment in the poem. The highwayman stands up in his saddle, and reaches up (Bess must be leaning out of a high window), just barely grabbing her hand. Then she lets her hair down from the window (the casement), a little like Rapunzel. He blushes bright red, like hot iron ("a brand") when her sweet smelling hair tumbles over him. This is definitely supposed to be a sexy scene. Lines 34-36 And he kissed its waves in the moonlight, (Oh, sweet black waves in the moonlight!) Then he tugged at his rein in the moonlight, and galloped away to the West.