"The Highwayman" Comprehension Questions and Exercises

Introduction

If you are studying Alfred Noyes’ “The Highwayman” in school or at home, the following exercises will develop your understanding of the story, especially his use of imagery and other poetic techniques. Once you have completed the cloze test and comprehension questions, which are designed to help you get to grips with the plot, you can then explore similes and metaphors, alliteration, repetition and onomatopoeia.

Cloze Test

The following summary of “The Highwayman” is missing some important words. Write out each paragraph and fill in the blanks with the suggested answers. Remember to use quotation marks in your response!

The air was very __________ and dark. The moon looked __________ in the sky. Along the road through the __________, the highwayman was travelling to the __________. He looked very dashing in his __________, __________ coat and __________ trousers.

His horse __________ and __________ on the cobblestone and he __________ up to the windows to call for his beloved Bess. She was __________ while she waited for the highwayman to arrive.

Tim, the man who looked after the horses, heard the noise and __________ to the highwayman tell Bess he was __________ but would be back __________. If he cannot outrun his enemies, he will return by moonlight even if __________.

The highwayman kissed Bess goodbye and __________.

King George’s men, who wanted to arrest the highwayman for robbery, arrived at the inn. After drinking __________, they __________ Bess and tied her to __________. They also pointed __________ at her body.

Sadly, when she saw the highwayman returning, she pulled the trigger and __________. The highwayman escaped but soon learned that Bess had killed herself. Seeking revenge, the highwayman returned to the inn and attacked the redcoats. They __________.

Apparently, when the air is a __________, the highwayman and Bess are reunited at the inn.

Missing Words

“clashed”
“old inn”
“before the morning light”
“warned him with her death”
“ale”
“gusty”
“after a prize”
“muskets”

“hell should bar the way”
“galloped away”
“ghostly”
“claret velvet”
“plaiting a dark red love-knot”
“torrent of darkness”
“moor”
“shot him down in the highway”

“gagged”
“fine doe-skin”
“clattered”
“listened”
“the foot of her narrow bed”

Comprehension Questions

In your own words, describe the writer’s presentation of the weather in the opening lines.
According the first verse, where is the poem set?
Write out a list of the clothing worn by the highwayman.
What do his clothes suggest about the character? In order to answer this question in full, you would need to look carefully at each image.
In your own words, what does Bess, the landlord’s daughter, look like?
Describe Tim the ostler’s appearance. Suggest why the writer presented the character as quite repulsive.
What evidence is there to suggest Bess and the highwayman are in love?
Where is the Highwayman going after he leaves Bess? Make sure you use a quotation to support your answer.
When will the highwayman return to the inn.
How do you think King George’s men found out that the Highwayman was going to be at the inn?
What did they do when they arrived at the inn?
Describe how the soldiers tied Bess up.
In detail, explain why the soldiers tied Bess up at the window?
Why did Bess decide to shoot herself?
How did the Highwayman react when he learned his beloved Bess had died? Use at least three quotations in your answer.

Similes and Metaphors

When writers want to describe the setting and characters to the audience who are unfamiliar with the scene, they can use comparisons which will be easier for us to imagine and visualise. This will help us engage quickly with the story.

For example, a metaphor defines one thing in terms of another. In the second line of “The Highwayman”, Noyes describes the “moon” as a “ghostly galleon tossed upon cloudy seas”. In this way, the poet is comparing the silvery moon behind the stormy clouds to a ship being thrown on the high waves. This is an appropriate comparison because both images are gloomy and threatening. There are also dark colours of the clouds and sea contrasting with the glimmer of the moon and galleon.

Another type of comparison is a simile, which suggests one thing is like another. For example, Noyes suggests Tim is “dumb as a dog”. This image tells the audience that the character is more like an animal than a human being.

Complete the following table. When you are analysing similes and metaphors, make sure you explain what the images look like in your own words.

Quote	Simile or Metaphor	What Does This Suggest or Mean?
The wind was a torrent of darkness	Metaphor	This means that the wind was violent and gloomy against the trees. This suggests that it was dark and extremely windy.
The moon was a ghostly galleon..
The road was a ribbon of moonlight
The jewelled sky
His eyes were hollows of madness
His hair like mouldy hay
Dumb as a dog he listened
…Down like a dog on the highway
His face burnt like a brand
As the sweet black waves of perfume	metaphor
There was Death at every window
Hell at one dark window
The hours crawled by like years
Her musket shattered the moonlight
He spurred like a madman
The white road smoking behind him

Onomatopoeia

Onomatopoeia is a type of word that sounds like the thing it is describing. For example, when you rattle a jar of sweets, the word ‘rattle’ describes the sound, and it makes the sound when you say the word. Similarly, a balloon will pop. The word ‘pop’ mimics the sound.

Scan through the poem again and find examples of sound words. Do they help you imagine the setting, character or action?

Colour Symbolism

Many people use colours for meaning. For instance, on traffic lights, red means stop, yellow means caution, and green means go. Writers also use colours to suggest meaning.

Alfred Noyes uses lots of colours in ‘The Highwayman’. What are they?

Complete the following table. For each image, suggest why Noyes selected those particular colours.