The Highwayman by Alfred
Noyes
You are going to write a critical
essay on the poem ‘The
Highwayman’.
Task: Write about a poem which
tells a romantic story. Explain
what the story is about and what
techniques the poet uses in the
poem.
‘The Highwayman’ is a NARRATIVE POEM. This means that the poem
tells a story. You are going to write about the story told and the way it
was written. Use quotations from the poem to back up what you say.
Paragraph One – INTRODUCTION
 The title of the poem and the name of the poet
 Reference to the task given
 Briefly re-tell the story
‘The Highwayman’ by Alfred Noyes is a narrative poem that tells a
romantic story. The poem is about
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Paragraph Two – WORD CHOICE
The whole poem is very descriptive. We know that the highwayman is
a very attractive figure from the descriptions given by the poet.
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The poet also uses alliteration and onomatopoeia in the poem.
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Paragraph three – METAPHORS
:
The poet uses many metaphors when he is describing the opening
scene. For example __________________________________
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A metaphor I particularly liked was _______________________
________________________________ because
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Paragraph Four – SIMILES
Similes are frequently used in the poem, especially in Verse ______
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A simile I particularly liked was _____________________
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because ________________________________________
Paragraph Five - A MEMORABLE INCIDENT
A memorable incident in the poem is ________________
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This incident has stuck in my mind because _____________
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Paragraph Six – PERSONAL RESPONSE
In this paragraph explain what you liked and disliked about the poem.