Narrative PoetryBy Hershey S. Kilayko

A narrative poem…

• tells a story• has the same elements of a short story

Types of Narrative Poetry

• Epic• Ballad• Metrical Romance

Examples of Epic

• Paradise Lost, John Milton• Aeneid, Virgil• Biag ni Lam-ang

Examples of Ballad

• Lord Randal• My Last Duchess, Robert Browning• Get Up and Bar the Door

Examples of Metrical Romance

THE HIGHWAYMAN

by Alfred Noyes

About the Author

•Born in England in 1880

•Died in 1958

•English poet, critic, essayist

Vocabulary

• galleon (n.) large sailing ship

• moor (n.) a grassy wetland

• rapier (n.) lightweight sword

• plaiting (v.) braiding

•wicket (n.) small door or gate

• ostler (n.) stableman

• bonny (adj.) good-looking

• harry (v.) to trouble, harrass

• casement (n.) window

•brand (n.) burning torch

• tawny (adj.) brownish-gold

• priming (v.) load weapon with ammo

Literary Devices

Onomatopeia

Tlot tlot; tlot tlot! Had they heard it: The horsehoofs ringing clear;

Tlot tlot; tlot tlot, in the distance? Were they deaf that they did not hear?

Alliteration

Over the cobbles he clattered and clashed in the dark inn yard,

A coat of the claret velvet, and breeches of brown doeskin.

Repetition

And the highwayman came riding-- Riding--riding--

The highwayman came riding, up to the old inn door.

Simile

His eyes were hollows of madness, his hair like mouldy hay

Metaphor

The wind was a torrent of darkness among the gusty trees

Analysis and Interpretation

Stanza 1

•introduces the setting of the story

ITHE wind was a torrent of darkness upon the gusty trees,The moon was a ghostly galleon tossed upon cloudy seas,

The road was a ribbon of moonlight looping the purple moor,

And the highwayman came riding—Riding--riding--

The highwayman came riding, up to the old inn door.

Stanza 2 and 3

• describe the appearance of the highwayman

• tell about the meeting of Bess and the highwayman

Stanza 4

• reveals the plan of action of the highwayman; Tim, the ostler, overheard their conversation

Stanzas 5 and 6

• speak how the couple love each other

• mention about the highwayman’s “promise”

V"One kiss, my bonny sweetheart, I'm after a prize tonight,

But I shall be back with the yellow gold before the morning light;

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."

Stanzas 7,8,9

• tell the arrival of King George’s men; their ill actions toward Bess

Stanza 10 and 11

• explain how Bess takes hold of the musket’s trigger

Stanza 12 and 13

• signal the approaching highwayman

• unfold Bess’s horrible decision

XIIITlot-tlot, in the frosty silence! Tlot tlot, in the echoing

night! Nearer he came and nearer! Her face was like a light! Her eyes grew wide for a moment; she drew one last

deep breath, Then her finger moved in the moonlight,

Her musket shattered the moonlight,Shattered her breast in the moonlight and warned

him--with her death.

Stanza 14

• explains about the figure that stood in the casement

• tells about Bess’s sacrifice

Stanza 15

• describes the highwayman’s fury for his lover’s death

• tells the death of the highwayman

Stanzas 16 and 17

• speak about the legend of the ill-fated lovers

SYMBOLS

THE WIND

THE MOON

THE ROAD

THE RED COLOR