Narrative Poetry

By 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,

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.) goodlooking

harry (v.) to trouble,
harrass

 casement (n.) window

brand (n.) burning
torch

 tawny (adj.) brownishgold

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
A coat of the claret velvet,
and breeches of brown doeskin.
Over the cobbles he clattered and
clashed in the dark inn yard,

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

I
THE 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
highwaymans 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
Georges men; their ill
actions toward Bess

Stanza 10 and 11
explain how Bess takes
hold of the muskets
trigger

Stanza 12 and 13
signal the approaching
highwayman
unfold Besss horrible
decision

XIII
Tlot-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 Besss sacrifice

Stanza 15
describes the highwaymans
fury for his lovers 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