The Highwayman –Critical Essay
How does the poem make effective use of poetic devices?
- Give the title of the poem
- Give the name of the writer
- Explain in a sentence what the poem is about
- Say what your essay is going to do
- Say that Noyes uses metaphor
- Give an example of a metaphor
- Explain what is being compared to what
- Explain why this is appropriate
- Give another example of a metaphor
- Explain what is being compared to what
- Explain why this is appropriate
- Say that Noyes uses other techniques
- Explain that he uses alliteration
- Give an example
- Explain how the sound works
- What does the sound remind us of?
- Say that Noyes also uses repetition
- Say that works to reinforce ideas
- Give an example of repetition
- Explain the effect of the repetition
- Say that Noyes also uses onomatopoeia
- Say that works to give sound images
- Explain that this gives the reader a “sensory experience”
- Give an example of onomatopoeia
- Explain the effect of this
- Say that Noyes also uses symbolism and connotation
- Give an example of this
- What is the effect – what are the connotations?
- How does this contribute to the overall themes of the poem
- Say that the Highwayman is an interesting poem
- Explain that the techniques you have discussed bring the poem to life
- Say they help us to visualise the events of the poem
- Say that this shows how powerful language can be