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The Highwayman (poem)

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148:"The Highwayman" is reputed to be "the best ballad poem in existence for oral delivery". It makes use of vivid imagery to describe surroundings ("the road was a gipsy's ribbon, looping the purple moor - ") and repetitious phrases to emphasise action ("A red-coat troop came marching - marching - marching -"). Almost half a century later, Noyes wrote, "I think the success of the poem... was because it was not an artificial composition, but was written at an age when I was genuinely excited by that kind of romantic story." 25: 437: 425: 120:, the highwayman escapes ambush when Bess sacrifices her life to warn him. Learning of her death, he is killed in a futile attempt at revenge ("so they shot him down on the highway, like a dog upon the highway"). In the final stanza, the ghosts of the lovers meet again on winter nights. 42: 43: 41: 206:. Noyes writes in his autobiography that he was pleasantly surprised by "the fact that in this picture, produced in Hollywood, the poem itself is used and followed with the most artistic care". 140:
and pinewoods. 'The Highwayman' suggested itself to me one blustery night when the sound of the wind in the pines gave me the first line." The poem was completed in about two days.
467: 44: 136:, where Noyes, then aged 24, had taken rooms in a cottage. In his autobiography, he recalled: "Bagshot Heath in those days was a wild bit of country, all 472: 168:, such as the phrase "ghostly galleon", and also uses refrains in each stanza. The genre of this poem seems to be a romance, but like 487: 34: 482: 260: 497: 477: 441: 296: 348: 215: 492: 288: 415: 195: 462: 264:, the main character Anne Shirley recites the poem at a concert at which it is very well received. 236: 88: 228: 116:
who is in love with Bess, a landlord's daughter. Betrayed to the authorities by Tim, a jealous
244: 8: 457: 386: 164:. The rhythm is suggestive of the foot falls of a galloping horse. Noyes frequently uses 93: 308: 188: 184: 183:
In 1933, a setting of the poem for chorus and small orchestra by the English composer
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mentioned it briefly after a sick, 14-year-old girl tells poems to the protagonist,
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Alfred Noyes 'Two Worlds for Memory. Philadelphia: J. B. Clipping, 1953, p. 38.
451: 429: 313: 300: 268: 203: 199: 157: 129: 174:, the poem is a tragedy in the end. This poem can also be called a ballad. 165: 112:
The poem, set in 18th-century rural England, tells the story of an unnamed
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The poem was written on the edge of a desolate stretch of land known as
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In 1951, the poem was used as the basis for a feature-length Hollywood
113: 62: 210: 161: 100:, becoming an immediate success. In 1995 it was voted 15th in the 137: 117: 424: 251:, recognising the year's best children's book illustration by a 133: 75: 248: 219:. His arrangement has since been covered by other musicians. 271:
used the poem as the background for her historical novels,
96:. The following year it was included in Noyes' collection, 177: 101: 413: 468:Works originally published in Blackwood's Magazine 226:adapted the poem as a rock song on his 1979 album 319:It inspired the 2011 illustrated children's book 449: 239:published an edition of the poem illustrated by 86:, first published in the August 1906 issue of 295:One of the videos to the 1987 hit pop song " 104:'s poll for "The Nation's Favourite Poems". 213:set the poem to music on his second album, 156:"The Highwayman" uses hexameter that mixes 393:. Oxford University Press, 1983, p. 399. 353:Blackwood's Magazine on Internet Archive 373: 371: 369: 286:adapted it as a folk song on her album 450: 243:in black and white. He won the annual 178:Adaptations and use in popular culture 151: 143: 366: 98:Forty Singing Seamen and Other Poems 13: 473:Kate Greenaway Medal winning works 406:. 12 August 1951 – via IMDb. 391:The Oxford Book of Narrative Verse 187:received its first performance at 23: 14: 509: 435: 423: 61:Problems playing this file? See 39: 488:Fiction set in the 18th century 267:The Scottish children's author 222:Cult British singer-songwriter 396: 380: 341: 1: 334: 209:In 1965, American folksinger 123: 7: 10: 514: 273:The Highwayman's Footsteps 216:I Ain't Marching Any More 16:1906 poem by Alfred Noyes 483:Poems adapted into films 237:Oxford University Press 107: 498:Works about highwaymen 478:Poetry by Alfred Noyes 303:is based on this poem. 277:The Highwayman's Curse 28: 442:Children's literature 229:Where Did I Go Right? 196:film of the same name 27: 282:The Canadian singer 261:Anne of Green Gables 245:Kate Greenaway Medal 89:Blackwood's Magazine 387:Iona and Peter Opie 299:" by the rock band 289:The Book of Secrets 249:Library Association 152:Literary techniques 94:Edinburgh, Scotland 493:England in fiction 189:Winchester College 185:C. Armstrong Gibbs 144:Literary qualities 29: 284:Loreena McKennitt 258:In the 1985 film 52:Alexander Scourby 45: 505: 440: 439: 438: 428: 427: 419: 408: 407: 404:"The Highwayman" 400: 394: 384: 378: 375: 364: 363: 361: 359: 349:"The Highwayman" 345: 171:Romeo and Juliet 74:" is a romantic 47: 46: 35:"The Highwayman" 26: 513: 512: 508: 507: 506: 504: 503: 502: 463:Narrative poems 448: 447: 446: 436: 434: 422: 414: 412: 411: 402: 401: 397: 385: 381: 376: 367: 357: 355: 347: 346: 342: 337: 331: 325:Julia Donaldson 321:The Highway Rat 253:British subject 241:Charles Keeping 180: 154: 146: 126: 110: 68: 67: 59: 57: 56: 55: 54: 48: 40: 37: 30: 24: 17: 12: 11: 5: 511: 501: 500: 495: 490: 485: 480: 475: 470: 465: 460: 445: 444: 432: 410: 409: 395: 379: 365: 339: 338: 336: 333: 329: 328: 317: 309:Angela’s Ashes 306:The 1996 book 304: 293: 280: 265: 256: 233: 220: 207: 192: 179: 176: 153: 150: 145: 142: 125: 122: 109: 106: 80:narrative poem 72:The Highwayman 58: 49: 38: 33: 32: 31: 22: 21: 20: 15: 9: 6: 4: 3: 2: 510: 499: 496: 494: 491: 489: 486: 484: 481: 479: 476: 474: 471: 469: 466: 464: 461: 459: 456: 455: 453: 443: 433: 431: 426: 421: 420: 417: 405: 399: 392: 388: 383: 374: 372: 370: 354: 350: 344: 340: 332: 326: 322: 318: 315: 314:Frank McCourt 311: 310: 305: 302: 301:Fleetwood Mac 298: 294: 291: 290: 285: 281: 278: 274: 270: 269:Nicola Morgan 266: 263: 262: 257: 254: 250: 246: 242: 238: 234: 231: 230: 225: 221: 218: 217: 212: 208: 205: 204:Wanda Hendrix 201: 200:Philip Friend 197: 193: 191:Music School. 190: 186: 182: 181: 175: 173: 172: 167: 163: 159: 149: 141: 139: 135: 131: 130:Bagshot Heath 121: 119: 115: 105: 103: 99: 95: 91: 90: 85: 81: 77: 73: 66: 64: 53: 36: 19: 398: 390: 382: 356:. Retrieved 352: 343: 330: 320: 307: 287: 276: 272: 259: 227: 214: 169: 166:alliteration 155: 147: 127: 111: 97: 87: 84:Alfred Noyes 71: 69: 60: 18: 358:16 February 198:, starring 92:, based in 82:written by 50:Reading by 458:1906 poems 452:Categories 335:References 297:Everywhere 224:John Otway 124:Background 114:highwayman 63:media help 247:from the 235:In 1981, 211:Phil Ochs 162:anapaests 416:Portals 389:(eds). 138:heather 430:Poetry 134:Surrey 118:ostler 76:ballad 158:iambs 360:2015 275:and 202:and 160:and 108:Plot 78:and 323:by 132:in 102:BBC 454:: 368:^ 351:. 418:: 362:. 327:. 316:. 292:. 279:. 255:. 232:. 70:" 65:.

Index

"The Highwayman"
Alexander Scourby
media help
ballad
narrative poem
Alfred Noyes
Blackwood's Magazine
Edinburgh, Scotland
BBC
highwayman
ostler
Bagshot Heath
Surrey
heather
iambs
anapaests
alliteration
Romeo and Juliet
C. Armstrong Gibbs
Winchester College
film of the same name
Philip Friend
Wanda Hendrix
Phil Ochs
I Ain't Marching Any More
John Otway
Where Did I Go Right?
Oxford University Press
Charles Keeping
Kate Greenaway Medal

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