Experiencing 'The Highwayman - Alfred Noyes'

These days understanding literature has become so much easier what with the internet's humongous repertoire. But then, you need to analyse every detail you read for not everything up there on the net will be true although it may be someone's point of view put across rather strongly.

Recently , when I read The Highwayman trying to identify the threads of poetic craft that ran through it, the very experience of reading this poem filled me with wonder. Wonder at how the poet could have taken a not-so-heroic highway robber and simply with the help of well-crafted phrases and a thrilling romantic plot turn around our perception of the highwayman. So our sympathies lie, not with the law, not with what history tells us about highwaymen of the 18th century, but with the young, dashing highwayman who is hopelessly in love with Bess, the landlord's daughter, the man who promises to be back to his beloved , the courageous young lover who comes riding back to seek revenge for his lady love's death, only to die a dog's death himself. He has been betrayed by the jealous ostler Tim, who had overheard him parting ways with Bess. Tim, whose description makes it obvious that he is hardly our choice of a hero, is also in love with Bess but knows he cannot get her as Bess's heart has already been won by the highwayman.

When the Highwayman enters the scene - the fact that he is riding is emphasized by the repetition- that is what he chiefly does, rides down the highway. Noyes describes the highwayman's appearance quite meticulously right from the French cocked hat, the wine red coat to his brown breeches and laced up chin, his boots, his pistol, his rapier.
We see him being described again later in the poem, but this time he is in wild rage, as the news of Bess's tragic death has reached him.

The dark and windy night sky is painted vividly in striking metaphorical language
'The wind was a torrent of darkness among the gusty trees.
The moon was a ghostly galleon tossed upon cloudy seas.
The road was a ribbon of moonlight over the purple moor...'

In the dark of the night does all the action take place. The moonlight is ghostly, shadowy - hardly able to survive the clouds- like a ship being tossed about by the waves in the sea.The setting foreshadows the tragic events that are to happen soon.

One more character that stays with us is Bess. She gives up her life for the man she loved. True love for years has been elevated to fame with the death of lovers. But in this poem the lovers meet, although it is after their death. For even now in the moonlight one can hear the highwayman come riding, riding, riding...

I enjoyed my experience of reading The Highwayman thoroughly and am sure all my students who read it with me did.
Here are some links that I chanced upon while looking up the poem.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/wales/mid/halloffame/arts/alfrednoyes.shtml
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Highwayman_(poem)

http://www.localhistories.org/highwaymen.html
http://bluegatefieldsjuniors.co.uk/The%20Highwayman%20yr5.pdf

Amazing song by Loreena McKennit - The Highwayman - although some parts are missing-
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UvKBPr71dhA