1. What characteristics do narrative poems share with short stories? Give examples of these characteristics in "The Highwayman"
by Alfred Noyes. Then explain the effect of figurative language in this poem and describe how the poem's mood is related to its language, setting, and content.
They both relate to personal experience and are both frequently told from 1st person perspective
A narrative poem is one that tells a story. It follows a similar
structure as that for a short story or novel. There is a beginning, a
middle and an end, as well as the usual literary devices such as
character and plot.
Now look at the poem and see how it mtaches the above characterictics.
"the effect of figurative language and the relationship between the poem's mood and its language, setting, and content."
"Here is a website that tells more about the different types of figurative language: http://www.orangeusd.k12.ca.us/yorba/fig...
<<Whenever you describe something by comparing it with something
else, you are using figurative language, that is, any language that goes
beyond the literal meaning of words in order to furnish new effects or
fresh insights into an idea or a subject. The most common figures of
speech are simile, metaphor, and alliteration.>>
This poem is full of figurative language throughout. For example, the first three lines of the poem are metaphors:
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, " quote
The story is trying to convey the message that being attracted to someone, or being infatuated, is not the same as true love. The teenage girl feels excited and happy to have someone care for her, however, the boy is not serious about her. He wanted to "pick her up" but had no intention of ever turning this passing flirtation into a serious relationship. The story also suggests that not being able to distinguish between these two different types of attention can cause a lot of heartache and confusion.
The words the author choses are those that resemble the speech of a teenager. This allows us to sympathize with the girl by making it easier to imagine the types of thoughts she is having. The author also uses some rhetorical devices such as anaphoras (the repetition of words at the beginning of neighbouring clauses), similes and metaphors. These use of words contributes to the theme of confusion and pain that comes from confusing superficial flirting with serious attraction.
