Saturday, March 21, 2009

Comprehension Question Answers for 'The Highwayman'

In the comments section of this post, I have put the answers to the comprehension questions for The Highwayman. Sorry about not getting it up earlier! 
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Miss Jones said...

1. What is the central conflict of The Highwayman?

The central conflict of The Highwayman is a man vs. man conflict between the highwayman and his lover Bess against Tim, the stableman who also loves Bess and the soldiers that are out to catch and kill the highwayman.
The second, and almost more powerful conflict, is a man vs. self conflict where Bess must decide what she will do in order to save the man she loves—she must decide whether she will take her own life.
2. How does the poet create and sustain suspense?
The poet creates and sustains suspense mainly through the use of words that have a strong aural effect—for example, he uses many words that appeal to sound, such as tlot-tlot, clopping, tapping, etc. and then uses a lot of alliteration, repetition, rhyme, and rhythm. All of these things affect the pace of the poem—at times it will speed up, other times, it slows down—and that manipulates the emotions of the reader. In addition to these effects, the poet uses a lot of vivid imagery so the story is very clear in the imaginations of the reader.
An example of alliteration is “ghostly galleon”

3. How is the conflict resolved?
The conflict is resolved when both Bess and the highwayman die. Bess dies when she kills herself in order to save the highwayman, but when he hears that she is dead, he loses his desire to live and confronts the soldiers. The soldiers shoot him down in the highway.

4. Could this story have been as effectively handled in prose as it is in poetry? Explain your answer.

Both ‘Yes’ and ‘No’ are acceptable for this answer.

Yes, this story would have been effective if it was written in prose because it has a very strong plot and two strong conflicts, the conflicts between the highwayman and the soldiers and the inner conflict that Bess undergoes before she kills herself. This story would still be powerful because it is also has a lot of very sharp imagery, and imagery, no matter whether it is in prose or in poetry, is always effective in making a story more clear within the imaginations of the readers. Finally, the theme of the story would be powerful no matter what since it is based on the themes of love and tragedy—both of these themes are so powerful for the reader and it creates a strong effect as the story is read.
No, this story wouldn’t be as effective if it were written as prose because a large part of the story’s suspense is dependent upon the rhyme, rhythm, alliteration, and repetition of the poem. Even though the story has two strong conflicts, a strong plot, and strong themes, the story wouldn’t be as powerful without the poetic elements—the repetition and rhythm manipulate the reader’s heart into beating faster and faster so that as they read, they become more and more excited.

Saturday, March 21, 2009

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