New
New
Year 5

Analysing stanzas three and four of 'The Highwayman'

I can analyse and understand the events in Stanzas Three and Four of ‘The Highwayman’.

New
New
Year 5

Analysing stanzas three and four of 'The Highwayman'

I can analyse and understand the events in Stanzas Three and Four of ‘The Highwayman’.

Lesson details

Key learning points

  1. Alfred Noyes uses figurative language and poetic devices to create imagery and describe events in stanza three.
  2. As this poem was set in the 18th century, some of the language choices may be unfamiliar.
  3. Understanding the meaning of all vocabulary in the poem enables us to analyse and understand each stanza fully.

Common misconception

Pupils may mix up different poetic devices.

The tasks in learning cycles one and two explicitly model how each poetic device is used in each stanza.

Keywords

  • Narrative poem - a poem that tells a story

  • Build-up - introduces the storyline for some main characters and begins to set up a problem or situation that will build in tension

  • Stanza - a part of a poem consisting of two or more lines grouped together

  • Analyse - to study something in detail to understand its meaning

It may be helpful to supplement the slides with additional images to support pupils' understanding of key vocabulary and the events in each stanza.
Teacher tip

Licence

This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2024), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0 except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).

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6 Questions

Q1.
What is a narrative poem?
a non-fiction text about a subject
a factual recount of a real-life event
Correct answer: a poem that tells a story
Q2.
'The Highwayman' was written by ...
William Shakespeare.
Correct answer: Alfred Noyes.
Charles Dickens.
Q3.
What does 'rural' mean?
set in a city
set in a village
set in a town
Correct answer: set in the countryside
Q4.
Match the figurative language types to their examples.
Correct Answer:metaphor,his hands were blocks of ice

his hands were blocks of ice

Correct Answer:simile,the sky was as black as coal

the sky was as black as coal

Correct Answer:personification,the desperate, lonely moor

the desperate, lonely moor

Q5.
Match the poetic devices to their examples.
Correct Answer:alliteration,the horse's hooves hammered the path

the horse's hooves hammered the path

Correct Answer:repetition,racing - racing - racing

racing - racing - racing

Correct Answer:rhyme,chin, skin

chin, skin

Q6.
'His eyes were hollows of madness' is an example of which literary device?
alliteration
simile
Correct answer: metaphor
rhyme

6 Questions

Q1.
Match the keywords to their definitions.
Correct Answer:narrative poem,a poem that tells a story

a poem that tells a story

Correct Answer:build-up,introduces the storyline for some main characters

introduces the storyline for some main characters

Correct Answer:stanza,part of a poem consisting of two or more lines grouped together

part of a poem consisting of two or more lines grouped together

Correct Answer:analyse,to study something in detail to understand its meaning

to study something in detail to understand its meaning

Q2.
Match the stanzas with what they are about.
Correct Answer:Stanza One,the setting

the setting

Correct Answer:Stanza Two,the Highwayman

the Highwayman

Correct Answer:Stanza Three,Bess

Bess

Correct Answer:Stanza Four,Tim

Tim

Q3.
Fill in the gap: Stanzas Three and Four of the poem form the basis of the __________ of our narrative writing.
setting and character description
Correct answer: build-up
climax
Q4.
Match the vocabulary to the correct definitions.
Correct Answer:ostler,a person employed to look after the horses of people staying at an inn

a person employed to look after the horses of people staying at an inn

Correct Answer:inn,a rural pub, sometimes offering accommodation

a rural pub, sometimes offering accommodation

Correct Answer:landlord,a man who owned and managed a pub, inn or small hotel

a man who owned and managed a pub, inn or small hotel

Correct Answer:dumb,silent

silent

Q5.
Which of these is the correct definition of 'onomatopoeia'?
compares two things by saying that one thing is another
compares two things using ‘like’ or ‘as’
when word endings sound the same
Correct answer: a word that sounds like the sound it is describing
Q6.
Put the events of the narrative poem so far in the correct order.
1 - The Highwayman races on horseback across the moor.
2 - The Highwayman arrives at an old inn-yard.
3 - He taps on the shutters and whistles a tune at the window.
4 - Bess, the landlord's daughter, appears at the window.
5 - Tim the jealous ostler hides in the stable and spies on Bess and the Highwayman.