The Highwayman Poem Analysis Essay Example For Students

The Highwayman Poem Analysis Essay Alfred Noyes creates tension in his poem, The Highwayman, as does Thomas Hardy in A Trampwomans Tragedy.  The immediate reaction to both poems is dancer which brings tension and suspense to the texts. This immediate reaction is created from the titles. The Higwayman brings a sense of criminal association, which raises questions over what is going to happen in the poem. Here suspense is created which quickly engages the reader. Thomas Hardys poem has the same effect, A Trampwomans Tragedy. Tragedy creates expectations of possibly the downfall of the protagonist through death. This creates dancer, which brings tension and suspense. The progression of both poems is important in creating suspense and tension as it also creates expectations making the poem exciting using romantic language, such as purple moor and ribbon of moonlight. Purple being a very deep, rich colour introduces us to the highwayman as he comes riding-riding-riding-riding. The repetition of riding gives a sense of movement as if coming up to something, but what? This creates suspense. The dramatic pauses between words also add a sense of mystery as if its getting closer and closer, building up tension. We continue to see words such as twinkle, jewelled sky, red love-knot and claret velvet all building up hope of something romantic and beautiful/ But we are soon introduced to Tim, the contrast of the previous colours, to white and peaked and words such as madness all raise fear and danger as something clearly is not right, again creating tension and suspense. Also, riding-riding now becomes marching-marching. Marching has a more forceful tone to it and not as soft as riding. This creates suspense as something different is coming and the word marching means its not good. We are then introduced to more painful language, sweat, blood, stretched, and strained. Then colour seems to have no specific place anymore, grey, blood-red, white-road. They all seem to be jumbled together. This progression creates contrasts and raises even more tension and suspense. Similarly Hardy uses progression in A Trampwomans Tragedy. Language begins happy, livelong day, beat afoot, and travelled, there is also detail of places, sedge-moor. The encouraging language gives a sense of meaning and purpose. But the tension arises when this is later contrasted with dark distress, death-day, weak, places become anonymous, The taverns. The contrast creates the effect of loneliness and events getting worse, this creates tension as things start to go wrong. The poem then ends with a sense of depression, haunting, ghost and gloomy. Here progression is also important achieving suspense and we build expectations and want to know the outcome. Hardy also uses repetition, alone,alone,alone!, this emphasises the trampwomans tragedies of her lovers. Reminding us of the tension beforehand of her teasing that went too far. Nature is reflected in both poems with the use of pathetic fallacy. Hardy uses words such as sun-blaze, fields and humpikes to create a sense of movement as if getting closer to something, creating suspense. Noyes uses the seas and waves to show fate, that they have little control over what they do. In the context of the poem this creates tension as we realise that the highwayman and the daughter may never get together.  In conclusion both poets create tension and suspense successfully through language and progression of the poems.