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Worksheets"The Highwayman" Multiple Choice Practice
Total questions: 20
Worksheet time: 20mins
What literary device is used in the last two stanzas of the poem and how does it affect the plot?
They utilize repetition to show the unending love between the Highwayman and Bess.
The stanzas show how Tim the ostler also loves Bess.
They show the arrival of King George's men.
They describe the highwayman's appearance.
What does the author mean by the phrase “There was death at every window”?
It is a metaphor meaning that King George's men are waiting for the Highwayman at the windows.
It is a simile meaning that King George's men are waiting for the Highwayman at the windows.
It is a simile meaning that the Highwayman will get caught robbing a carriage.
It is a metaphor meaning that the Highwayman will get caught robbing a carriage.
In stanza 1, line 1 it says, “The wind was a torrent of darkness among the gusty trees”. What does this reveal about the setting’s mood?
It is cheerful and bright.
It is dreamy and light-hearted.
It is thoughtful and peaceful.
It is gloomy and frightening.
Based on context clues, what does the word "harry" mean in the following stanza?
“One kiss, my bonny sweetheart, I’m after a prize to-night, But I shall be back with the yellow gold before the morning light; Yet, if they press me sharply, and harry me through the day, Then look for me by moonlight, Watch for me by moonlight, I’ll come to thee by moonlight, though hell should bar the way.”
he will return at night
to help the Highwayman
to annoy the Highwayman
a boy with a lightning bolt scar
What does the Highwayman promise Bess?
He promises to return to her.
He promises to kill King George's men.
He promises to never return.
He promises to make her rich.
It is implied in the poem that Tim told the redcoats of the highwayman’s love for Bess. What is Tim’s motive, or reason for betraying Bess?
Tim wants the Highwayman's riches.
Tim and the Highwayman had an argument.
Tim was "dumb as a dog" and listened.
Tim is in love with Bess and jealous of the Highwayman.
Based on his description in the following stanza, what can you infer about the character of Tim the ostler?
And dark in the dark old inn-yard a stable-wicket creaked Where Tim the ostler listened. His face was white and peaked. His eyes were hollows of madness, his hair like moldy hay, But he loved the landlord’s daughter, The landlord’s red-lipped daughter. Dumb as a dog he listened, and he heard the robber say—
Tim creates a loving environment for Bess and the Highwayman's relationship.
Tim's hair is a wig made from moldy hay, and he is crazy.
Tim is too busy taking care of the horses to care about what the Highwayman says.
Tim creates conflict for Bess and the Highwayman and has a negative effect on the plot.
In Stanza 9, it says “now keep good watch, and they kissed her.” What does this action reveal about the redcoats?
The redcoats want the landlord's money and food.
The redcoats want the landlord to watch for the Highwayman.
They love Bess and are showing her affection.
The redcoats know that Bess loves the Highwayman and are mocking her for it.
Which of the following lines prove that the redcoats are waiting to kill the Highwayman?
"A red-coat troop came marching— / Marching—marching— / King George’s men came marching, up to the old inn-door."
"They said no word to the landlord. They drank his ale instead. / But they gagged his daughter, and bound her, to the foot of her narrow bed."
"Yet, if they press me sharply, and harry me through the day, / Then look for me by moonlight,"
"Two of them knelt at her casement, with muskets at their side! / There was death at every window; / And hell at one dark window; / For Bess could see, through her casement, the road that he would ride"
Stanza 15 says “back he spurred like a madman, shouting a curse to the sky.” How does this simile's action contribute to the plot development? (4 pts)
This action shows the Highwayman returning as a ghost.
This action shows how the Highwayman is riding into sure death.
This action shows the Highwayman coming to rescue Bess.
This action shows the Highwayman escaping from the redcoats.
Based on his description, what inference can you make about the Highwayman in the following stanza?
He'd a Frenchcocked-hat on his forehead, a bunch of lace at his chin,
A coat of the claret velvet, and breeches of brown doe-skin;
They fitted with never a wrinkle: his boots were up to the thigh!
And he rode with a jeweled twinkle,
His pistol butts a-twinkle,
His rapier hilt a-twinkle, under the jeweled sky.
The Highwayman doesn't care about his appearance.
The Highwayman is destitute and continues to rob to survive.
The Highwayman is well-dressed, and likeable.
The Highwayman is careless and has a negative impact on the plot.
The color red is repeated and emphasized throughout the poem. What does this color symbolize and foreshadow? Choose two of the following answers.
It symbolizes the love Bess feels for the redcoats for saving her and upholding the law.
It symbolizes the love and passion between Bess and the Highwayman.
It symbolizes the hatred that Bess feels for the Highwayman for leaving her to rob carriages.
It symbolizes the cheerful tone of the poem and happy ending for the two main characters.
It symbolizes the violent tone of the poem and death for the two main characters.
Read the following stanza from the poem:
Tlot-tlot; tlot-tlot! Had they heard it? The horse-hoofs ringing clear;
Tlot-tlot, tlot-tlot, in the distance? Were they deaf that they did not hear?
Down the ribbon of moonlight, over the brow of the hill,
The highwayman came riding,
Riding, riding!
The red-coats looked to their priming! She stood up, straight and still!
The poet uses a strong rhythm and onomatopoeia to capture the beat of the —
pounding rain
the redcoats marching
rat-a-tat of gunfire
horse's hooves
What is the purpose of the following line in the poem?
"They stretched and strained in the darkness, and the hours crawled by like years"
It is a hyperbole to exaggerate the speed of time as Bess was waiting for the highwayman to return.
It is a hyperbole to exaggerate Bess's love for the highwayman.
It is a metaphor comparing Bess's love for the highwayman to time to show how deep her love was.
It is a metaphor comparing hours and years to show the speed of time as Bess was waiting for the highwayman to return.
How does Bess warn the Highwayman of the trap set by the redcoats?
She yells out his name.
She shoots herself.
She tells the innkeeper.
She sends him a letter.
Which of the following details does the author include to demonstrate how the Highwayman feels when he hears Bess has died?
"Not till the dawn he heard it."
"Back, he spurred like a madman, shouting a curse to the sky,"
"And he lay in his blood on the highway, with the bunch of lace at his throat."
"When they shot him down on the highway, Down like a dog on the highway,"
How does the following piece of evidence contribute to the plot of the poem: “She writhed her hands till her fingers were wet with sweat or blood!”
it shows the desperation of the redcoats wanting to capture the highwayman
it shows the landlord’s desire for the redcoats to leave his inn
it shows Bess's desperation to warn the highwayman of the trap at the inn
it shows Tim’s regret for turning in the highwayman
Which statement best expresses the theme of this poem?
Evil is punished and good is rewarded.
Justice triumphs over all: hate, selfishness, cruelty, tragedy, and even death.
Beauty is only skin deep.
One should be willing to sacrifice everything for the person one loves.
What effect does the repeated phrase “Tlot-tlot; tlot-tlot!” have on the tone of the passage
It creates a lighthearted tone by signaling the arrival of Bess’ love.
It creates a disapproving tone as Bess’ father, the landlord, despises her relationship with the highwayman.
It creates an angry tone that emphasizes the soldiers’ seething anger regarding the highwayman.
It creates an anxious tone as Bess knows the sound of the hooves indicate the highwayman’s approaching doom.
How does the structure of the text best convey it’s mood?
The author’s frightening descriptions in the beginning contribute to the reader’s suspicion of Tim.
The author’s description of the tumultuous setting at the beginning forecast the agony depicted throughout the rest of the text.
The author’s suspenseful descriptions in the beginning contrast with the feeling of comfort provided throughout the rest of the poem.
The author’s description of the highwayman’s enthusiasm regarding the robbery contribute to the reader’s impression of his romance with Bess.
