About Love and Loss - Review of The Highwayman

Alfred Noyes’ The Highwayman is a poem that tells about a highwayman(or a robber) who fell in love with an innkeeper’s daughter, Bess. Unfortunately, another man, an ostler named Tim also had his eyes on Bess, so ratted out the unnamed highwayman to the authorities. Bess warned her lover about the incoming danger, and the highwayman promised to return by moonlight. When the soldiers arrived, they searched every house, every window, but could not find the wanted man. They eventually deduced that somebody had warned the highwayman, presumably the landlord’s daughter, since she was in love with him. As a result, the soldiers took it out on her and tied her up, later executing her for allowing their target to escape. Bess didn’t even have a chance to see her love like they had promised each other. When the highwayman heard news of his love’s death, he was furious and wanted to enact vengeance, but, being outnumbered and outgunned, was shot dead by the soldiers. Later, his ghost met up with Bess’s and they reunited.

There are some who simply cannot accept the loss of their loved ones and will go great lengths if they do. Losing your love to another is not a reason to sabotage or destroy their relationship. Tim, the ostler, realized that Bess loved the highwayman more than himself, so he reported his rival to the authorities. This way, he believed, the highwayman would be sent to prison, or executed, leaving nothing between himself and Bess. What he didn’t realize was that Bess was incredibly loyal to her boyfriend, and risked her own life to warn him just so he could get away and survive. Tim, instead of eliminating his rival, eliminated both the highwayman and Bess. Tim was devastated that the highwayman had already fallen in love with Bess before he got a chance to attract her, so tried to report him to the authorities so that he would no longer be able to see his lover. Instead of clearing the way to the love of his life, Tim blocked off that path because of his desire for revenge. It is immoral to destroy something that we didn’t get in order to prevent others from having it.

True love is so powerful that we would even be willing to risk our life to save our partner. If there is anything that is worth your life, it is love. Bess truly loved the highwayman, so when the soldiers were coming, she warned him about the impending danger, despite knowing that if her role in the escape was discovered, there would be severe consequences. Later, the soldiers killed her for aiding the highwayman. Bess would have known the grave results of helping the love of her life, but chose to sacrifice herself to save her partner. Bess didn’t want to live in a world without the highwayman, so she risked her life to save him, which turned out, later, to be at the cost of her life. She would have known full well the penalty for aiding a fugitive, but prioritized her lover over her own life out of true love. Most people in her position would have let the highwayman be captured, but he was too valuable to Bess to lose. Two partners who are highly loyal may be influenced by love and choose the other over themselves.

Love may be powerful, but it is not something to commit suicide over. It is not worth killing oneself if their partner dies. When the highwayman found out that Bess was killed by the redcoats, he went mad with rage and desperately tried to take revenge. However, the attempt was futile as he stood no chance against the full squad of redcoats, who shot him dead. Of course, he loved Bess, but Bess wanted him to survive, not to throw away his life in an attempt at revenge that was doomed to fail. Thus, he made a mistake in charging at the soldiers head on. The highwayman had a deep bond with Bess, and wanted to be reunited with her. However, the cost was his life, and Bess hadn’t intended for him to squander the life that he was spared because of her sacrifice. The highwayman had his whole life ahead of him, but he was blinded by rage and seemed to lose his senses. Love is a significant force in our life, but life itself is not worth losing over loss of love.

Alfred Noyes’ poem The Highwayman discusses the story of a highwayman who fell in love with the daughter of an innkeeper. However, because of his criminal background, the authorities chased after him when an ostler named Tim fell in love with Bess as well, and called the police in order to get him out of the way. Bess warned the highwayman before the authorities arrived, so they treated her poorly for allowing their target to get away. Eventually, they killed her. When the highwayman heard news of his lover’s death, he was blinded by rage and tried to take revenge on the redcoats, but was shot dead. This story teaches us several themes about love and loss. First, we shouldn’t destroy something to prevent others from getting it if we cannot have it. Tim the ostler was wrong to try and break up the highwayman and Bess by force. Second, love is a significant influence in our lives and could even dictate our decisions. Bess chose to save her lover at the cost of her own life. Third and finally, love may be significant, but cannot be prioritized over life.