The Highwayman - Lesson 14 - Themes PowerPoint

The lesson focuses on exploring the themes within the classic poem 'The Highwayman' by Alfred Noyes. The objective is to help students become aware of the author's purpose and the overarching themes, as well as to understand how these themes are conveyed to the reader. The lesson encourages students to think critically about the message or moral that the author might want to communicate through the narrative. To illustrate the concept of a theme, the lesson refers to the familiar fable of the tortoise and the hare, prompting students to consider the purpose and moral of this story as a starting point for their exploration of thematic content.

Students are then invited to delve into the poem 'The Highwayman' and identify its themes, which can be as diverse as love, war, growing up, and prejudice. The lesson includes an activity where students create a mind map to visually represent the various themes Alfred Noyes explores in the poem. Some of the themes highlighted for discussion include crime and punishment, love, and jealousy. This exercise not only aids in the understanding of the poem's deeper meanings but also enhances analytical skills as students connect different elements of the text to the central themes identified.