Question

Why doesn't the highwayman keep his promise and

return to Bess before nightfall?
He spent the night at home with his wife and
children.
He has been captured by the redcoats and shot.
He was chased by the redcoats after robbing
someone on the road.
He forgot that he promised Bess to return before
nightfall.

Answer 1

The highwayman doesn't keep his promise to return to Bess before nightfall because he was chased by the redcoats after robbing someone on the road.

Step-by-step explanation:

The subject of the question is from the poem 'The Highwayman' by Alfred Noyes. In the poem, the highwayman does not keep his promise to return to Bess before nightfall because he has been chased by the redcoats after robbing someone on the road. The poem describes how he is eventually captured and shot by the redcoats.

This can be seen in the lines from the poem: 'Then look for me by moonlight, Watch for me by moonlight, I'll come to thee by moonlight, though hell should bar the way!' However, the highwayman does not make it back to Bess because he was chased and ultimately met his demise at the hands of the redcoats. His promise to Bess could not be fulfilled due to the unfortunate events that occurred on that night.

The reason given in the other options, such as spending the night at home with his family or forgetting his promise, is not supported by the context of the poem.

Learn more about The Highwayman by Alfred Noyes