Ready Steady Read Together
The Highwayman: Poetry Lesson 1
What do you think you know?
What?
Who?
Why?
Where?
How?
When?
Book Talk: Let's explore this illustration.
Explore
What do you know and think?
The wind was a torrent of darkness among the gusty trees, The moon was a ghostly galleon tossed upon cloudy seas...
How might this extract link to the illustration?
From: The Barefoot Book of Classic Poems compiled by Jackie Morris and Carol Ann Duffy © 2006. Licensed under CLA. Do not copy or share.
Today's Question(s)
What atmosphere does the poet create and how does he achieve this?
Explore
Let me read today's text
Explore
The Highwayman
The wind was a torrent of darkness among the gusty trees,
The moon was a ghostly galleon tossed upon cloudy seas,
The road was a ribbon of moonlight over the purple moor,
And the highwayman came riding—
Riding—riding—
The highwayman came riding, up to the old inn-door.
He'd a French cocked-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 jewelled twinkle,
His pistol butts a-twinkle,
His rapier hilt a-twinkle, under the jewelled sky.
From: The Barefoot Book of Classic Poems compiled by Jackie Morris and Carol Ann Duffy © 2006. Licensed under CLA. Do not copy or share.
Over the cobbles he clattered and clashed in the dark inn-yard, He tapped with his whip on the shutters, but all was locked and barred;
He whistled a tune to the window, and who should be waiting there
But the landlord's black-eyed daughter,
Bess, the landlord's daughter,
Plaiting a dark red love-knot into her long black hair.
From: The Barefoot Book of Classic Poems compiled by Jackie Morris and Carol Ann Duffy © 2006. Licensed under CLA. Do not copy or share.
Vocabulary
Explore
Hover for definitions!
torrent
claret velvet
galleon
breeches of brown doe-skin
pistol butts
rapier hilt
From: The Barefoot Book of Classic Poems compiled by Jackie Morris and Carol Ann Duffy © 2006. Licensed under CLA. Do not copy or share.
I will model the first.
Find the word or phrase Read the sentence Talk about it to a partner
torrent
Explore
Find Read Talk
The Highwayman
The wind was a torrent of darkness among the gusty trees,
The moon was a ghostly galleon tossed upon cloudy seas,
The road was a ribbon of moonlight over the purple moor,
And the highwayman came riding—
Riding—riding—
The highwayman came riding, up to the old inn-door.
Reveal Vocabulary
From: The Barefoot Book of Classic Poems compiled by Jackie Morris and Carol Ann Duffy © 2006. Licensed under CLA. Do not copy or share.
torrent
Your turn
galleon
Find the word or phrase Read the sentence Talk about it to a partner
claret velvet
breeches of brown doe-skin
pistol butts
rapier hilt
Use your text
Explore
Vocabulary Check & Re-read
Explore
Reveal Vocabulary
The Highwayman
The wind was a torrent of darkness among the gusty trees,
The moon was a ghostly galleon tossed upon cloudy seas,
The road was a ribbon of moonlight over the purple moor,
And the highwayman came riding—
Riding—riding—
The highwayman came riding, up to the old inn-door.
He'd a French cocked-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 jewelled twinkle,
His pistol butts a-twinkle,
His rapier hilt a-twinkle, under the jewelled sky.
From: The Barefoot Book of Classic Poems compiled by Jackie Morris and Carol Ann Duffy © 2006. Licensed under CLA. Do not copy or share.
Reveal Vocabulary
Over the cobbles he clattered and clashed in the dark inn-yard, He tapped with his whip on the shutters, but all was locked and barred;
He whistled a tune to the window, and who should be waiting there
But the landlord's black-eyed daughter,
Bess, the landlord's daughter,
Plaiting a dark red love-knot into her long black hair.
From: The Barefoot Book of Classic Poems compiled by Jackie Morris and Carol Ann Duffy © 2006. Licensed under CLA. Do not copy or share.
Fluency
Explore
Let me use my reader's voice...
The wind was a torrent of darkness among the gusty trees,
The moon was a ghostly galleon tossed upon cloudy seas,
The road was a ribbon of moonlight over the purple moor,
And the highwayman came riding—
Riding—riding—
The highwayman came riding, up to the old inn-door.
What did you notice?
From: The Barefoot Book of Classic Poems compiled by Jackie Morris and Carol Ann Duffy © 2006. Licensed under CLA. Do not copy or share.
My Turn
Your Turn
Echo Read
The wind was a torrent of darkness
among the gusty trees,
The moon was a ghostly galleon
tossed upon cloudy seas,
The road was a ribbon of moonlight
over the purple moor,
And the highwayman came riding—
Riding—riding—
The highwayman came riding,
up to the old inn-door.
From: The Barefoot Book of Classic Poems compiled by Jackie Morris and Carol Ann Duffy © 2006. Licensed under CLA. Do not copy or share.
Sound like a reader!
Stand up!
Choral Read
The wind was a torrent of darkness among the gusty trees,
The moon was a ghostly galleon tossed upon cloudy seas,
The road was a ribbon of moonlight over the purple moor,
And the highwayman came riding—
Riding—riding—
The highwayman came riding, up to the old inn-door.
From: The Barefoot Book of Classic Poems compiled by Jackie Morris and Carol Ann Duffy © 2006. Licensed under CLA. Do not copy or share.
Strategy Focus
Explore
Strategy: Read Between the Lines
What atmosphere does the poet create and how does he achieve this?
Be a detective and look for clues!
Teach
Let me show you
Reveal Text Marks
The wind was a torrent of darkness among the gusty trees,
The moon was a ghostly galleon tossed upon cloudy seas,
The road was a ribbon of moonlight over the purple moor...
What atmosphere does the poet create and how does he achieve this?
Reveal Explainer
The strong wind and the focus on the darkness create an atmosphere which has a sense of danger and mystery.
From: The Barefoot Book of Classic Poems compiled by Jackie Morris and Carol Ann Duffy © 2006. Licensed under CLA. Do not copy or share.
Strategy Stop
What else could you use to answer today's question(s)?
Teach
Your Turn
What atmosphere does the poet create and how does he achieve this?
Find the answers
Text mark
Explore
The atmosphere is dark, mysterious and danger is looming:
Acceptable Answers
Text Mark Evidence ghostly galleon
the moon is described in a spooky, mysterious way
Text Mark Evidence tossed upon cloudy seas
the sky seem stormy and mysterious
What atmosphere does the poet create and how does he achieve this?
Text Mark Evidence ribbon of moonlight
set in darkness
Text Mark Evidence locked and barred
the inn is mysteriously closed and quiet
Text Mark Evidence he whistled a tune to the window
it seems that he is not meant to be there – he doesn’t knock on the door
Click on the evidence to reveal acceptable answers
Text Mark Evidence black-eyed, dark-red… long, black hair
Bess sounds dark and mysterious
Practise & Apply
Quiz Time
Start
Picture Me
Which picture is the best match for ‘highwayman’?
Tick Me
What is the ‘ribbon of moonlight’ referring to?
Tick one:
A the stream
B the road
Check
C the moon
Click if correct
D the purple moor
Which One's Right?
The wind was a torrent of darkness…
The moon was a ghostly galleon…
The road was a ribbon of moonlight…
Which poetic features are these examples of?
B onomatopoeia
A simile
D alliteration
C metaphor
True or False?
The poet describes the highwayman as untidy and scruffily dressed.
True
False
Feedback: Who did what well?
FindRead Talk
EchoRead
ChoralRead
ReadingStrategy
Answers & Text Marks
Other...
To be a book lover, you could...
read every day.
Reveal
Even 15 minutes a day can make a big difference!
Copyright Notice
This document has been supplied under a CLA Licence with specific terms of use. It is protected by copyright and, save as may be permitted by law, it may not be further copied, stored, re-copied electronically or otherwise shared, even for internal purposes, without the prior further permission of the Rightsholder. Extracts sourced from: The Barefoot Book of Classic Poems compiled by Jackie Morris and Carol Ann Duffy © 2006 Schools must purchase the original text for full content.
RSRT Y5 L1 The Highwayman
Literacy Counts
Created on December 12, 2025
Start designing with a free template
Discover more than 1500 professional designs like these:
View
Essential Business Proposal
View
Project Roadmap Timeline
View
Step-by-Step Timeline: How to Develop an Idea
View
Artificial Intelligence History Timeline
View
Mind Map: The 4 Pillars of Success
View
Big Data: The Data That Drives the World
View
Momentum: Onboarding Presentation
Explore all templates
Transcript
Ready Steady Read Together
The Highwayman: Poetry Lesson 1
What do you think you know?
What?
Who?
Why?
Where?
How?
When?
Book Talk: Let's explore this illustration.
Explore
What do you know and think?
The wind was a torrent of darkness among the gusty trees, The moon was a ghostly galleon tossed upon cloudy seas...
How might this extract link to the illustration?
From: The Barefoot Book of Classic Poems compiled by Jackie Morris and Carol Ann Duffy © 2006. Licensed under CLA. Do not copy or share.
Today's Question(s)
What atmosphere does the poet create and how does he achieve this?
Explore
Let me read today's text
Explore
The Highwayman
The wind was a torrent of darkness among the gusty trees, The moon was a ghostly galleon tossed upon cloudy seas, The road was a ribbon of moonlight over the purple moor, And the highwayman came riding— Riding—riding— The highwayman came riding, up to the old inn-door. He'd a French cocked-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 jewelled twinkle, His pistol butts a-twinkle, His rapier hilt a-twinkle, under the jewelled sky.
From: The Barefoot Book of Classic Poems compiled by Jackie Morris and Carol Ann Duffy © 2006. Licensed under CLA. Do not copy or share.
Over the cobbles he clattered and clashed in the dark inn-yard, He tapped with his whip on the shutters, but all was locked and barred; He whistled a tune to the window, and who should be waiting there But the landlord's black-eyed daughter, Bess, the landlord's daughter, Plaiting a dark red love-knot into her long black hair.
From: The Barefoot Book of Classic Poems compiled by Jackie Morris and Carol Ann Duffy © 2006. Licensed under CLA. Do not copy or share.
Vocabulary
Explore
Hover for definitions!
torrent
claret velvet
galleon
breeches of brown doe-skin
pistol butts
rapier hilt
From: The Barefoot Book of Classic Poems compiled by Jackie Morris and Carol Ann Duffy © 2006. Licensed under CLA. Do not copy or share.
I will model the first.
Find the word or phrase Read the sentence Talk about it to a partner
torrent
Explore
Find Read Talk
The Highwayman
The wind was a torrent of darkness among the gusty trees, The moon was a ghostly galleon tossed upon cloudy seas, The road was a ribbon of moonlight over the purple moor, And the highwayman came riding— Riding—riding— The highwayman came riding, up to the old inn-door.
Reveal Vocabulary
From: The Barefoot Book of Classic Poems compiled by Jackie Morris and Carol Ann Duffy © 2006. Licensed under CLA. Do not copy or share.
torrent
Your turn
galleon
Find the word or phrase Read the sentence Talk about it to a partner
claret velvet
breeches of brown doe-skin
pistol butts
rapier hilt
Use your text
Explore
Vocabulary Check & Re-read
Explore
Reveal Vocabulary
The Highwayman
The wind was a torrent of darkness among the gusty trees, The moon was a ghostly galleon tossed upon cloudy seas, The road was a ribbon of moonlight over the purple moor, And the highwayman came riding— Riding—riding— The highwayman came riding, up to the old inn-door. He'd a French cocked-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 jewelled twinkle, His pistol butts a-twinkle, His rapier hilt a-twinkle, under the jewelled sky.
From: The Barefoot Book of Classic Poems compiled by Jackie Morris and Carol Ann Duffy © 2006. Licensed under CLA. Do not copy or share.
Reveal Vocabulary
Over the cobbles he clattered and clashed in the dark inn-yard, He tapped with his whip on the shutters, but all was locked and barred; He whistled a tune to the window, and who should be waiting there But the landlord's black-eyed daughter, Bess, the landlord's daughter, Plaiting a dark red love-knot into her long black hair.
From: The Barefoot Book of Classic Poems compiled by Jackie Morris and Carol Ann Duffy © 2006. Licensed under CLA. Do not copy or share.
Fluency
Explore
Let me use my reader's voice...
The wind was a torrent of darkness among the gusty trees, The moon was a ghostly galleon tossed upon cloudy seas, The road was a ribbon of moonlight over the purple moor, And the highwayman came riding— Riding—riding— The highwayman came riding, up to the old inn-door.
What did you notice?
From: The Barefoot Book of Classic Poems compiled by Jackie Morris and Carol Ann Duffy © 2006. Licensed under CLA. Do not copy or share.
My Turn
Your Turn
Echo Read
The wind was a torrent of darkness
among the gusty trees,
The moon was a ghostly galleon
tossed upon cloudy seas,
The road was a ribbon of moonlight
over the purple moor,
And the highwayman came riding—
Riding—riding—
The highwayman came riding,
up to the old inn-door.
From: The Barefoot Book of Classic Poems compiled by Jackie Morris and Carol Ann Duffy © 2006. Licensed under CLA. Do not copy or share.
Sound like a reader!
Stand up!
Choral Read
The wind was a torrent of darkness among the gusty trees, The moon was a ghostly galleon tossed upon cloudy seas, The road was a ribbon of moonlight over the purple moor, And the highwayman came riding— Riding—riding— The highwayman came riding, up to the old inn-door.
From: The Barefoot Book of Classic Poems compiled by Jackie Morris and Carol Ann Duffy © 2006. Licensed under CLA. Do not copy or share.
Strategy Focus
Explore
Strategy: Read Between the Lines
What atmosphere does the poet create and how does he achieve this?
Be a detective and look for clues!
Teach
Let me show you
Reveal Text Marks
The wind was a torrent of darkness among the gusty trees, The moon was a ghostly galleon tossed upon cloudy seas, The road was a ribbon of moonlight over the purple moor...
What atmosphere does the poet create and how does he achieve this?
Reveal Explainer
The strong wind and the focus on the darkness create an atmosphere which has a sense of danger and mystery.
From: The Barefoot Book of Classic Poems compiled by Jackie Morris and Carol Ann Duffy © 2006. Licensed under CLA. Do not copy or share.
Strategy Stop
What else could you use to answer today's question(s)?
Teach
Your Turn
What atmosphere does the poet create and how does he achieve this?
Find the answers
Text mark
Explore
The atmosphere is dark, mysterious and danger is looming:
Acceptable Answers
Text Mark Evidence ghostly galleon
the moon is described in a spooky, mysterious way
Text Mark Evidence tossed upon cloudy seas
the sky seem stormy and mysterious
What atmosphere does the poet create and how does he achieve this?
Text Mark Evidence ribbon of moonlight
set in darkness
Text Mark Evidence locked and barred
the inn is mysteriously closed and quiet
Text Mark Evidence he whistled a tune to the window
it seems that he is not meant to be there – he doesn’t knock on the door
Click on the evidence to reveal acceptable answers
Text Mark Evidence black-eyed, dark-red… long, black hair
Bess sounds dark and mysterious
Practise & Apply
Quiz Time
Start
Picture Me
Which picture is the best match for ‘highwayman’?
Tick Me
What is the ‘ribbon of moonlight’ referring to?
Tick one:
A the stream
B the road
Check
C the moon
Click if correct
D the purple moor
Which One's Right?
The wind was a torrent of darkness… The moon was a ghostly galleon… The road was a ribbon of moonlight…
Which poetic features are these examples of?
B onomatopoeia
A simile
D alliteration
C metaphor
True or False?
The poet describes the highwayman as untidy and scruffily dressed.
True
False
Feedback: Who did what well?
FindRead Talk
EchoRead
ChoralRead
ReadingStrategy
Answers & Text Marks
Other...
To be a book lover, you could...
read every day.
Reveal
Even 15 minutes a day can make a big difference!
Copyright Notice
This document has been supplied under a CLA Licence with specific terms of use. It is protected by copyright and, save as may be permitted by law, it may not be further copied, stored, re-copied electronically or otherwise shared, even for internal purposes, without the prior further permission of the Rightsholder. Extracts sourced from: The Barefoot Book of Classic Poems compiled by Jackie Morris and Carol Ann Duffy © 2006 Schools must purchase the original text for full content.