Read the stanza from the poem "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. how does the repetition of the word "riding" within the stanza affect the poem? it adds humor to the poem as readers wonder where the highwayman is going. it slows the pace of the poem down to purposefully confuse the reader. it builds up anticipation about what will happen when the highwayman arrives. it to establish the setting of the town and the countryside.