The poem adds that "there was death at every window" as King George's troops arrive at the inn and wait for the highwayman, tying up Bess to lure him there. However, this personification of death indicates that someone will die and that it is a terrible thing that King George's troops are present to apprehend the highwayman. This shows that even though the highwayman is not really alive, he does not deserve to be killed because there is a greater evil in the world than he could ever be. This personification can be compared to other figures of speech such as metaphors and similes which also compare one thing to another similar thing. For example, when talking about someone who is dead, we sometimes say that they have "gone to their eternal rest". This means that they are now with God and will never suffer again. Death is an important part of life no matter what kind of person you are because everyone dies at some point. A person who lives a full life will often say that they have "lived while they were alive" because being alive is a great gift and they should use it before it is too late. Even though the highwayman is not really alive, he still deserves dignity even after his death because there are people in real need of help and only killing him would be wrong.