Paul Revere's Ride

1. What are the differences between the historical account and the story that Longfellow tells? Explain at least two differences.

2. How do Longfellow's factual inaccuracies establish Revere as the hero of an American mythology or legend?

3. In this poem, Longfellow establishes a tone of deep reverence. How does he accomplish this tone and why is it important?

1) One difference is that, in the poem, Paul Revere rode by himself. In reality, he rode with a guy named William Dawes and another guy named Samuel Prescott. Another difference is that, in the poem, the events happened on April 18th. In reality, they happened on April 16th.

2) He made Revere a symbol of all the values that were (and still are) important to the country, such as liberty, individuality, freedom, and patriotism.

3) Throughout the poem, he treats Paul Revere as if he was more than just a messenger riding around on a horse yelling out warnings to all the neighbors in town. He is called "a voice in the darkness", which gives a very serious tone to the poem and reminds the reader that this man was doing something very special and important. Also, the poem starts out, "Listen, my children, and you shall hear", and this phrase sounds more formal and serious than, "Hey kids, want to hear a good story?"