The Midnight Ride of Paul Revere is a story that we have all heard because of the significant role it played in the events leading up to the Revolutionary war, but we may have heard it in different ways. Compared to letter of Paul Revere’s letter to Jeremy Belknap, the poem, “Paul Revere’s Ride,” by Henry Longfellow is less reliable. For one, the letter is a Primary source while the poem is not. Additionally, unlike the the poem, the letter was not written long after the ride which took place in 1775. Above all, it is made clear that the poem’s poetic form exaggerated some unnecessary details to appear more dramatic.
An important point to remember is that the author of the letter, Paul Revere, had actual experience of the event, whereas the poet, Henry Longfellow, was not actually present. The
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letter is a primary source because it was written by Paul Revere himself. “Clapped his pistol to my head, called me by the name, and told me if I did not give him true answers he would blow my brains out.” In this quote it is proven that Revere was writing the letter based on the events he had experienced and witnessed. On the other hand the poem by Henry Longfellow was inspired by Paul Revere’s letter. “So through the night rode Paul Revere.” The poem was written in 3rd person. Longfellow did so because he was not part of the midnight ride; so he had to narrate the story it. This is an important point when deciding which one is a more reliable source of the event. Another important point to consider is the dates on which the letter and the poem were written. Even though both the poem and the letter were written about the same night, the dates that they were written play an important role. The letter was not dated the same as the ride, however it is a much more reliable source than the poem, because it was not written long after the ride itself. “On Tuesday evening, the 18th, it was observed that a number of soldiers were marching towards the bottom of the common.” On the other hand the poem was written in 1860, almost one hundred years later. “ Hardly a man is now alive, who remembers that famous day and year”. This quote further emphasizes the time difference between the event and the writing of the text .Based on the dates, when can say that the events written in the letter are more accurate description of the event. The poetic form by itself can have a profound impact on any type of writing.
It can change the structure of the sentence to the way that the reader can understand the meaning of the story. While comparing both the letter and the poem it becomes clear that the poem has a strong use of imagery, which has a powerful effect on how the story is told. “He heard the bleating of the flock, and the twitter of the birds among the trees, and felt the breath of the morning breeze blowing over the meadows brow.” Imagery paints a picture for the reader. In order to use imagery, Longfellow had to exaggerate some minor hints that were in the letter. In comparison, the letter is very detailed, but it is also very clear and the readers can easily understand the story. “I agreed with a Col. Contact, & some other gentlemen, that if the British went out by water, we would shew two lanthorns in the North Church steeple; & if by land, one, as a signal.” The format of the paragraph and the way that the sentences are structured are clear and straightforward. Longfellow's poem was written in a very dramatic way because of all the exaggeration, while Revere’s letter is easy to follow and
understand. In summary, one can conclude that when comparing the letter to the poem, the letter is more reliable description of the event, because the author of the letter was actually present and that he wrote the letter not long after the event. On the other hand, the poem was written about one hundred years later and that it was based on the letter. Furthermore, the poetic form of a poem usually puts more emphasis on the poetic form rather than correct description of the events.
I discussed the differences between Captain Thomas Preston’s Account of the Boston Massacre (1770) and Paul Revere, Image of The Bloody Massacre (1770). I then explained both men’s story beginning with Captain Thomas Preston’s vision of the event. I then explained Paul Revere version of the event. I then included my opinion which account I believed was most accurate and explained why.
Paul Revere’s great ride through the night to save the americans from the huge british force was a big piece of American history during that time. Many have written about Paul Revere but longfellow doesn't tell the whole story. Longfellow's poem doesn't tell the whole story but Paul’s letter does.
This story, as a whole, possesses both strengths and weaknesses. This book has two strengths. One of those strengths is that the book contains pictures. The pictures add a visual context to the story, which is quite useful and helpful to those in the audience that are visual learners. For example, in the eight pages in between pages 138 and 139 contain pictures along with descriptive captions. Some of these pictures include the famous picture or painting of the Boston Massacre, John Burgoyne, Major-General Sir Henry Clinton, Charles Lee, a political cartoon named “Six-Pence a Day”, a self-portrait of Major John Andre, a British drummer and fifer, General Burgoyne’s camp and German mercenaries of the Prince Carl Regiment. Throughout the book, there are also pages that contain various maps. By including these pictures in the book, as well as many others, readers are able to visualize the American Revolutionary War and its events as they read through the text. By doing this, they are able to better understand the book’s content and storyline. The second of these strengths is its organization. By putting the events in chronological order, the audience is able to create a mental timeline of war’s happenings and helps them
Paul Revere’s Ride has many sections which decodes Reveres life. Paul Revere’s midnight ride has a huge event in America’s history but was overlooked by many. David Hackett wrote this book telling all what happened before, during, and after his journey which led to the American Revolution. This showed the courageousness of Revere throughout his lifetime from his childhood to his battles. Hackett also unravels the story of Thomas Gage. He also took a huge role in impacting American liberty and law, and the American Revolution.
Howard goes on to share that the story needs to be told from the standpoint of people from the war that’s not told in schoolbooks, “But to tell the story of the American Revolution, not from the standpoint of the schoolbooks, but from the standpoint of war as a complex
Opening to the first page, George Washington is quoted, “perseverance and spirit have done wonders in all ages.” setting the stage for David McCullough’s book, “1776”, a historical narrative that avoided academic debates. His thesis being a tight narrative focused around the Continental Army and their leader George Washington. McCullough continued his popular writing techniques of character building by tracing the roads, reading the books, and seeing the houses of his key characters as they would have in their lifetimes. These techniques can be seen in his many list of books such as: “Path between the Seas”, “Truman”, and “John Adams”. His books have been written in ten languages and are all still in print today. I feel that McCullough’s book “1776” was an adequate companion piece, not only because of its popularity or author, but because of its quality references and resources.
Alfred Young is a historian who takes a harder look at the life of an ordinary Boston man, George Robert twelves Hewes, before and after the revolution changes in America. The book looks at the developments that led up to the American Revolution through the life Hewes, who goes from a shoemaker to a rebel. Not only was Hewes a participant in the Boston Massacre, he was also involved in the event that later would be referred to as the Tea party. His involvements in these events paint a clearer picture of what can motivate someone to take up arms and fight for their freedom.
The Shoemaker and the Tea Party examines three main events, The American Revolution, The Boston Massacre, and the Boston Tea Party, and in which ways they are shaped as memories over time. Within the chapter labeled “Taming the Memory of the Revolution, 1783-1820,” Young goes on to discuss what it takes for an event to pass into a public memory. During the time of the American Revolution, so many negative events happened that many Americans did not want to past as memories, such as the Boston Massacre. Young makes a point that instead of remembering all of the negative events that happened, “exchange that Anniversary for Another,” (Young, 1999, 108). With that being said, The Boston Massacre happened on March 5, 1770, while the Declaration of Independence was adopted into Congress July 4, 1776 – the Fourth of July overshadowed March 5th,
In The Time of The Butterflies, the story of the three Mirabal sisters’ (also known as “Las Mariposas” or “the butterflies”) journey, is of humans fighting for a better life without fear, because otherwise it was not worth it. In summary, they were living hell on earth under a great and terrible force until hopes of a better life sparked the rise of a revolution. Although the sisters perish in a Jeep “accident”, this concept of theirs resounds with Patrick Henry’s speech in 1775 declaring the value of freedom.
The setting is eighteenth century Boston, Massachusetts. The population in Boston between 1760’s and 1790’s ranged from sixteen thousand to eighteen thousand . Some of the major building that are well known for the time period are Old State House; originally called Town House, this building is very historic the Boston Massacre of 1770 took place in front of this building, also the Declaration of Independence was first read off the balcony. Also Boston has the Old South Meeting House; which in that time was the largest meeting space, this was where the “convocation met before the Boston Tea Party, and this is community commemorated the Boston Massacre” . Another building is the Old North Church, the first stone was laid in April of 1723 taking twenty-two years to complete, this is the oldest church is Boston today. This church’s steeple was immortalized by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow in his poem “The midnight ride of Paul Revere” . The geography in Boston is that it was a coastal region with poor soil, this was not a farming community, and most people that lived in Boston were people that practice a trade or a craft. The climate in Boston ca...
"One if by land, two if by sea"- the supposed famous words spoken by Paul Revere to Colonel William Conant, an American soldier stationed in the steeple of the North Church in Boston, waiting to send the signal of the proposed path of the British invasion on April 18, 1775 to Paul Revere. According to the legend, Paul Revere was to be placed across the Boston Bay from the North Church waiting for the signal from Colonel Conant. The Colonel was to hang one lantern in the steeple of the church if the British showed signs of an invasion on land, or display two lanterns in the spire if evidence existed a sea invasion by the British. Once Paul Revere saw the two signal lanterns hanging in the steeple, signaling the imminent approach by sea of the British forces, he began his ride from Charlestown to Lexington to Concord, warning the citizens of these towns of an approaching British invasion. So began the famed "midnight ride of Paul Revere," a ride which warned the colonists of a forthcoming revolution that would shape the future of America.
Paul Revere's Ride is a collection of historical accounts centering around Paul Revere's midnight ride to warn the countryside of the battles that occurred. The novel is made up of narrative accounts that tell the whole story of the midnight ride. David Hackett Fischer goes to great lengths to cover every possible angle in telling the story. "Fischer illuminates the figure of Paul Revere, a man far more complex than a simple artisan and messenger"(3). By adding different perspectives he allows the reader to see not only the American idealistic point of view, but we get a chance to hear British accounts of these particular events. In this way Hackett Fischer paints an accurate and unbiased picture not only of Paul Revere and his ride, but also of many other supporting historical figures that were important in making these events happen.
One night, on March 5, 1770, a street fight occurred between a group of American patriots and some British soldiers stationed in Boston. The Americans harassed the troops by yelling and shouting names at them and throwing snowballs and sticks. A crowd formed and in the noise and confusion, weapons were fired. In the end, ...
A wise man once said, “we should put seat belts on our desks, because education is a wild ride.” This can be found out by taking an english class in high school. Paul Revere has a poem written about him that is very confusing when compared to the real life events. The poem, “ Paul Revere’s Ride”, is not a credible source of information when evaluating real life events. The main reasons it is not are there are events added to the poem, there is information left out of the poem, and he was portrayed differently.
First of alll, the poem is divided into nine stanzas, where each one has four lines. In addition to that, one can spot a few enjambements for instance (l.9-10). This stylistic device has the function to support the flow of the poem. Furthermore, it is crucial to take a look at the choice of words, when analysing the language.