Question

National mythologies are made up of stories and literary works that advance a nation's values and ideals, celebrate its heroes, and commemorate its defining events. How does Henry Wadsworth Longfellow's "Paul Revere's Ride" do each of these things? Cite specific examples from the poem in your response.

Answer 1

Through the telling of a courageous protagonist turning the tide of a conflict, Longfellow’s Paul Revere’s Ride serves to bring recognition and respect to the infamous horsemen in the American Revolution, Paul Revere. By describing intense and high-stake moments and events that have so much on the line, Longfellow successfully leaves Paul Revere memorable to the average patriot. The best example of this scenario can be found in the passage, “But mostly he watched with eager search. The belfry-tower of the Old North Church, As it rose above the graves on the hill, Lonely and spectral and somber and still. And lo! As he looks, on the belfry’s height. A glimmer, and then a gleam of light! He springs to the saddle, the bridle he turns, But lingers and gazes, till full on his sight. A second lamp in the belfry burns!”

A little more helpful than just a quote hopefully lol