Midnight Ride of Paul Revere
Listen, my children, and you shall hear
Of the midnight ride of Paul Revere,
On the eighteenth of April, in Seventy‑five;
Hardly a man is now alive
Who remembers that famous day and year.He said to his friend, “If the British march
By land or sea from the town tonight,
Hang a lantern aloft in the belfry arch
Of the North Church tower as a signal light,
One, if by land, and two, if by sea, and I on the opposite shore will be,
Ready to ride and spread the alarm
Through every Middlesex village and farm,
For the country folk to be up and to arm.”
Then he said, “Good night!” and with muffled oar
Silently rowed to the Charlestown shore,
Just as the moon rose over the bay,
Where swinging wide at her moorings lay
The Somerset, a British man‑of‑war;
A phantom ship, with each mast and spar
Across the moon like a prison bar,
And a huge black hulk, magnified
By its own reflection in the tide.Meanwhile, his friend, through alley and street,
Wanders and watches with eager ears,
Till in the silence around him he hears
The muster of men at the barrack door,
The sound of arms, and the tramp of feet,
And the measured tread of the grenadiers,
Marching down to their boats on the shore.Then he climbed the tower of the Old North Church,
By the wooden stairs, with stealthy tread,
To the belfry chamber overhead,
And startled the pigeons from their perch
On the sombre rafters that round him made
Masses and moving shapes of shade,
By the trembling ladder, steep and tall,
To the highest window in the wall,
Where he paused to listen and look down
A moment on the roofs of the town,
And the moonlight flowing over all.
Beneath, in the churchyard, lay the dead,
In their night‑encampment on the hill,
Wrapped in silence so deep and still
That he could hear, like a sentinel’s tread,
The watchful night‑wind, as it went
Creeping along from tent to tent,
And seeming to whisper, “All is well!”
A moment only he feels the spell
Of the place and the hour, and the secret dread
Of the lonely belfry and the dead,
For suddenly all his thoughts are bent
On a shadowy something far away,
Where the river widens to meet the bay,
A line of black that bends and floats
On the rising tide, like a bridge of boats.Meanwhile, impatient to mount and ride,
Booted and spurred, with a heavy stride
On the opposite shore walked Paul Revere.
Now he patted his horse’s side,
Now gazed at the landscape far and near,
Then, impetuous, stamped the earth,
And turned and tightened his saddle girth;
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 sombre and still.
And lo, as he looked, at the belfry’s height
A glimmer, and then a gleam of light!
He sprang to the saddle, the bridle he turned,
But lingered and gazed until he saw
A second lamp in the belfry burn.
A hurry of hooves in a village street,
A shape in the moonlight, a bulk in the dark,
And beneath, from the pebbles, in passing, a spark
Struck out by a steed flying fearless and fleet:
That was all! And yet, through the gloom and the light,
The fate of a nation was riding that night;
And the spark struck out by that steed, in his flight,
Kindled the land into flame with its heat.
He has left the village and mounted the steep,
And beneath him, tranquil and broad and deep,
Is the Mystic, meeting the ocean tides;
And under the alders, that skirt its edge,
Now soft on the sand, now loud on the ledge,
Is heard the tramp of his steed as he rides.It was twelve by the village clock,
When he crossed the bridge into Medford town.
He heard the crowing of the cock,
And the barking of the farmer’s dog,
And felt the damp of the river fog,
That rises after the sun goes down.It was one o’clock by the village clock,
When he galloped into Lexington.
He saw the weathercock, swam in the moonlight as he passed,
And the meeting‑house windows, blank and bare,
Gaze at him with a spectral glare,
As if they already stood aghast
At the bloody work they would look upon.It was two o’clock by the village clock,
When he came to the bridge in Concord town.
He heard the bleating of the flock,
And the twitter of birds among the trees,
And felt the breath of the morning breeze
Blowing over the meadows brown.
And one was safe and asleep in his bed; the one at the bridge would be first to fall,
The one that day would lie dead, pierced by a British musket ball.You know the rest. In the books you have read,
How the British Regulars fired and fled,
How the farmers gave them ball for ball,
From behind each fence and farm‑yard wall,
Chasing the red‑coats down the lane,
Then crossing the fields to emerge again,
Under the trees at the turn of the road,
And only pausing to fire and load.So through the night rode Paul Revere;
And so through the night went his cry of alarm
To every Middlesex village and farm,
A cry of defiance and not of fear,
A voice in the darkness, a knock at the door,
And a word that shall echo forevermore!
For, borne on the night‑wind of the Past,
Through all our history, to the last,
In the hour of darkness, peril and need,
The people will wake and listen to hear
The hurrying hoof‑beats of that steed,
And the midnight message of Paul Revere.
Summary of Midnight Ride of Paul Revere
- The Story and its Historical Basis: “Midnight Ride of Paul Revere” by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, first published in 1861, recounts the famed ride of Paul Revere on the night of April 18, 1775. While poetic license is taken, the poem is rooted in the true story of Revere’s warning to the colonists about the approaching British troops.
- The Premise of the Poem: The poem begins with the narrator inviting listeners to hear the tale of Paul Revere’s ride. Revere arranges with a friend to hang lanterns in the Old North Church tower as a signal: one lantern if the British are coming by land, two if by sea. He then rows across the river to await the signal, while his friend prepares to watch for the British troops.
- Revere’s Journey and the Warning: As the British soldiers march, Revere’s friend climbs the church tower and hangs the designated lanterns. Revere then embarks on his journey, riding through the countryside to warn the colonists of the impending arrival of the British troops. He travels from village to village, alerting the farmers and colonists to prepare for defense.
- The Climax and Its Legacy: The poem’s climax describes Revere’s frantic ride, the spark of his lantern, and the spread of alarm among the colonists. The warning saves countless lives and preserves the American desire for independence.
Analysis of Midnight Ride of Paul Revere
- Allusions and Historical Context: The poem is rich with allusions to historical figures and events of the American Revolution, placing the reader firmly in the era of 1775.
- Rhyme and Meter: Longfellow employs a rhythmic structure that follows the AABB rhyme scheme, giving the poem a musical quality that enhances its storytelling.
- Use of Imagery: Vivid images of lanterns, the church, and the river help the reader visualize the setting. The stark contrast between the dark churchyard and the bright moonlight also conveys the tension of the night.
- Use of Repetition and Alliteration: Repetition of key words and phrases emphasizes the urgency of the message. Alliteration adds musicality, for example, “booted and spurred, with a heavy stride.”
- Symbolism: Lanterns symbolize communication across a divided society; the midnight ride symbolizes the birth of an independent nation.
Literary Devices and Stylistic Choices
- Alliteration: The repetition of initial consonant sounds, such as “belfry chamber overhead,” emphasizes musical quality and rhythm.
- Metaphor: Longfellow uses metaphor to describe the lanterns as “a glimmer, and then a gleam of light,” portraying the hope carried by Revere’s warning.
- Consonance: The repetition of consonant sounds within words, such as the “n” sound in “night‑encampment,” creates harmony.
- Imagery: Descriptions of lanterns, the moonlight, and the churchyard help the reader visualize the setting.
- Personification: The night‑wind is given human qualities, as it whispers “All is well!”.
- Allusion: References to the Old North Church, the Somerset, and the meeting‑house windows connect the poem to real historical sites.
Diction and Tone
- Historical Language: Longfellow uses formal diction and precise vocabulary, such as “muffled oar,” “meadow brown,” and “red‑coats,” to maintain the period’s authenticity.
- Formal Tone: The poem’s formal tone reflects the seriousness of the situation, while the use of humor and irony, as in “lo, as he looked,” keeps the narrative engaging.
Quote from the Poem
Listen, my children, and you shall hear
Of the midnight ride of Paul Revere,
On the eighteenth of April, in Seventy‑five;
Hardly a man is now alive
Who remembers that famous day and year.He said to his friend, “If the British march
By land or sea from the town tonight,
Hang a lantern aloft in the belfry arch
Of the North Church tower as a signal light,
One, if by land, and two if by sea, and I on the opposite shore will be,
Ready to ride and spread the alarm
Through every Middlesex village and farm,
For the country folk to be up and to arm.”
Closing Reflection
The poem invites the reader to witness the bravery and urgency that shaped American history. Through careful attention to detail, vivid imagery, and a resonant rhythm, Longfellow preserves the legacy of Paul Revere’s midnight ride while celebrating the spirit of a people determined to defend their liberty.