What poetic elements are in The midnight ride of Paul Revere?

Answer 1

One of the poetic elements used so effectively by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, in his poem, "The Midnight Ride of Paul Revere," was his use of fire as a symbol of good, battling the opposite, darkness as bad.

The metaphor began in the poem as Paul Revere waiting in the darkness for the signal of light in the church, "one by land, two by sea."

When the signal is recognized, during the actual description of the ride, the pounding of the horse's iron shod hoofs on the cobblestones threw out sparks (of liberty) that kindled a nation's revolutionary "fire."

And finally in the second to last stanza, Longfellow emphasizes the notion of fire as an element of freedom in the hands of the patriot farmers, "pausing behind every fence and farmyard wall" only to fire and load.

And then leads the reader to yearn for light, whether a candle flame, a spark from a horses hoof, or fire from the end of a musket, now all positive images in the poem, with the final last stanza of the poem by not using light once, but its opposite, the word "darkness," twice! And ending with the final line as a "midnight message."

The great English writer J.R.R. Tolkien's work, "The Lord of the Rings," uses the play of darkness and light in much the same metaphorical, poetic, effective, and enjoyable fashion.

Answer 2

I think when Henry Wadsworth Longfellow wrote "Paul Reveres Ride" he meant that to even this day there are not numerous people around to inform you regarding the day that Paul Revere rode from town to town warning them that the British were coming. He asked his friend to hang one lantern up if the British came by land, but hang two lanterns if the British came by sea. When his friend hung two lanterns Paul Revere instantaneously knew that the British were coming by sea and went to warn every family, farm, village, and town. So they could prepare for the fight against the British. Paul Revere also told them that the British were coming by sea so they could prepare for the battle. In every town that Paul Revere went to he ran into some thing different at a different time of the night, such as a crowing cock, a majestic ocean, a barking dog, and a Brown meadow. When the British came, there were people all over the place. When the British came, America was prepared to fight and they chased the British away, because of Paul Reveres warning to every family, farm, village, and town. Still to this day we can hear the voice of freedom throughout our every day lives because of Paul Reveres midnight ride.

Answer 3

he was warning the citys around him that the british were coming from the ocean, there fore that is the founding of the famous saying,"the british are coming, the british are coming" s from paul revere:)