'Paul Revere’s Ride,' by Longfellow: "On the 18th of April in Seventy Five ... "

poets.org ^ | 1860 | Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

[rintintin]

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 to-night, 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.”

[redshawk]

Kicks

Paul Revere & the Raiders
https://youtu.be/IP8G4clUJBY

[pinkandgreenmom]

In 2009 my 8 and 5 year old boys memorized this poem as part of our homeschooling lessons. I still remember every word, tomorrow I will see if they remember it.

[Beowulf9]

It was one by the village clock, When he galloped into Lexington. He saw the gilded weathercock Swim 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.

[Beowulf9]

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 farmyard-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.

[Songcraft]

Listen, my children, and you shall hear,
of the midnight enjoyment of "Stimulus Beer".
On this evening in April of 2020,
I was sitting here counting my stimulus money,
when somebody posted a wonderful poem,
and I decided to read it, 'cause I'm stuck here at home.

     

[NEXT?]

[Big Red Badger]

Maybe,
“Burning down
The House!”
.
Talking Heads.

[Beowulf9]

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 and peril and need, The people will waken and listen to hear The hurrying hoof-beats of that steed, And the midnight message of Paul Revere.

[Big Red Badger]

Have another
For Me.

[Bigg Red]

Mark

[dp0622]

lol

I’m joking. I’m a coward but not That Much of a coward :)

I think.

[woodpusher]

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.

Minus Longfellow's 1861 poetic license, in real life Paul Revere was captured by the British attempting to ride to Concord. The British took his horse and released him, and Paul Revere walked back to Lexington. Samuel Prescott reached Concord.

[Equine1952]

Yeah at some point the butt gives out and you say to heck with it. We’ll start the war right here. :)

[dp0622]

lol

Reminds me of myself and two friends in a car in our teens.

Joe was driving and a car side swiped him and then they started to follow us.

There was 3 of us and 2 of them but Gerard in the back seat was a notorious coward lol

So my friend Joe kept trying to shake them. But they were gonna hit us they were so close

He finally had it and said “i’m pulling over!”

So I said timidly “ok’

My luck the big guy comes to my side! So Joe is fighting his guy and I’m fighting my guy and Gerard LOCKS THE DOORS on us!!

it get Worse. Much worse.

The WOP fighting Joe, (we were all WOPs) yells “vinnie!” and about a half dozen of his friends on a corner come running over!!

What the heck were the odds?!?!?

Well, Statnn Island isn’t that big.

Some of them took pot shots at me and Joe, then one guy finally said “why don’t you guys just get out of here before it gets a lot worse”

Gerard finally unlocked the doors (mind you he had to GRAB the doors to lock them. It’s not like I closed the door when i got out.

We got in the car but right before, one guy punches my friend Joe in the groin.

Joe was a tough guinea. He wouldn’t show the pain.

He did later on!!

Crazy days.

[terart]

too funny I was just going to say I memorized this poem in 1982 for literature class. I loved the poem and to this day I can still recite a decent portion of it :)

[Songcraft]

Done!      :-)

[Captain7seas]

Thats interesting. As I recall it was Samual Prescott that actually made it not Paul who I think fell off his horse.

[Captain7seas]

Yep, Samual has to be an ancestor of mine.

Paul Revere was captured by the British attempting to ride to Concord. The British took his horse and released him, and Paul Revere walked back to Lexington. Samuel Prescott reached Concord.

[ebshumidors]

Take a look at appleseedinfo.org. We teach the history and the marksmanship.

[Paal Gulli]

What Longfellow failed to mention is that Revere was arrested by the Redcoats before reaching his destination, and he wasn’t the only rider sounding the alarm (which is good, because Revere didn’t finish the job).