Question

What words or phrases does Longfellow use in the poem to create a dramatic tone that would resonate with a nation on the brink of Civil War?

Answer 1

According to a different source, this question refers to the poem "Paul Revere's Ride" by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (1807 – 1882).

In this poem, the author and abolitionist Henry Wadsworth Longfellow describes the long ride of Paul Revere. Longfellow wrote this poem at a critical time in American history, the Civil War. As the nation was on the brink of war, a poem about the American spirit and the greatness of hero resonated with a lot of people. The poem also resonated because of the words and phrases used in the text.

For example, Longfellow argues that Revere rode "through every Middlesex village and farm,/ For the country-folk to be up and to arm." This suggests that the support for the Patriots was overwhelming. He also describes the scene as "A phantom ship, with each mast and spar/ Across the moon, like a prison-bar,/ And a huge black hulk, that was magnified/ By its own reflection in the tide." This setting presents a dramatic scenario. Finally, Longfellow describes "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!" This suggests the importance of Revere's duty, as well as the bravery he displayed.