Sophia Wiest

Ms. Yanelli

American History

12/16/16

Paul Reveres Ride

Paul Reveres actual story and Henry Wadsworth Longfellows poem Paul

Reveres Ride have been compared many times throughout history. Many people

believe that Longfellows poem was extremely irrelevant to Reveres actual story. Before

Paul Reveres ride took place, everyone was tense because of the Boston Massacre. Tea

also had a very high tax at this time. When the rebels dumped all of the tea into the

Boston River, Paul Revere heard that British soldiers were planning to attack.

Longfellows poem was irrelevant to what actually happened in Reveres

document. There were some many places mentioned in the poem that were not mentioned

in the document. For example, Revere never mentioned hearing the farmers dog barking

or the cock crowing. There was also no mention of the twitter of the birds, or bleating of

the flock. Also the times were off. In the poem each of the times mentioned were an hour

ahead of the time in the document. Another piece of irrelevant information was that the

poem said that the British came by sea. Meanwhile, in Reveres document, he said that

the British came by land. In this evidence, Longfellows poem is an invalid source or

research, with irrelevant information.

Another piece of evidence that proves Longfellows poem is an inaccurate

document is the different times. In Longfellows poem he said that Revere crossed the
bridge in Medford at twelve oclock. In Reveres document he said that he and his troops

crossed the bridge in Medford at eleven oclock. Also in Longfellows poem it said that

the British came by sea. In Reveres document he states that the British came by land not

by sea. In both Reveres document and Longfellows poem the plan stayed the same, If

one by land, two by sea. These signals were used by lanterns. If Revere saw one lantern

the British came by land, and if he saw two lanterns the British came by sea.

Lastly Longfellow did not write this poem to be accurate to the event that actually

occurred that day. Also Longfellow wrote this poem years after Reveres ride took place.

Longfellow did not know what happened on Reveres ride, only Revere knows what

happened on his own ride. Longfellow was a poet, he wrote this poem to make money

and had to make it rhyme. This is why Reveres document more accurate than

Longfellows poem, because Revere was present at his event and actually knew the

details of what occurred and what did not occur.

In conclusion, Longfellows poem is irrelevant to the actual event that occurred.

Longfellow was not trying to tell the story of Paul Reveres ride, he was simply trying to

make money and a dramatic story. Longfellow was writing a poem that needed to rhyme,

not to tell an accurate story. That is why Longfellow included all those extra places that

were not part of Reveres story. These are the reasons why Longfellows poem was

completely inaccurate to Reveres ride.