The Cry of Alarm

There's actually kind of a mystery about this one, since Longfellow never tells us exactly what Revere says. In any case, the cry is another one of many representations in this poem of the spirit and the strength of Revere and the American people in general. The idea of his cry is supposed to make us feel proud, courageous, and safe when times are dark.

• Line 120: We think the cry of alarm is a lot like the spark in line 79. It's a little thing, but it starts a huge chain reaction. That's really the core of this poem, the way a single brave action and one courageous person can get a lot done at the right moment.