Paul Revere's Ride Symbolism, Imagery & Wordplay

Our hero. Of course, since he's at the center of this poem, he can't just be some guy on a horse. He's a symbol of the past, of American courage, of the danger and the fascination of the Revoluti...

These only show up in the first half, but for a lot of people they are the most unforgettable part of the poem. They are the key part of the cool spy plan Paul and his friend come up with. Like P...

The North Church is kind of a spooky place in this poem. It's the biggest landmark we get, and it pokes its head up everywhere. It's an important image in the poem, in part because Longfellow spen...

The big, tough British warship that Paul rows by. It really only gets a quick appearance, but it's a major moment in the poem, and it leaves a mark. We hear a lot about the British, but we don't...

This is the graveyard around the Old North Church. Like the church itself, it gets a surprising amount of attention in the poem. It almost spins off into its own little plot, a sort of mini ghost...

The spark flies out from under Paul's horse's hooves as they gallop along. But, as you probably guessed, this isn't just any old spark. This is a metaphor for the power of freedom and light, and...

Another slightly sad, slightly creepy image that shows up in the poem. It's maybe the most haunting and lasting disagreement with the reality of war and death that we see anywhere in "Paul Revere'...

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...