Paul Revere's Ride Themes

Longfellow makes a big deal about looking back at the past in "Paul Revere's Ride."  He definitely gives us an action-packed version of the night's events, but he wants us to remember that thi...

This whole poem leads up to the beginning of the Revolutionary War.  The main part of "Paul Revere's Ride" isn't focused on violence and war, but images of battle and struggle and fighting are...

The big-picture history themes are the most important part of "Paul Revere's Ride."  Without the war and the idea of fighting for freedom, the poem wouldn't really have any reason to exist.
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Shmoop thinks there are little pieces of a ghost story buried in this poem.  They don't always jump out at you at first, but spooky, scary moments are sprinkled throughout.  These help ad...

The speaker of the poem is talking about America to Americans. Not that others can't enjoy or appreciate the poem, but the idea is to use the American past to give present and future Americans a s...