Paul Revere's Ride by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
"Listen, my children, and you shall hear/Of the midnight ride of Paul Revere ..."
So begins one of the most stirring poems in American literature. Henry Wadsworth Longfellow wrote "Paul Revere's Ride" in 1861, nearly 100 years after the actual midnight ride that began on April 18, in 1775. The poem creates a suspenseful story as American colonist Paul Revere decides with his friend Robert Newman and others to avert a British attack on Concord, Massachusetts. The British had come from Boston in search of the colonists' arms supply. What Revere and his friends didn't know was whether the Redcoats would come by land (around the mouth of the Charles River) or by sea (across the river). Newman spotted the British "by sea" and signaled from the Old North Church tower to Revere, who was "Ready to ride and spread the alarm/Through every Middlesex village and farm,/For the country folk to be up and to arm." And, by morning, the country folk were ready, indeed. "Chasing the red-coats down the lane,/Then crossing the fields to emerge again/Under the trees at the turn of the road,/And only pausing to fire and load." This battle, the first of the American Revolution, drove the British back to Boston.
Ted Rand--well-loved illustrator of The Hullabaloo ABC, Mailing May, Knots on a Counting Rope, and many other critically acclaimed titles--masters the mood and movement of the famous midnight ride, and children will love the power and drama of this historic American event. (Great read-aloud, ages 4 to 8)(excerpt from amazon.com)
Author & illustrator
Author: Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
Website for Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
Other books by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
Illustrator: Ted Rand
Topics from the book:
Visit each topic page for downloads, lessons, etc. specific to that topic.
Units, Activities, and Resources for Paul Revere's Ride
Blog, She Wrote: Rowing Paul Revere's Ride
Paul Revere's Ride
This lesson examines the political situation in Boston in 1775, using Henry Wadsworth Longfellow's poem, "The Midnight Ride of Paul Revere". (Grades K-2)
The Paul Revere House
The Real Story of Revere's Ride, Virtual Midnight Ride, Revere's Own Words, Longfellow's Poem, Images of Revere's Ride, Paul Revere's Ride - MP3 Audio
Paul Revere's Ride
by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
Why are we featuring this book?
Paul Revere's Ride is a book featured in Five in a Row, a literature-based unit study curriculum. Many families use FIAR for all but the grammar/reading and math, and others use it in conjunction with other resources. Above is information about the author and illustrator, story summaries, and links to lesson plans and websites that are great go-alongs for Paul Revere's Ride. Please note that these resources are meant to complement, not replace, the Five in a Row units. The Five in a Row volumes are inexpensive and well worth the investment.
