Paul Revere's Ride - Literary Text

The author of 'Paul Revere's Ride' is:

• Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

• Robert Frost

• Emily Dickinson

• Walt Whitman

On what date does the poem begin?

• April 18, 1775

• July 4, 1776

• December 25, 1776

• January 1, 1775

What signal was to be used to indicate if the British were coming by land or sea?

• One lantern if by land, two if by sea

• Two lanterns if by land, one if by sea

• A flag if by land, a lantern if by sea

• A bell if by land, a whistle if by sea

The phrase 'phantom ship' in the poem refers to:

• A ghostly or imaginary ship

• A real ship that is hard to see

• A ship that sails at night

• A ship that is very old

Which line from the poem contain a simile?

• Line 2

• Lines 10-11

• Lines 20-21

• Lines 22-23

Paraphrase these lines:

"And I on the opposite shore will be,

Ready to ride and spread the alarm

Through every Middlesex village and farm,

For the country folk to be up and to arm."

• 
  I will listen for the British to sound an alarm. When I hear it, I will ride across town to wake up soldiers so they can prepare to fight.

• The British want me to ride through the county, taking the colonists' horses and weapons. I will begin when I see their signal.

• You and I will be on opposite sides during the conflict. You will fight for the British, and I will take up arms with farmers.

• I will watch for the signal lights from across the river. When I see them, I will ride through the country side, warning people to arm themselves

What happened before Paul Revere told his friend goodnight?

• Revere and his friend agreed on a signal

• Revere's horse ran through the villages

• Revere rowed across the water

• Revere's friend watched the British soldiers

"Where swinging wide at her moorings lay
The Somerset, British man-of-war;
A phantom ship, with each mast and spar
Across the moon like a prison bar"

These lines suggest that the British warship looks like

• a moon

• an animal

• a prison

• a mountain

Who is the speaker in this poem?

• Paul Revere

• someone telling the story of Paul Revere

• A British solider who fought at Concord

• A good friend of Paul Revere

Reread the third stanza of the poem: What mood does the language in the last four lines of that passage create?

• 
  a dark threatening mood

• 
  a silly, playful mood

• a bright, joyful mood

• a gentle, loving mood