Citaten uit Paul Revere’s Ride

8 beroemde regels uit Paul Revere’s Ride (1860) van Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, woord voor woord, met bij elke regel de betekenis en herkomst.

4 min leestijd · 130 regels

1. 1

   Listen, my children, and you shall hear
   Of the midnight ride of Paul Revere,
   On the eighteenth of April, in Seventy-five;

   Betekenis: The narrator invites children to hear about Paul Revere’s nighttime ride on April 18, 1775.

   NarratorStrofe 1, regels 1 tot en met 3Kopiëren
2. 2

   One, if by land, and two, if by sea;

   Betekenis: One lantern will signal that British troops are traveling overland, while two will signal that they are crossing the water.

   Paul RevereStrofe 2, regel 10Kopiëren
3. 3

   A hurry of hoofs in a village street,
   A shape in the moonlight, a bulk in the dark,
   And beneath, from the pebbles, in passing, a spark
   Struck out by a steed flying fearless and fleet;

   Betekenis: Quick sounds, fleeting shadows, and a horseshoe’s spark capture the speed and urgency of Revere’s ride.

   NarratorStrofe 8, regels 73 tot en met 76Kopiëren
4. 4

   That was all! And yet, through the gloom and the light,
   The fate of a nation was riding that night;
   And the spark struck out by that steed, in his flight,
   Kindled the land into flame with its heat.

   Betekenis: The narrator presents Revere’s ride as a decisive event whose warning ignites widespread resistance.

   NarratorStrofe 8, regels 77 tot en met 80Kopiëren

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5. 5

   It was twelve by the village clock
   When he crossed the bridge into Medford town.

   Betekenis: Revere reaches Medford at midnight as his urgent journey continues.

   NarratorStrofe 10, regels 87 tot en met 88Kopiëren
6. 6

   It was one by the village clock,
   When he galloped into Lexington.

   Betekenis: Revere arrives in Lexington at one in the morning, marking another stage in the night’s warning.

   NarratorStrofe 11, regels 93 tot en met 94Kopiëren
7. 7

   So through the night rode Paul Revere;
   And so through the night went his cry of alarm
   To every Middlesex village and farm,—
   A cry of defiance and not of fear,

   Betekenis: Revere’s warning spreads through the countryside as a call to resist rather than panic.

   NarratorStrofe 14, regels 119 tot en met 122Kopiëren
8. 8

   In the hour of darkness and peril and need,
   The people will waken and listen to hear
   The hurrying hoof-beats of that steed,
   And the midnight message of Paul Revere.

   Betekenis: The narrator imagines future generations drawing courage from Revere’s example whenever their country faces danger.

   NarratorStrofe 14, regels 127 tot en met 130Kopiëren

Vragen over deze regels

What do the one and two lanterns mean in Paul Revere’s Ride?

One lantern signals that British troops will travel by land; two signal a water crossing. The second lantern tells Revere which route they are taking.

What does the spark symbolize in Paul Revere’s Ride?

The literal spark from the horse’s hoof becomes a symbol of resistance spreading through the colonies. It connects one rider’s urgent mission with the larger struggle for independence.