Paul Revere's Ride Analysis

From the time America began to the American Civil War, the new nation ruptured and reshaped the social and political norms that the world previously knew. For many years the nation followed British law and remained colonies under their rule. However, they quickly grew tired of British antics and boldly fought for independence to become free from England. The American Revolution brought about patriotic euphoria across the nation and led to the birth of a new country. America immediately chose a different political strategy by implementing a democracy rather than the common monarchy, which shows the privileges that America gave to its people. Despite America’s plans to do away with all of the British laws and become unique, they preserved the …show more content…
A large portion of the country considered an American as someone with a deep-seated love for their country, who wanted the best outcome for their nation even if it included wrongdoings. However, a majority of the nation could not participate due to the massive number of laws that restricted their rights. Women and slaves had no voice and upper-class white men suppressed them and made all decisions for them. Therefore, during this time period, it is reasonable to consider a white, male, property owner the only legitimate American. Several works of literature expressed this idea, such as the poem, Paul Revere's Ride. The poem discusses Revere’s famous ride where he protected America from the British invasion, who were coming to attack during the American Revolution. An American’s role consisted of protecting society and forming a strong, independent nation, which Revere exemplified with ease. Henry Wadsworth Longfellow wrote, “so through the night rode Paul Revere; And so through the night went his cry of alarm” (Longfellow). The author expertly captures the courage and love Revere shared for his country. Furthermore, the poem also showcased the amount of work that Revere put forth in order to protect his country. A firm belief in society was that an American must have a fierce work ethic with a goal to efficiently complete their tasks. A prime example of this idea is in the poem, I Hear America Singing, written by Walt Whitman. In this poem, Whitman discussed several occupations and how everyone should do their share of work because that is how American society functions. Throughout the poem, Whitman demonstrated how each occupation is interdependent on one another, and how that interdependence kept the country running smoothly. Nonetheless, society objected to allowing slaves or women real