Paul Revere’s Ride
By Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
LISTEN, my children, and you shall hear
Of the midnight ride of Paul Revere,
On the eighteenth of April, in Seventy-five;
Hardly a man is now alive
Who remembers that famous day and year.
I was a kid, I learned this poem. Then as an adult, I moved to Boston, and there was a time when the 18th of April was officially Patriots Day - now it's the Monday following. And the Boston Marathon was usually the day after Patriots Day and now it's also on the Monday following. [One of my soapboxes is that we've moved every holiday to a Monday, but I'm not getting into that here.]
Of my friends owned horses and stabled them in Lexington. I often went riding with her and one day we were being silly, took off, and rode to Concord, yelling "the British are coming" as we ran the horses from Lexington to Concord. We had fun, and all the tourists that we came across laughed.
I also watched the Boston Marathon just about every year since I often had friends running in it. If you know the marathon, we stationed ourselves near Heartbreak Hill and cheered everyone on.
Now, here we are - 250 years after THAT famous day - facing similar situations as those Bostonians and others faced. I was reminded of the 250 years because, as Longfellow said people don't remember the date and year. But I subscribe to several substacks and one that I read have read for a while now is Heather Cox Richardson, and I just want you to read her post and think about it.
Heather Cox Richardson Letters from an American [click on her name] you will be taken to my substack, but I haven't written anything yet - you can subscribe there if you want as sooner or later I will start posting there as well as here.
That would be so fun, yelling, “The British are coming!” I’ve always liked that poem, too. That’s neat that you celebrate it each year.
I get the urge to run around, shouting “The British are coming,” but doing it in the right location and on horseback is a pretty fine touch. On the other hand, I keep hoping that the British are coming are good looking and single, but that is just in the imagination of a single cat lady.
Oh, I love your comment 😂 thank you [for the comment and the giggle]
Paul Revere gets all the credit but he wasn’t the only rider who quietly roamed the countryside that night warning of the impending attack.
Thank you for the comment. Many minor players make the poet’s poems – the article by Cox Richardson mentions the other riders…. I recall Barbara Fritchie of that poem was not the one who raised the flag – but she made the poet’s poem…[sigh]
Thanks for this bit of history. I’ve long forgotten the stuff learned from high school and not understanding how holidays originate or their meanings. But I am interested. Will click on Heather Cox Richardson now.
Thank you for the comment. I probably wouldn’t know as much New England history, except that I lived in Boston for a long time where you are right in the middle of the historical buildings and commons.