Question

read the poem.
paul reveres ride
by henry wadsworth longfellow
(1)
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.
(2)
he said to his friend, \if the british march
by land or sea from the town to-night,
hang a lantern aloft in the belfry arch
of the north church tower as a signal light,--
how does the poetic structure of stanza 3 affect the tone of this poem?
○ the absence of rhyme creates a confused and disorganized tone.
○ the rhyme scheme and meter create an inviting and conversational tone.
○ the rhythm and repetition create a playful tone.
○ the rhythm and rhyme scheme add to an eerie and suspenseful tone.

Explanation:

First, note that Paul Revere's Ride uses a consistent, rhythmic trochaic tetrameter/catalectic trochaic tetrameter and an A-B-C-B rhyme scheme in its stanzas (including Stanza 3). This rhythmic, rhyming structure builds tension, fitting the poem's focus on a secret, urgent midnight mission.

• The first option is wrong because the poem has a clear rhyme scheme.
• The second option is incorrect: the tone is not conversational/inviting, it is dramatic and tense.
• The third option is wrong: the subject matter is serious, so the tone is not playful.
• The fourth option is correct: the steady, driving rhythm and predictable rhyme scheme amplify the eerie, suspenseful mood of the urgent, secret nighttime ride.

Answer:

D. The rhythm and rhyme scheme add to an eerie and suspenseful tone.