Paul Revere’s Ride
by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow wrote his poem “Paul Revere’s Ride” in 1860. The poem is about how American patriot Paul Revere rode through the countryside to warn the colonists of an attack by the British during the American Revolution. This passage is the beginning of the poem.
Reading Comprehension Passage
Paul Revere’s Ride
by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
Reading Comprehension Questions
Vocabulary List
Vocabulary List
Each of the vocabulary words below are used in the reading passage. As you read the passage, pay attention to context clues that suggest the word’s meaning.
- belfry
- muffled
- moorings
- muster
- tread
- grenadiers
- impetuous
- spectral
Context Clues
Context Clues
Using context clues from the sentences in the passage, underline the correct meaning of the word in boldface.
1) “in the belfry arch/Of the North Church tower”
a. brick b. steeple c. dome or roof d. old; ancient
2) “with muffled oar/Silently rowed”
a. hushed or muted b. wooden c. broken or damaged d. strong; powerful
3) “swinging wide at her moorings lay/The Somerset, British man-of-war”
a. sailors; seamen b. sails c. small boats d. place where a ship is tied; dock
4) “The muster of men at the barrack door”
a. character b. leader; officer c. a group of troops; an assembly d. guns; rifles
5) “the measured tread of the grenadiers,”
a. step or pace b. gold braid c. song d. gallop or run
6) “the measured tread of the grenadiers,”
a. army horses b. military band c. special troops; soldiers d. old sailors
7) “Then, impetuous, stamped the earth”
a. thirsty; parched b. tired; exhausted c. gentle or quiet d. eager; restless
8) “Lonely and spectral and sombre and still”
a. lovely; wonderful b. eerie; ghostly c. sad or unhappy d. bright; well lit