Paul Revere's Ride Literary Devices

People may think that because two pieces of writing are written about the same event, their information are exactly alike. This is false. The poem Paul Revere’s Ride by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow is less reliable than the letter written by Paul Revere to Jeremy Belknap. The poem misses critical information in order to use literary devices such as a rhyme scheme and hyperbole, whereas the letter is told in first person by Revere himself, resulting in the letter being more reliable.
Firstly, the letter uses descriptive language and is more realistic than the poem. For example, the poem does not specify exactly what occurred at the event. A quote that proves this statement is “ You know the rest in the books you have read, How the British regulars fired and fled”. The poem mentions the British firing and fleeing, however not specifying how Revere was captured as stated in the letter. Furthermore, the letter includes specific timing, increasing the letters reliability. Revere

The letter being written much earlier, it included specific details like people’s names. It states in the letter “begged that I would immediately set off for Lexington, where Messrs. Hancock and Adams were.” The use of the names Messrs. Hancock and Adams, as well as the location name Lexington proves that the letter includes specific details that the poem does not include. In addition, the poem was written much later than the event which leads to facts being changed. For example, “ It was two by the village clock, when he came to the bridge in Concord town.” It is claimed in the poem that Revere reached Concord, when it mentions in the letter that he was captured before even reaching Concord. Overall, the letter was written at a much earlier date, meaning it would be a more reliable source as facts may have been added or changed during the many years in