> Longfellow stated the obvious: his poem would have lacked its tantalizing invitation had the verse been “Listen my children and you shall hear of the midnight ride of… Dr. Samuel Prescott.”
As a songwriter, I can vouch for picking words that rhyme and/or fit the rhythm better than words that might be more factually accurate. Why so many songs about bars, cars and guitars? About girls and worlds? They rhyme with lots of stuff 😃
Poetic license distorts history...then and now.
> Longfellow stated the obvious: his poem would have lacked its tantalizing invitation had the verse been “Listen my children and you shall hear of the midnight ride of… Dr. Samuel Prescott.”
As a songwriter, I can vouch for picking words that rhyme and/or fit the rhythm better than words that might be more factually accurate. Why so many songs about bars, cars and guitars? About girls and worlds? They rhyme with lots of stuff 😃
A tiskett, a taskett
The ride of Samuel Prescott.
The Redcoats are cummin'
Horse hooves are thrummin'
Put the British in a casket.
Take that, Longfellow!