Use the excerpt from “Paul Revere’s Ride” by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow to answer the question.

Then he said, “Good night!” and with muffled oar

Silently rowed to the Charlestown shore,

Just as the moon rose over the bay,

Where swinging wide at her moorings lay

The Somerset, British man-of-war; …

Which word best describes the tone of the excerpt?

(1 point)
Responses

excited

upsetting

tense

joyful

The tone of the excerpt is tense.

The word that best describes the tone of the excerpt is tense.

To determine the tone of the excerpt from "Paul Revere's Ride" by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, we can look for clues within the text. The specific phrases and descriptions used can help us understand the overall mood or attitude conveyed by the author.

In this excerpt, we see Paul Revere say "Good night!" and silently row to the Charlestown shore. There is a sense of secrecy and urgency as Paul Revere remains stealthy in his actions. Additionally, the mention of the moon rising over the bay and the British man-of-war, the Somerset, further adds to the tension and suspense in the scene.

Based on these details, the best word to describe the tone of the excerpt is "tense." The actions and descriptions create an atmosphere of unease and anticipation, suggesting that something important and potentially dangerous is about to happen.