Read the stanza from “Paul Revere's Ride.”
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,--
One if by land, and two if by sea;
And I on the opposite shore will be,
Ready to ride and spread the alarm
Through every Middlesex village and farm,
For the country folk to be up and to arm."
Which best describes the central idea of this stanza?
Paul Revere will warn people that the British are coming as soon as he parts with his friend.
Paul Revere will hang a lamp in a church to let his friend know when the British are coming.
Paul Revere’s friend will send a secret signal to inform him of the British army’s plan.
Paul Revere’s friend will ride through the country alerting everyone that the British army is on the move.
Paul Revere's friend will send a secret signal to inform him of the British army’s plan.
The best description of the central idea of this stanza is: Paul Revere will hang a lamp in a church to let his friend know when the British are coming.
To determine the central idea of this stanza from "Paul Revere's Ride," we need to carefully analyze the text. In the stanza, Paul Revere tells his friend to hang a lantern in the belfry arch of the North Church tower as a signal light. He explains that if the British are coming by land, one lantern should be hung, and if they are coming by sea, two lanterns should be hung. Paul Revere also mentions that he will be on the opposite shore, ready to ride and spread the alarm through every Middlesex village and farm, urging the country folk to be ready to defend themselves.
Based on this information, we can infer that the central idea of this stanza is that Paul Revere will warn people that the British are coming as soon as he parts with his friend. This is because Revere's instructions to hang the lantern(s) serve as a signal to inform him and others of the British army's movements. However, it's important to note that while the stanza focuses on the communication between Paul Revere and his friend, it does not explicitly state that his friend will send a secret signal or ride through the country to alert everyone.