Their flag to April's breeze unfurled;
Here once the embattled farmers stood;
And fired the shot heard round the world.
The foe long since in silence slept;
Alike the conqueror silent sleeps,
And Time the ruined bridge has swept
Down the dark stream that seaward creeps.
On this green bank, by this soft stream,
We place with joy a votive stone,
That memory may their deeds redeem,
When, like our sires, our sons are gone.
O Thou who made those heroes dare
To die, and leave their children free,—
Bid Time and Nature gently spare
The shaft we raised to them and thee.
14
Emerson wrote this poem about the first major military battle in the American Revolutionary War. In the first stanza, Emerson describes the first shot fired as the "shot heard round the world."
What does he mean by this hyperbole?
A.
The first shot was incredibly and unexpectedly loud.
B.
The world knew about the war before Americans did.
C.
The conflict started more seriously than it ended.
D.
The start of the Revolutionary War was significant.
1 answer
D. The start of the Revolutionary War was significant.
The phrase "shot heard round the world" is a hyperbole that emphasizes the immense significance of the first shot fired in the conflict. It signifies that this event was not just important for America but had far-reaching implications and consequences globally, marking the beginning of a revolutionary movement for independence and human rights.
