Question

the concord hymn
by ralph waldo emerson
by the rude bridge that arched the flood,
their flag to aprils 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.
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 start of the revolutionary war was significant.
b. the first shot was incredibly and unexpectedly loud.
c. the conflict started more seriously than it ended.
d. the world knew about the war before americans did.

Explanation:

A hyperbole is an exaggerated statement. The phrase “shot heard round the world” exaggerates the significance of the first shot of the Revolutionary War. It implies that this event had a far - reaching impact, not that the shot was actually loud (B is incorrect), or about the start and end of the conflict (C is incorrect), or about who knew first (D is incorrect). The American Revolutionary War was a major event that influenced ideas about independence and freedom globally, so the hyperbole emphasizes its significance (A is correct).

Answer:

A. The start of the Revolutionary War was significant.