Today we will enjoy three poems that fall under the category of Poems That Tell a Story. The first, “Paul Revere’s Ride,” by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow,” is an American classic, its first two lines known by almost every American school child – although few have experienced the entire poem, which undoes some popular misconceptions about the story of his ride itself. The second poem, “Kentucky Belle,” tells the tale of a heroic horse during the Civil War. The poet, Constance Fenimore Woolson, was an American novelist, poet, and short story writer. She was a grandniece of James Fenimore Cooper, and is best known for fictions about the Great Lakes region, the American South, and American expatriates in Europe. And our third poem, “The Highwayman,” is by Alfred Noyes, an English author, and one of the most prolific writers of the 20th century, notably known for his ballads. In 1995, “The Highwayman” was voted 15th in the BBC's poll for "The Nation's Favourite Poems.” Poems That Tell a Story…we begin….