Shot heard round the world
From Biocrawler, the free encyclopedia.
This short phrase from the opening stanza of Ralph Waldo Emerson's Concord Hymn (1837) uses hyperbole in an analogy to describe the impact of the battle at Old North Bridge in Concord, Massachusetts on April 19, 1775 that began the American Revolution. The entire stanza is:
- By the rude bridge that arched the flood,
- Their flag to April's breeze unfurled;
- Here once the embattled farmers stood;
- And fired the shot heard round the world.
To a modern reader there seems to be a number disagreement between "farmers" (plural) firing "the shot" (singular). This could be interpreted as an understatement by Emerson to emphasize the hyperbole at the end of the phrase. Alternate definitions of shot as an attempt, a guess, or a bet may also be considered (e.g., "give it your best shot," "that bet is a long shot"). A more likely explanation is that Emerson is simply using "shot" in the collective sense (i.e., "volleys of shot"). The hyperbole, of course, is that the battle iself was not loud enough to be heard around the world. Thus some figurative use of "fired the shot" and perhaps of "heard" must be meant.
Hyperbole as a rhetorical tool used in the phrase "shot heard round the world" perfectly suited Emerson's purpose for the text. He wrote it for the dedication of a battle monument very close to his family's home, and the words are meant to emphasize that a critical event happened at this location that triggered something of global importance.
The phrase is an analogy. Perhaps firing the shot represents fighting this particular battle and what was heard was the news about it. Perhaps it represents the beginning of the entire war and what was heard was the news of a new nation and a defeat for the British Empire. It is often thought that firing the shot was meant to represent the beginning of a struggle for freedom against tyranny, and the hearing represents the worldwide spread of this struggle with the American Revolution serving as an example.
In popular culture, the phrase is often connected with the mystery of the literal first musket shot of the war. This occurred in Lexington earlier on the morning of April 19. It is not known whether a soldier of the British Army or a militiaman of the American Patriots fired this first shot of the Battle of Lexington and Concord.
The phrase is also used for dramatic moments in sports history. In golf, it's used most often to describe the 1935 par-5 double eagle 2 at The Masters Tournament by Gene Sarazen. In baseball, it's used for Bobby Thompson's 1951 walk-off home run that clinched the National League pennant for the New York Giants.
