Francis Scott Key's The Star Spangled Banner

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The Star Spangled Banner has long been our country’s anthem, but have we ever stopped and considered why the Star Spangled Banner was chosen? What makes it so special? Perhaps it is the song’s versatility. When Francis Scott Key wrote the Star Spangled Banner, he wrote with more than one purpose. These purposes were to inform, to interpret, to persuade, to entertain, and to express feelings.
One purpose behind the Star Spangled Banner’s composition was to inform. Francis Scott Key tells of a literal flag, still flying high in the midst of battle ruins. He describes the bombs and rockets that erupted during the night. He depicts the blood shed and the lives lost. Key was telling of the battle that had taken place that night and the sight of …show more content…

The literal flag as described in the previous paragraph is a metaphor. After the “perilous fight o’er our ramparts,” our flag is still “gallantly streaming” means that even the chaos of war has not torn our country apart. The flag flying high also represents our victory and triumph over our enemies and symbolizes our freedom and solidarity. Key was interpreting the flag and its meaning.

Another purpose Francis Scott Key had for writing the Star Spangle Banner was to persuade. Francis Scott Key used such strong, meaningful language. He describes the flag shining in “full glory” and “proudly hailing” the flag. He refers to the land as “heaven rescued.” By using such positive, powerful language, Key is trying to convince the listeners how great America is. He wants the audience to grasp its magnificence.
One of the most obvious purposes for writing the Star Spangled Banner was to entertain. It was, after all, a song. Songs are meant to entertain listeners. This is the reason for his use of rhyme. Key wanted to move his listeners with an inspiring song about our flag and the country which it …show more content…

Syntax and spelling are much different today than they were centuries ago. During the time that Francis Scott Key wrote the Star Spangled Banner it was very common to replace a letter with an apostrophe (over: o’er). This practice is no longer used. So, instead of “O say can you see, by the dawn’s early light, what so proudly we hail’d at the twilight’s last gleaming,” we would say “Oh say can you see, by the dawn’s early light, what we hailed so proudly at the twilight’s last gleaming,” today. Vocabulary would also be different. Many of the words used in the Star Spangled Banner are dated. Words like ‘tis, doth, thus, blest, and hath are no longer used. Grammatical differences aside, if the Star Spangled Banner had been written today it would lack the captivating spirit Francis Scott Key gave it. He witnessed the sights he told of himself; he was inspired by them. Our national anthem would not have the same quality if it were written in the

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