The Star Spangled Banner is a superb representation to the symbolization of patriotism. Francis Key wrote this after he had seen the large American flag that flew over the American fort in the War of 1812, proving that the Americans had miraculously won the fight against the British. Seeing the flag hung up moved Key greatly and it inspired him to write about how he felt and what he had seen during the battle. The Star Spangled Banner is so significant because of the history behind it, the meaning of its lyrics and what they were meant to portray, and because it is a national icon that mattered greatly in the past and still in the present.
The Star Spangled Banner was written during The War of 1812. American and British forces were in
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a relentless fight, and Francis Key was one of the men who witnessed famous attack on Fort McHenry. Before Key even began writing the poem, he visited a British ship in hopes of persuading them to release a friend of his who had been captured. He and his companions had been successful, but because they had gained access to British defending attack plans; the British refused to let them leave their port. They allowed them only to return to their own vessel, which was near the British ship. Then on September 13th, Key watched as the British set an attack on Fort McHenry. Given the large amount of turmoil the British had forced upon the Americans, Key was certain the British were going to win. The lyrics “and the rockets red glare, the bombs bursting in air gave proof through the night that our flag was still there” represent how Key caught glimpses of the American flag through the night because of the shells of gunfire flying at the fort which gave off a bright red glare which let him see what was happening. The Star Spangled Banner is important because of the meaning behind its lyrics, in how it represented the inspiration of the scene of our flag being hung above the fort as a symbol of victory. The first lines of the Star Spangled Banner talk about what Key was witnessing at the time of the battle.
He was anxiously awaited to see if the American flag would still be there in the end because the sun was about to go down right before the battle began, hence the verses “O! Say can you see by the dawn's early light, what so proudly we hailed at the twilight's last gleaming.” The point of this was to wonder if “the dawns early light” would reveal an American victory or a defeat. The first part of the song continues to say that Keys could see glimpses of the flags through the red burst of gunfire in the night sky. However the last verses leaves a bit of uncertainty. By closing with this line, “O! Say does that Star-Spangled Banner yet wave, o’er the land of the free, and the home of the brave?” the big question of whether the flag has withstood is unanswered. But the song still continues on and explains that the flag did survive the battle. In the third stanza talks about how the English had no choice but to head home. However the last stanza is probably the most patriotic of the four. The verse “Blest with victory and peace, may the heav’n rescued land, Praise the power that hath preserved us as a nation,” represents that it was worth it to fight and that Key was grateful for the men that created our nation. The very last verse, “And the star spangled banner in triumph shall wave o’er the land of the free and the home of the brave,” symbolizes that the American flag
would wave forever over the free land and the free people. The Star Spangled Banner is so important because of its lyrics and how it showed our unity and strength as a nation, and how it is still an important part of our lives today. The Star Spangled Banner is still just as important today than it was back then because it shows the fight and cause for liberty. The huge inspiration behind the entire song was when Key saw the flag was still hanging, marking a huge American victory against the British. The Star Spangled Banner marks the American sense of patriotism. In 1931, Key song was officially named the national anthem for America. The Star Spangled Banner is so important in our history and continues to be a significant importance in our lives today. It has represented the core of what Americans believe in and the hope and courage they had to fight for victory. The Star Spangled Banner is more that just an artifact, it is a national symbol and it shows the strong ideas and emotions of what is means to be an American. The inspiration behind it was based on what Key witness during the American forces defending Fort McHenry. Key anxiously awaited to see if the American flag was still hung over the fort, because he could only see short glimpses of it through the smoke and gun shells soaring through the night sky. Key expressed his emotions and feelings on paper and expressed his pride and proudness for America and its nation. The Star Spangled Banner is very important because it was written during a time when even a possible victory for Americans was almost nonexistent, but in the end it showed the miraculous victory, it is also important because of the lyrics and what Key was trying to portray, and because it is an American icon and mattered greatly in the past and still matters to this day.
In 1776 the United States of America became a great nation, free from Britain's rule. We became a nation full of freedom and opportunity, symbolized by many great icons. The Statue of Liberty, the Liberty Bell, this great nations capitol, the District of Columbia, and the greatest of these icons, our American Flag. Our flag symbolizes to the world our strength, determination, and the rights and freedoms of our people. The very sight of it has given men the courage and willingness to sacrifice their own lives in order to protect what it symbolizes. But where did it come from? For more than a century it has been disputed by historians that the story of Betsy Ross, a widow from Philadelphia could be given the honor of handcrafting the first American Flag. So is it fact or a delightful fable that has weaved its way in as part of our American history?
In Johnny Cash’s song, The Ragged Old Flag it says, “In her own good land here she’s been abused. She’s been burned, dishonored, denied and refused.” To me this means that people have stopped honoring all that it stands for. The flag stands for all of the battles and sacrifices the United States has had to make to get it to where it is today. People
“Land of the free and the home of the brave.” This line has represented the United States for decades. These words were captured in The Star Spangled Banner by Francis Scott Key and since 1913, the United States has adopted The Star-Spangled Banner as its national anthem. We have used the Red, White, and Blue as one of our nation’s symbols. It has fifty stars, to represent the number of states we have in our Union. The military pledges its allegiance to the flag and the country which it represents at all costs. We are the land of the free and the home of the brave, and we are proud to show it.
After this night, Key wrote a poem telling the events of that night. He called it “The Defense of Fort M’Henry”. It was published in the newspapers all over America. Someone put the poem to music using an old English tune called “To Anacreon in Heaven”. This song became America’s first national anthem in 1931.
Many Americans are familiar with the first verse of the poem The Defense of Fort McHenry but not by that name. Over the years since it was written, The Defense of Fort McHenry has become a part of American culture. The Star-Spangled Banner, as it is now known, is sung at sporting events and gatherings across the country but usually not sung in its entirety. Unknown too many Americans is there are actually four verses to our national anthem. “The Star-Spangled Banner” became a well known and loved patriotic song but it would take 117 years before it would become our national anthem. In the 1890’s, the military began using the song for ceremonial purposes. Then in 1916, President Woodrow Wilson issued an executive order designating it to be used as the national anthem when appropriate. Finally in March 1931, Congress officially named The Star-Spangled Banner as the National Anthem of the United States. Francis Scott Key’s use of setting, structure, and literary techniques in “The Defence of Fort McHenry”, captures the spirit of America and helped it become our national anthem.
The speaker suggests that the “eagle” is prideful, he doesn’t care about being known or having an ovation, he is satisfied just by knowing his achievements and doesn’t need approval from a crowd. And again, in the next stanza by saying, “The American eagle never says he will serve; if drafted, will dutifully serve etc. He is; not at our service” (Stanza 4). This quote is referring to the social standards that are “required” by all American men to have, i.e. pridefully serving your country when your country needs combatants, regardless of the results (life with PTSD or death). A “ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country” Mentality (Kennedy inauguration speech). In this case the “eagle” does not give in to societies standards but rather lives life with his own and pridefully
When the flag was finished and he showed the men, they all saluted it and many began to cry. When the guards came across Mike’s treasure, he was beaten bloody. But remarkably, “He recovered in a couple of weeks and immediately started looking for another piece of cloth,” (Thorsness 109). This event is a clear demonstration of the pride each and every soldier feels for America. It demonstrated their ever growing desire for freedom.
Stripes and stars forever, right? Well, what exactly does that mean? The American Flag can be seen almost anywhere. From the high-school, to the ball park, and even in our homes, the American flag stands as a symbol of all that is good and true in America. When one thinks of the flag, they usually think of the blood that was shed for this country. It was shed so that we could have liberties, such as, freedom of speech and expression, which fall under the first amendment rights of the Constitution. However, when you think of a burning flag, what comes to mind? One might say it shows disrespect and hatred to a country that has given so much. In the case of Texas v. Johnson, Gregory Lee Johnson was accused of desecrating a sacred object, but, his actions were protected by the First Amendment. Although his actions may have been offensive, he did not utter fighting words. By burning the flag, Johnson did not infringe upon another's natural human rights. He was simply expressing his outrage towards the government, which is within the jurisdiction of the First Amendment.
Anthem is a book full to the brim of symbolism. Some of it is clear to see and others you have to really pay attention to capture. Anthem is not a hard book to understand, but it can still be difficult to grasp the full meaning of it. The meaning of which is elusive at points, slipping between your fingers and resting on the pages in plain view. Unity, we, I, Ego, it all plays a major part in this book along with the symbolism of things.
The American Revolution was a tough time for America and the people who fought it. Many wars were fought and many people died, but throughout the whole events moments of inspiration were evident. One such time was in the Battle of Lexington which took place on April 19th, 1775 and one such poem the truly reflects it is called The Battle of Lexington which was written by Sidney Lanier. The poem reflects the thoughts of this man and Paul Revere during this time.
...o captivating. Additionally, it does make an extensive number of appearances at various ceremonies and great events, such as the opening ceremonies of sporting events and national holidays such as Independence and Memorial Day. However, “The Star Spangled Banner” embodies a much broader and more abstruse, cryptic connotation. It illustrates America’s attitude of perseverance when facing seemingly indomitable adversities or unachievable ambitions. It represents America’s unfaltering faith, traditional values, and ethical laws that have come to characterize America’s individuality. It signifies America’s past, a historic reminder that unites the people and instills, in their hearts, a profound sense of patriotism and glory. Most of all, “The Star Spangled Banner” symbolizes the truth of what America truly means–“the land of the free and the home of the brave”.
We can see how we can connect the emotions and messages implied by different songs can tie into the story Anthem. As we read the novel, we were able to identify the different parts of the story as well was the different emotions expressed by each of the characters. By paying attention to the messages and emotions, we were able to find songs that contained lyrics with similar messages and emotions. By tying in songs that we listen to today with the novel, we can actually connect with the story better.
What is the American flag and what does it represent? For many Americans the flag represents freedom, pride, and justice. Our flag stands for freedom because of the many lives that had to be lost throughout history for us to be the nation we are today. The American flag stands for pride because of the many American soldiers men and women who lost their lives for us. Lastly, our flag stands for justice because in the United States no matter what crime we do we have the right to a fair trial.
There have been the fights for our freedom and fights against each other. Through all of the battles, the American flag stood strong and proud. There have been many sacrificed deaths for our freedom. The flag stands for every person that ever gave up their life for the good of our country. The people that were at the front line standing proud for our nation are the real heros. That is what the flag really stands for. The everyday citizens that continue to fight while we continue our normal lives. Many people may not think of the American flag as much but it stands for so much more than just what our eyes can
Throughout the years there has been many ways to reassure and keep others happy. The Mayflower Compact is one of the United States foundational documents of great historical significance, it contains literary elements with other important U.S. foundational documents in later centuries. The Preamble to the Constitution is one of the country’s foundational documents, igniting a signal of freedom both to the nation and the world. Last, The Star Spangled Banner is a historical poem that is used for the United States. The themes that the Preamble to the Constitution has in common with the Mayflower Compact and The Star Spangled Banner is unity, freedom, and peace.