Defence Of Fort Mchenry (Stars And Stripes Forever) Poem by Francis Scott Key

the home of the brave is ironic - having defeated the British the Yanks bravely turned their guns on the native Indians (the braves) and wiped them out. Also ironic is the land of the free when it is considered how many slaves there were in America.

Francis Scott Key began writing the patriotic poem ‘Defence of Fort McHenry’ on the morning of September 14th 1814. This was the day after the attack had begun on the 13th and Key was inspired and surprised by the sight of the American flag still waving above Fort Henry, after having watched the bombardment during the night. The first verses were jotted down on the back of an envelope and the words were composed to the tune of “The Anacreontic Song” also called “To Anacreon in Heaven”. This was a popular British drinking song composed by John Stafford Smith (1750-1836) . The poem was completed and titled at the Indian Queen Hotel. The first two lines of the poem are important to give the historical context. There is perhaps surprise and definitely justified pride in ‘O! say can you see, by the dawn's early light, /What so proudly we hail'd at the twilight's last gleaming’. So what does this mean and was there a ‘perilous fight’? Was Key accurate in writing ‘O'er the ramparts we watch'd, were so gallantly streaming? /And the rockets' red glare, the bombs bursting in air’. Who were the 1,000 American soldiers at Fort McHenry facing? They are facing British combat veterans triumphant from defeating Napoleon the previous year, under seasoned officers like Major General Robert Ross. This British Army had already overrun the American defence at the Battle of Bladensburg. Then marched into Washington D.C. unopposed by military defence, and burned and looted public buildings, including the White House, Capital, Treasury and War Department. Next American defenders at Fort Warburton fled without firing a shot and Alexandria surrendered. In contrast at Fort McHenry under Major George Armistead, defiant American soldiers have just withstood 25 hours of bombardment from a British fleet of nineteen ships just beyond the range of Fort McHenry’s cannons. The Congreve rockets were fired from the rocket vessel HMS Erebus, from a 32-pound battery installed below the main deck through portholes or scuttles. The rockets were unreliable and highly inaccurate but used as a psychological weapon of terror. Combined with the mortar shells, explosive shells fired in a ballistic arc from the bomb vessels, with the dread names HMS Terror, HMS Devastation, HMS Meteor, HMS Volcanco and HMS Aetna, these terror weapons must have terrified the inexperienced defenders. Yes ‘the rockets' red glare, the bombs bursting in air’ is totally accurate. In addition 1,500 to 1,800 cannonballs were fired at the fort, therefore the pride of the defenders, who fired on this ‘foe's haughty host’ should not be slighted. These men earned their immortal glory with courage under fire. The poem is on display by the Maryland Historical Society under the title the 'Star-Spangled Banner' poem. The lyrics of only the first and fourth stanzas became the National Anthem “The Star-Spangled Banner” in 1931, although only the first is usually sung.

A majestic and inspiring poem of the land of opportunities called America! Wonderful to read!

This is the original poem there has never been anything in this poem about a muslim soldier praying.

Uh, Star Spangled Banner, you mean. Stars And Stripes Forever is the one with Hoo-rah for the flag of the free / May it wave as our standard forever. Don't send a soap opera fan to edit a science fiction blog.

Reading the first stanza, I think of Whitney Houston singing 'The Star-Spangled Banner'.

I like this song it is for freedom

It never stops being beautifully defiant

Francis This is an interesting piece of poetry keep it up