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The Star Spangled Banner - in its entirety - by Francis Scott Key
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The Star Spangled Banner - in its entirety - by Francis Scott Key |
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Nan
Administrator
Member Seraphic
since 1999-05-20
Posts 21191Cape Cod Massachusetts USA 
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I was teaching this wonderful piece of literary work in class the other day.... I had never really looked at its poetic format, and I was astounded at the precision I found. How many of you know the history behind this work?? Francis Scott Key was a Washington DC attorney who went aboard a British ship (to negotiate the release of a friend) during the attack on Fort McHenry during the War of 1812. He was detained on the ship overnight, and had to watch helplessly as our country was attacked. When the "dawn's early light" finally came, he was inspired because "the flag was still there"..... Did you know also that "The Star Spangled Banner" was actually four stanzas long?... Four octaves written in flawless anapestic tetrameter - except for the second and fourth lines of each stanza where he adds an unstressed syllable to the end of each - consistently throughout... His rhyme scheme is perfectly a-b-a-b-c-c-d-d... Oh - and he just happens to incorporate internal rhyme into the fifth line of each stanza as well... Oh - and did you know that Francis Scott Key was a poet all his life?? I have to find the rest of his work.... I'm on a mission now... Have a wonderful Memorial Day Holiday everyone.. by Francis Scott Key Oh, say can you see, by the dawn's early light, What so proudly we hailed at the twilight's last gleaming? Whose broad stripes and bright stars, through the perilous fight, O'er the ramparts we watched, were so gallantly streaming? And the rockets' red glare, the bombs bursting in air, Gave proof through the night that our flag was still there. O say, does that star-spangled banner yet wave O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave? On the shore, dimly seen through the mists of the deep, Where the foe's haughty host in dread silence reposes, What is that which the breeze, o'er the towering steep, As it fitfully blows, now conceals, now discloses? Now it catches the gleam of the morning's first beam, In full glory reflected now shines on the stream: 'Tis the star-spangled banner! O long may it wave O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave. And where is that band who so vauntingly swore That the havoc of war and the battle's confusion A home and a country should leave us no more? Their blood has wiped out their foul footstep's pollution. No refuge could save the hireling and slave From the terror of flight, or the gloom of the grave: And the star-spangled banner in triumph doth wave O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave. Oh! thus be it ever, when freemen shall stand Between their loved homes and the war's desolation! Blest with victory and peace, may the heaven-rescued land Praise the Power that hath made and preserved us a nation. Then conquer we must, for our cause it is just, And this be our motto: "In God is our trust." And the star-spangled banner forever shall wave O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave! September 14, 1814  |
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| © Copyright 2000 Nancy Ness - All Rights Reserved | |||
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Sudhir Iyer Member Ascendant
since 2000-04-26
Posts 6943Mumbai, India : now in Belgium |
Nancy, I am not an american, but I like patriotic people... this is a fabulous poem that you have posted Thank you for presenting the complete star-spangled banner... regards, sudhir Hey you, out there in the cold, Getting lonely, getting old, can you feel me? Hey you, standing in the aisle, With itchy feet and fading smile, can you feel me? Hey you, don't help them to bury the light. Don't give in without a fight. Hey you, out there on your own, Sitting naked by the phone, would you touch me? Hey you, with your ear against the wall, Waiting for someone to call out, would you touch me? Hey you, would you help me to carry the stone? Open your heart, I'm coming home.... by Roger Waters (Pink Floyd) - The Wall |
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Kit McCallum
Administrator
Member Laureate
since 2000-04-30
Posts 14774Ontario, Canada |
I may be a Canadian neighbour Nan, but appreciated this tremendously. I had no idea there were so many verses, nor knew the history behind this. Thanks for posting! Best wishes, /Kit |
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wayoutwalt Member Elite
since 1999-06-22
Posts 4870TEXAS (it's all big) |
i was fixing to post God bless america in 6 languages but yuh i'd be called a copy cat thanx NAN anyway yuh the real anthem is American Pie and i got a couple weblinks explaining the whole song yuh yuh yuh good job here and yuh are the meter reading queen lovely nanny meter maid !! in a canyon in a cavern excavatin for a mine dwelt a miner forty niner and his daughter clemintine!!! yeehaw! |
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Marge Tindal 
since 1999-11-06
Posts 42384Florida's Foreverly Shores |
Well, Nan .... no longer will I sing this delightful anthem without thinking of you.  Hope I can stay on cue as I'm counting meter as I sing. (yeah, and I just hope somebody asks me about it tomorrow !) I like Walt's idea of American Pie ... can't miss with that one ! Thanks, lady .... you brightened up an otherwise ordinary day with your research. I learn more here than I ever did in school. JUST KIDDING - teacher ! ! ~*Marge*~ ~*The pen of the poet never runs out of ink, as long as we breathe.*~ noles1@totcon.com |
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Marge Tindal
since 1999-11-06
Posts 42384Florida's Foreverly Shores |
Ahhhhh ... this is the one I came looking for~ Soooooooooo informatively enjoyable~  ~*The sound of a kiss is not as strong as that of a cannon, but it's echo endures much longer*~ |
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Mysteria
since 2001-03-07
Posts 18328British Columbia, Canada |
I was remembering in school Nan, this was used as an example of just great poetry, and I have always kept it. Good it is rising today of all days. Happy 4th of July (will never forget my very first 4th shared with you and your family.) You Americans really know how to pay tribute to your country, and I loved it - all of it! |
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rrrstop Junior Member
since 2007-04-21
Posts 27Florida |
This is excellent. Thank you for posting it here. Such an obsessed poet, and so inspired, to sit and write these timeless verses with such tumult near at hand. And ho! for the Brits of the day, who while trying so hard to explode the life out of Fort McHenry's gunners still furnished their one-night prisoner with ink, pen, and paper (so one must assume). I believe the events referred to by FSK here occured after Washington, DC, had already been sacked and the White House burned by British forces, so it really was a full-blown second "war of independence" between the fledgling United States and the British Empire. |
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aziza Member Elite
since 2006-07-09
Posts 2995Lumpy Oatmeal makes me Crazy! |
Thank you I have read it all before but it was a long time ago. You sound like a pretty wonderful teacher. Alison |
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Ringo
since 2003-02-20
Posts 3684Saluting with misty eyes |
I have tried numerous times before to find anything besides this one from Mr. Key... I wish you much better success. Please let us know when you find them. What would you attempt to do...if you knew you could not fail?. |
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Kit McCallum
Administrator
Member Laureate
since 2000-04-30
Posts 14774Ontario, Canada |
Wow, I read this 7 years ago? It's as amazing to me now, as it was to me then!  Only a teacher could give such insight into this Nan.  Best wishes and hugs, /Kit |
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