Poetry Approaches

&

The Star Spangled Banner

By

Derek Gibson

The Novelistic App�roach

Setting - Revolutionary War

The flag flies over a land

that is free.

Glimpses of the

flag

Attack on fort

McHenry

The flag is seen, and the

victory is won

Speaker - Sir Francis Scott Key

representing the American people

Committed soldiers and the sacrifice they

made.

God gave the power.

The Novelist Approach

Speaker - Sir Francis Scott Key, representing the American people.

Setting - The Revolutionary War, a fight for freedom

Protagonist - The Americans

Antagonist - The British

Goal - Independence and freedom

Obstacle - A war against the British

Final outcome - Victory and the flag flying over a free land

The Realistic Approach

This poem is integrally connected to my life as well as every other American’s life. The poem is about the American flag, flying over the land of the free and the home of the brave. It brings hope and an overwhelming sense of pride and patriotism to Americans. The poem also reminds me of the sacrifices our forefathers went through to give us the freedoms we enjoy today.

The Thematic Approach

A good poem reveals a lesson or a truth about life. The truth about life revealed in the poem, The Star Spangled Banner, is quite simple and yet infinitely deep. The poem reveals that the people of America desire freedom above all else, and the flag represents and reminds Americans of freedom. The poem emphasizes that the flag “Waves over the land of the free.” The writer uses the “star-spangled banner”, the flag, to represent what is most important to him and his countrymen, “The land of the free and the home of the brave.”

Allusion Approach

The Star Spangled Banner alludes to the Bible when

it talks about God. The writer, Sir Francis Scott

Key, speaking for the American people, honors God

by saying “May the heav’n-rescued land praise the

Power that hath made and preserved us a nation.”

Furthermore, the American motto, “In God is our

trust,” found in the Star Spangled Banner also links

the poem to the Bible. These are examples that

demonstrate how the poem alludes to the Bible.

The Musical Approach

The Star Spangled Banner is mostly anapestic

tetrameter. However, occasionally a line will

begin with an iambic foot. Lines also occasionally

end with an imperfect foot. This gives the poem a

flow and a beat adding to the effect the poem has

on the reader.

Every line is connected with end rhyme.

There is also internal rhyme in the poem.

The Musical Approach continued

Star Spangled Banner

1. Oh, say, can you see, by the dawn's early light,

2. What so proudly we hail'd at the twilight's last gleaming?

3. Whose broad stripes and bright stars, thro' the perilous fight,

4. O'er the ramparts we watch'd, were so gallantly streaming?

5. And the rockets' red glare, the bombs bursting in air,

6. Gave proof thro' the night that our flag was still there.

7. O say, does that star-spangled banner yet wave

8. O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave?

Musical Approach Continued

9. On the shore dimly seen thro' the mists of the deep,

10. Where the foe's haughty host in dread silence reposes,

11. What is that which the breeze, o'er the towering steep,

12. As it fitfully blows, half conceals, half discloses?

13. Now it catches the gleam of the morning's first beam,

14. In full glory reflected, now shines on the stream:

15. 'T is the star-spangled banner: O, long may it wave

16. O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave

Musical Approach Continued

17. And where is that band who so vauntingly swore

18. That the havoc of war and the battle's confusion

19. A home and a country should leave us no more?

20. Their blood has wash'd out their foul footsteps' pollution.

21. No refuge could save the hireling and slave

22. From the terror of flight or the gloom of the grave:

23. And the star-spangled banner in triumph doth wave

24. O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave.

Musical Approach Continued

25. O, thus be it ever when freemen shall stand,

26. Between their lov'd homes and the war's desolation;

27. Blest with vict'ry and peace, may the heav'n-rescued land

28. Praise the Pow'r that hath made and preserv'd us a nation!

29. Then conquer we must, when our cause. it is just,

30. And this be our motto: "In God is our trust"

31. And the star-spangled banner in triumph shall wave

32. O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave!

Musical Approach Continued

Assonance - Line 6 “Proof” and “Though” line 20 “Out”, “Foul”, and “Footsteps”

Consonance -

Line 2 “Proudly”, “Hail’d”, “Twilight's”, “Last”, and “Gleaming”

Line 3 B’s and S’s,

Line 5 R’s and B’s

Line 7 “Star-Spangled”, S’s

Line 10 “Haughty” and “Host”

Line 15 “Star-Spangled”, S’s

Line 23 “Star-Spangled”, S’s

Line 28 “Praise” and “Power” S’s

Line 31 “Star-Spangled”, S’s

Internal rhyme - line 13 “Gleam of the morning’s first beam”

The English Teacher Approach

Star Spangled Banner

1. Oh, say, can you see, by the dawn's early light,

2. What so proudly we hail'd at the twilight's last gleaming?

3. Whose broad stripes and bright stars, thro' the perilous fight,

4. O'er the ramparts we watch'd, were so gallantly streaming?

5. And the rockets' red glare, the bombs bursting in air,

6. Gave proof thro' the night that our flag was still there.

7. O say, does that star-spangled banner yet wave

8. O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave?

1. English Teacher Approach

Continued9. On the shore dimly seen thro' the mists of the deep,

10. Where the foe's haughty host in dread silence reposes,

11. What is that which the breeze, o'er the towering steep,

12. As it fitfully blows, half conceals, half discloses?

13. Now it catches the gleam of the morning's first beam,

14. In full glory reflected, now shines on the stream:

15. 'T is the star-spangled banner: O, long may it wave

16. O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave

1. English Teacher Approach

Continued17. And where is that band who so vauntingly swore

18. That the havoc of war and the battle's confusion

19. A home and a country should leave us no more?

20. Their blood has wash'd out their foul footsteps' pollution.

21. No refuge could save the hireling and slave

22. From the terror of flight or the gloom of the grave:

23. And the star-spangled banner in triumph doth wave

24. O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave.

1. English Teacher Approach

Continued25. O, thus be it ever when freemen shall stand,

26. Between their lov'd homes and the war's desolation;

27. Blest with vict'ry and peace, may the heav'n-rescued land

28. Praise the Pow'r that hath made and preserv'd us a nation!

29. Then conquer we must, when our cause. it is just,

30. And this be our motto: "In God is our trust"

31. And the star-spangled banner in triumph shall wave

32. O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave!

English Teacher Approach

Continued Line 4 - Personification - “Gallantly streaming”

Line 12 - Personification - “Fitfully Blows”

Line12 - Parallelism - “Half conceals, half discloses”

Line 3 - Alliteration - “Broad” and “Bright”, “Stars” and “Stripes”

Line 5 - Alliteration -“Rockets red glare” Bombs Bursting”

Line 7, 15, 23, and 31 - Alliteration - “Star-spangled”

Line 28 - Alliteration - “Praise the Pow’r”

Many other example are given in the musical approach slide, and the imagery examples are in the art history approach.

English Teacher Approach

Continued

Sir Francis Scott Key extensive use of figurative

language sets a tone of grandeur and patriotism.

One has only to read the first verse to see

magnificent picture portrayed in the lines. He uses

alliteration very well as a tool to make the poem

flow. He creates a picture of a flag majestically

waving without every using the word flag, but

repeatedly uses the phrase “the star-spangled

banner.”

Significant Event Approach

The Star Spangled Banner was written in 1814 during the American Revolution. Sir Francis Scott Key relates through the poem the pride he felt for his country when he saw the American flag waving while he was held captive on a British ship. The poem is entirely dedicated to telling about a flag that represents the land of the free and home of the brave, the men that so valiantly fought for that country, and the God who “made and preserved a nation.”

Art History Approach

Images A battle at night

“Rockets red glare, the bombs bursting in air.” this paints a picture

of the sky being lit during the night by gunfire and cannon fire.

“Gallantly streaming” The flag is majestic and waving

“Land of the free and the home of the brave.” This is symbolic of

the freedom that they were fighting for.

“Star-Spangled Banner” The American flag symbolizes freedom.

“Mists of the deep” Fog coming up from the ocean

Art History Approach Continued

“Dread silence reposes” The is lying in death

“Towering steep” portrays an image of the fort.

“Morning’s first beam” is an image of the sun first rays in the morning.

“Shines on the stream” renders an image of light glistening of water.

Art History Approach Continued

“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?”

This portrays an image of a close group of patriots

who were committed to go through anything to

keep there homeland.

Art History Approach Continued

“No refuge could save the hireling and slave

From the terror of flight or the gloom of the grave.”

The image these lines give paints a picture of how bad the

enemy is, there is no place of safety.

“O, thus be it ever when freemen shall stand,

Between their lov'd homes and the war's desolation.”

This is a picture of men taking a stand for freedom, and reveals to the reader just how dedicated they are to freedom.

Structural Approach

The first verse asks the question is the star-spangled banner still flying?

Then there is a shift to anticipation in the second verse where the writer can almost see the flag.

In the third verse it crescendos to the climax when the morning’s first beam shines on the flag and it is revealed that our flag is still there.

The next paragraph shifts to talking about the army which valiantly fought.

Finally the last paragraph praises the power that preserved

the nation, and states trust in God.

The end