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
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