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The importance of the star spangled banner
The Star-Spangled Banner essay
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The Star Spangled Banner has long been our country’s anthem, but have we ever stopped and considered why the Star Spangled Banner was chosen? What makes it so special? Perhaps it is the song’s versatility. When Francis Scott Key wrote the Star Spangled Banner, he wrote with more than one purpose. These purposes were to inform, to interpret, to persuade, to entertain, and to express feelings. One purpose behind the Star Spangled Banner’s composition was to inform. Francis Scott Key tells of a literal flag, still flying high in the midst of battle ruins. He describes the bombs and rockets that erupted during the night. He depicts the blood shed and the lives lost. Key was telling of the battle that had taken place that night and the sight of …show more content…
The literal flag as described in the previous paragraph is a metaphor. After the “perilous fight o’er our ramparts,” our flag is still “gallantly streaming” means that even the chaos of war has not torn our country apart. The flag flying high also represents our victory and triumph over our enemies and symbolizes our freedom and solidarity. Key was interpreting the flag and its meaning. Another purpose Francis Scott Key had for writing the Star Spangle Banner was to persuade. Francis Scott Key used such strong, meaningful language. He describes the flag shining in “full glory” and “proudly hailing” the flag. He refers to the land as “heaven rescued.” By using such positive, powerful language, Key is trying to convince the listeners how great America is. He wants the audience to grasp its magnificence. One of the most obvious purposes for writing the Star Spangled Banner was to entertain. It was, after all, a song. Songs are meant to entertain listeners. This is the reason for his use of rhyme. Key wanted to move his listeners with an inspiring song about our flag and the country which it …show more content…
Syntax and spelling are much different today than they were centuries ago. During the time that Francis Scott Key wrote the Star Spangled Banner it was very common to replace a letter with an apostrophe (over: o’er). This practice is no longer used. So, instead of “O say can you see, by the dawn’s early light, what so proudly we hail’d at the twilight’s last gleaming,” we would say “Oh say can you see, by the dawn’s early light, what we hailed so proudly at the twilight’s last gleaming,” today. Vocabulary would also be different. Many of the words used in the Star Spangled Banner are dated. Words like ‘tis, doth, thus, blest, and hath are no longer used. Grammatical differences aside, if the Star Spangled Banner had been written today it would lack the captivating spirit Francis Scott Key gave it. He witnessed the sights he told of himself; he was inspired by them. Our national anthem would not have the same quality if it were written in the
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.
It was a way for the United States to recruit soldiers to send to Europe, as the United States was short on soldiers and even passed conscription acts to draft people into the army. In addition, Americans still held anti-war sentiments, as Wilson was reelected campaigning on not going to war. This patriotic song helped ease American fears and provided confidence that US troops would be able to end the war swiftly. On a global scale, the song is tied to the American entry into World War I, an event that solidified the Allied victory, shaping the history of the world leading to World War II. On the national level, the song gave the people hope because it reflected the belief that the United States’ troops would be able to dominate Europe and come home safely. By the end, however, the death and destruction left by the war became apparent. The trust in Wilson’s grandiose ideals and the patriotism faded as the people began seeing US involvement in the war was a mistake, taking up Harding’s offer to return to “normalcy” (Brinkley, 530). As a result, this song is also firmly situated in a change of eras as the United States moved past World War I and into the Roaring
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.
In order to help answer this question, let’s begin by defining what a flag is. The proponents (veterans, Citizens Flag Alliance, and other organizations of this type) of the amendment for protection of the flag define the flag as a “cultural artifact with meaning, significance, and usage determined by the particular system employing it (Guenter 18).” Some flag historians have recognized the impact of culture on the shifting significance and usage of the national banner, although no one has ventured a full-scale probe of the subject (Guenter 16). The flag in the beginning was a symbol of freedom and enlightenment. The flag design has changed.
For those who want to light Old Glory on fire, stomp all over it, or spit on it to make some sort of "statement," I say let them do it. But under one condition: they MUST get permission from three sponsors. First, you need permission of a war veteran. Perhaps a Marine who fought at Iwo Jima? The American flag was raised over Mount Surabachi upon the bodies of thousands of dead buddies. Each night spent on Iwo meant half of everyone you knew would be dead tomorrow, a coin flip away from a bloody end upon a patch of sand your mother couldn't find on a map.
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
Black anthems have a long standing history that can be traced through their African roots to modern day songs. Political groups have used these anthems to both lead and thrown into crisis their aims and objectives of their political messages. Not only have anthems been used in political areas they have also been used to showcase the culture at the time of their prominence. These anthems have many benefits such as uniting people together for certain causes, however, some of the anthems drawbacks are that they have been nearly forgotten as their respective political groups have faded away into history. The book Anthem: Social Movements and the Sound of Solidarity in the African Diaspora by Shana L. Redmond proves that anthems have been used
Sadly, this violent attack provides a perfect example of the racism symbolically presented by the Confederate flag. However, some southerners would argue that the initial meaning of the Confederate flag had little association to anything (Prince, n.d.). The flag initially was viewed by many southern natives as a symbol of southern heritage and pride (World Book Student, 2016). As mentioned above, the flag was flown during the Civil War when southern states were attempting to secede from the northern states. For this reason, the flag is symbolic to southern natives because it symbolizes the beliefs of their ancestors; beliefs that many lost their lives for.
The dissenting opinion to the previous idea is that the government's legitimate interest in preserving the symbolic value of the flag is, however, essentially the same that may have motivated a particular act of flag burning. The flag uniquely symbolizes the ideas of liberty, equality, and tolerance -- ideas that Americans have passionately defended and debated throughout our history. The flag embodies the spirit of our national commitment to those ideals. To the world, the flag is our promise that we will continue to strive for these ideals. To us, the flag is a reminder both that the struggle for li...
King, on the other hand, shows hard work through a fictional group of kids who never stop working hard throughout the book. In Key’s “The Star-Spangled Banner”, hard work is shown throughout the poem. For example, “And the rocket’s red glare, the bombs bursting in air gave proof through the night that our flag was still there” (Key 5).
Music is an art and a wonderful gift to human race. It soothes, stimulates and makes us feel happy. It affects our moods in many different ways from lullaby to war cry for changes in the society. Music is actually distinct to different people. Above all, it has a transformational importance that is captured in its art and nature. Music draws our emotions and it has an impact of bridging different cultures across the continents. Slave songs were very vital channels through which all kind of information was conveyed both positive and negative.
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.
Many people hail “The Star Spangled Banner” as the greatest piece of American music. The audiences of America’s national anthem seem, instinctively, eager to express their respect by embracing the notion to remove their hats and stand up. However, not many people ponder over the question of what “The Star Spangled Banner” truly means. What does it mean? Why does it deserve so much reverence and honor? What exceptional difference allows it to prevail over the masterpieces of prominent composers like Mozart and Beethoven? The answer is fairly simple. “The Star Spangled Banner” symbolizes America’s perseverance, its set of moral laws and ethics, and its history that constitutes what America truly means.
Lyrics, or the words that make up a song, are one of the most important aspects of a song and present information and the meaning behind a song. The lyrics of the songs of World War I give researchers and history scholars an insight into the situations the men faced, their job duties, thoughts and feelings toward the war and their job in the war, and ultimately their opinions expressed through song. One song titled, “The Reason Why” explains the bitter feelings of why the men were there fighting. The song states, “We’re here because we’re here, because we’re here because we’re here” (Fussell p.83). The meaning behind the lyrics show that some of the men felt as if their place in the war may have been viewed as unimportant, unappreciated and some may have felt that they were they because they had nothing else going for them back at home. The song presents many views and meant a lot to the soldiers fighting in the battles. Some soldier’s would sing as a memorial also to friends,