Literary Analysis Essay on The Star-Spangled Banner

Introduction

The history of The Star-Spangled Banner dates back to September 1814 when it was written by Francis Scott Key, a 35 years old poet and lawyer. The poem was originally known as the defense of port McHenry and it was written after Francis witnessed the bombing of Maryland port by the British troops during the famous war of 1812. The attack remains in history as one of the worst experiences of the time as the country was fighting to gain independence. The author of the poem was inspired by the sight of the American flag flying over Fort McHenry at daybreak, even after the bombing that had occurred all night. It was a sign of victory for the US defense forces. The poem would later be converted into a song in 1931 and it became the national anthem of the United States of America.

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History of the Star-Spangled Banner

The tune used in the song was borrowed from a famous British song by John Stafford Smith known as "To Anacreon in Heaven". The song was already famous in the United States and it was easy for most of the citizens to sing along. The song is believed to be a difficult one to sing and even though it has four stanzas, most of the people only know the first stanza. In 1889, the song was used as a patriotic song by the US Navy and was supported by the then US president Woodrow Wilson in 1916. In 1831, the song was made the national anthem through a congressional resolution and was signed by President Herbert Hoover. On the fateful day when Key wrote the poem at the back of a letter he had written earlier, the US troops were in a mission to secure some prisoners who had been captured by the British troops and the war had left many Americans dead.1 The poem acted as a reminder of the war and the pain that most of the Americans had gone through during the war and it also recognized the efforts of the defense troops in liberating the country from its colonizers.

During the famous bombardment by the British soldiers at Fort McHenry, only 13 soldiers were at the port and they withstood the heavy fight from the British soldiers. After the poem was converted into a song, it spread quickly after several newspapers printed it. The tune was also used on many occasions including military parades, polo games, and other occasions. At the time, the US government had several other tunes that were used in occasions like national anthems but had not been officially made the national anthem. The popular patriotic songs before the star-spangled banner include the "Yankee Doodle" and "Hail Columbia". During the war at the Chicago Comiskey Park, the song was struck by the military band and everyone saluted the flag as they remembered the bomb that had hit the federal buildings ta the area. Similar instances were observed across the country as the song became more of a patriotic song than the others. The challenge affecting it to date is that it did not get adequate academic attention. The poem created a sense of belonging and attracted many people to love and fight for their country.

Bibliography

Eaton, Arr David Danielson. "The Star-Spangled Banner." (2018).

McWhirter, Christian. "Star-Spangled Banner: The Unlikely Story of America's National Anthem." The Historian 78, no. 3 (2016): 518.