Existing comment:
A War Commentary:
"The Star-Spangled Banner" is a personal commentary in which Key lays bare his emotions during the bombardment of Fort McHenry, his opinions on the war and his beliefs about what Americans are fighting to defend -- land, freedom and home.
The vivid language of the first verse evokes the intensity of the bombardment and Key's great fear that the battle might be lost. The "broad stripes and bright stars" of the flag have been his glimmer of hope through the long night. He strains to see if it is still there.
In the second verse, Key conjures up the eerie, tense calm after the storm of battle. As the sun rises, "The morning's first beam" finally reveals the American flag still flying "in full glory" above the fort. Key's great relief at the longed-for victory pours out.
The third verse is an angry tirade against the British. Keys mocks their failure to crush America and destroy "a home and a country." Instead, the British have suffered heavily in "the terror of flight." Here, Key's words express pride in his nation as well as rage against the enemy.
In the final verse, Key honors the citizen-soldier and thanks God for intervening on America's behalf, by stating "Of thus be it ever, when free men shall stand" and describing America as the "heav'n rescued land."
"Every word came from his heart, and for that reason, even more than from its poetical merit it never fails to find a response in the hearts of those who listen to it."
-- Chief Justice Roger B. Taney (Key's brother-in-law), 1857 |