![]() ![]() We sing only the first stanza of Key's song, but the Star-Spangled Banner actually has four verses. The first stanza of the national anthem is projected prominently on the wall above the Star-Spangled Banner in the museum. Does that Star-Spangled Banner yet wave? Would he have a country to return home to? The first stanza of the Star-Spangled Banner captures the mix of fear, patriotism, and anxiety that Key felt throughout the long rainy night of the battle. He was powerless to do anything but watch as the British bombarded the American forces. Francis Scott Key had secured the release of an American prisoner of war, but was held behind the British fleet arrayed in Baltimore harbor until after the attack on the Fort. The rockets' red glare and the bombs bursting in air aren't just poetic flourishes-they were actual bombs and rockets being fired upon Baltimore's Fort McHenry on the night of September 13, 1814, as the fate of a young nation hung in the balance. It's easy to forget that the words to the national anthem describe a real battle during the War of 1812. When we sing the anthem, we don't end it questioningly, but with a firm, declarative (sometimes over-warbled) note. ![]() If, like most Americans, you've spent more time singing the Star-Spangled Banner than reading it, the question mark that appears at the end of the first stanza might look a little funny. Portrait of Francis Scott Key, attributed to Joseph Wood, about 1825. ![]()
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