The Star-Spangled Banner

I was reviewing the "Civics" part of the application for U.S. citizenship when I stumbled upon the story of the "Star-Spangled Banner." I spent quite a while reading its lyrics - actually a poem sung to the tune of the British song, "To Anacreon in Heaven." Francis Scott Key wrote the poem to commemorate the sight of an American flag still standing and waving gallantly as Fort McHenry was being pounded by the British gunboats on September 14, 1814.

What could strongly inspire that lovely poem than a patriotism and love for one's own country? I could feel Key's sense of loyalty and a patriotic fervor that could only come from a man who witnessed the gallant defense that men in Fort McHenry had manifested.

"O'er the ramparts we watched, were so gallantly streaming." He saw the enormous flag still waving amidst the shelling of the British gunboats.

There must be a lot of burning embers flying in the air, "...and the rocket's red glare, the bombs bursting in air..."

How could one fail to notice how courageously the fort was holding? How could one's heart stop wondering how that sight "gave proof through the night that our flag was still there."

The bomb's glare illumined the night and highlighted a remarkable sight, a proud flag that waved through the night "o'er the land of the free and the home of the brave."

What a remarkable thought that I would one day sing that wonderful song that portrays a courageous history that makes America a great country!