Ghost of a flea

Defense of Fort M'Henry

The words of the Star Spangled Banner are an account of the siege of Fort McHenry and a condemnation of British artillery skills but their meaning is something evoked, and never captured, by the meaning of the words alone. A literal truth can be important but rarely so much as a mythological truth. The first one may tell you what the weather is like but only second can describe the feeling of the sun rising on one more day of hard won freedom or, more important still, remind us it is still worth defending. Happy birthday, America.

Now it catches the gleam of the morning's first beam,
In full glory reflected, now shines on the stream:
'Tis the star-spangled banner: O, long may it wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave!
- Francis Scott Key

Posted by Ghost of a flea at July 4, 2005 07:54 AM

Trackback Pings

TrackBack URL for this entry:
http://www.ghostofaflea.com/cgi-bin/mt/trackback-engine.cgi/2338