the lyrics to the star spangled banner song

One wonders how he would have illustrated a line like 'Their blood has washed out their foul footsteps' pollution,' if he had not made this choice. I think Spier's choice to leave out the third verse (which speaks of the defeat and death of the enemy) was well made, given that this is a children's book, and a celebratory one. I particularly liked the two-page spread depicting all the places of worship, although the illustrated end-papers, which show both the evolution of the American flag and the many other flags used by various governmental personnel and military branches, were also lovely.

The text (as could be expected) holds no surprises, and is beautifully matched to the artwork. The musical notation accompanying the lyrics is also presented at the rear, along with a history of the flag flown during that fateful twenty-four hours.Īn excellent introduction to the eponymous song and to the War of 1812, The Star-Spangled Banner was originally published in 1973, and then in this new edition in 2014. His extensive afterword gives the story of the song's composition - it was originally a poem entitled 'The Bombardment of Fort McHenry' - and of the War of 1812 and the Battle of Baltimore. Spier uses the first, second and fourth verses of the song as his main text, pairing the famous words with illustrations both historical and contemporary. Composed by Francis Scott Key in 1814, as he witnessed the British bombardment of Fort McHenry, during the War of 1812, the song celebrates the continued presence and waving of the American flag, indicating that the fort had not fallen to the enemy.

Award-winning children's-book author/illustrator Peter Spier turns his attention to the creation of the American national anthem in this informative and engaging picture-book.

The lyrics to the star spangled banner song