Old Ironsides
Oliver Wendell Holmes
Ay, tear her tattered ensign down!
Long has it waved on high,
And many an eye has danced to see
That banner in the sky;
Beneath it rung the battle shout,5
And burst the cannon's roar; --
The meteor of the ocean air
Shall sweep the clouds no more.
Her deck, once red with heroes' blood,
Where knelt the vanquished foe,10
When winds were hurrying o'er the flood,
And waves were white below,
No more shall feel the victor's tread,
Or know the conquered knee; --
The harpies of the shore shall pluck15
The eagle of the sea!
Oh, better that her shattered hulk
Should sink beneath the wave;
Her thunders shook the mighty deep,
And there should be her grave;20
Nail to the mast her holy flag,
Set every threadbare sail,
And give her to the god of storms,
The lightning and the gale.
Question
It can be inferred from this poem that the battleship was revered as mighty and powerful.
Which lines from the poem support this assertion?
Responses
A And many an eye has danced to see/That banner in the sky;And many an eye has danced to see/That banner in the sky;
B Oh, better that her shattered hulk/Should sink beneath the wave;Oh, better that her shattered hulk/Should sink beneath the wave;
C Beneath it rung the battle shout,/And burst the cannon's roar; --Beneath it rung the battle shout,/And burst the cannon's roar; --
D When winds were hurrying o'er the flood,/And waves were white below,When winds were hurrying o'er the flood,/And waves were white below,