[iiimaf]

I don't remember how or even when I found this small website, but I have shared it with many friends over the years. I’ve read the short piece many times and I don’t think I’ve ever gotten to the end with dry eyes.

All Four Stanzas

For those unfamiliar with Isaac Asimov, Wikipedia will give you a good start in learning more about him. Isaac Asimov - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

[Hcardahs1]

I am very familiar with the story of the writing of the national anthem. Isaac Asimov gets it right. I might add a few details he left out.

The bargain that Francis Scot Key struck was with the fleet admiral, not the ship's captain, and the details were this: If the British won the battle of Fort McHenry, Francis Scot Key and two other lawyers who were with him would be taken prisoner by the British along with his friend, but if the Americans won, then all of them would be released.

Also, the four of them were placed by themselves in a dinghy (lifeboat) that was moored to the rear-most ship in the fleet. A light mist rolled in before dawn, and when the bombardment ended, they could not see that the mooring line had been cut and the British ships were gone. After the sun was high enough, they could begin to see through the mist well enough to realize that the British fleet was gone, and they had been abandoned in the harbor. A quick read of the first two lines of the second stanza reveals that early on, Francis Scott Key could not see through the mist that hugged the ground. The flag pole held the flag up above this mist, where he could see it. But, he thought the British ships had landed, and the enemy (the foe's haughty host) was recovering (reposing) on the shore. It wasn't until the sun had burned the mist off that he realized the British ships were gone completely! Then he wrote the third and fourth verses.