Questions for Discussion
Why do you think in the national anthem we sing the first verse, but usually leave out the
other three?
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If you were one of the Analectic Magazine's readers and were reading the poem
"Defence of Fort M'Henry" for the first time, which lyrics would have stood out to you
the most and why?
Francis Scott Key evokes a number of powerful images throughout the song. How do you
think Americans would have understood and interpreted these ideas in the early
nineteenth century, and what themes does it reveal about the period?