Unsung Lyrics of ‘The Star-Spangled Banner’: Four Original Stanzas Give Us Hope

Hope, once kindled, is a difficult feeling to extinguish. Francis Scott Key, poet of the lyrics to our national anthem, clearly was compelled by it as he saw the sun’s rays through the war-torn holes of our flag after a sleepless night of unknowns.

In 1814, the American lawyer witnessed the U.S. defense of Fort McHenry in Baltimore against the British Royal Navy during the War of 1812. After he saw the American flag still waving over the fort at daybreak, he wrote “Defence of Fort M’Henry” as an expression of his intense relief, patriotism, and, yes, hope. After publication, the poem was set to the melody of a British tune, “To Anacreon in Heaven”; it was officially adopted as the American national anthem in 1931.

About the Author

Lauren Veldhuizen

Lauren Veldhuizen is an associate producer for National Review. She is a graduate of Wake Forest University and a classically trained soprano.

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Hope, once kindled, is a difficult feeling to extinguish. Francis Scott Key, poet of the lyrics to our national anthem, clearly was compelled by it as he saw the sun’s rays through the war-torn holes of our flag after a sleepless night of unknowns.

In 1814, the American lawyer witnessed the U.S. defense of Fort McHenry in Baltimore against the British Royal Navy during the War of 1812. After he saw the American flag still waving over the fort at daybreak, he wrote “Defence of Fort M’Henry” as an expression of his intense relief, patriotism, and, yes, hope. After publication, the poem was set to the melody of a British tune, “To Anacreon in Heaven”; it was officially adopted as the American national anthem in 1931.