Old Ironsides Analysis

Literal Meaning:

The first stanza speaks of the importance of the ship’s flag and how long the ship has been in use.
Take down the ships flag. It has flown for a long time and many have danced to see it flying in the sky. Under it the shout of battle and the firing of cannons could be heard, and the meteor of the ocean air will not be in the sky any longer.

The second stanza simple tells the story of how the ship has been used in battle and many lives have been lost on it; both foes and crew members of it.
On the ships deck, the blood of heroes has been shed, but also the defeated enemy has knelt in the same spot. When the winds are strong and the waves are high and white tipped, no one will feel or know of the vanquished foe. The monsters of the sea shall destroy the eagle of the sea.

The final stanza explains how the ship will be destroyed.
It ends in a mighty storm with the ship sinking to the bottom of the sea. If the ship’s hulk is to be shattered and sink beneath a wave, the ship should find its grave in the mighty deep that it had shook. The ships flag should be nailed to the mast when the sails have been set for the ship to be given to the God of storms.


Poetic Devices:

One poetic device used in this poem is imagery; particularly in the final stanza. The vivid language used allows the reader to actually picture the final storm that leads to the demise of the ship. A description of the large waves and strong winds gives the reader an understanding of how much it actually takes to destroy the ship. At the same time, this section of the poem uses the poetic device of personification and metaphors. “When winds were hurrying o’er the flood and waves were white below…” This line describes the winds hurrying and describes how the waves were respectively. The meter used in this poem is iambic with the repetition of stresses and unstressed syllables. There is an occurrence of simple rhymes every other line starting with the second line. One other poetic device used is the separation of the poem into stanzas. Each one describes the ship in different aspects. The first two describe how much the ship has done and how long it has been sailing and the last one describes the demise of the ship.


Figurative Meaning:

The first stanza’s figurative meaning is simply that of the importance of the ship. To the many that have “danced to see that banner in the sky,” this ship is a symbol of freedom. The final line of this stanza states that the ship will no longer use its weapons anymore. The second stanza has a little deeper meaning. The ship is a place where many lives has been lost and will serve as a memorial to all of the patriots that served on it. The final lines are really used to show how great the ship was and that its memories and the ideas that it represented will live on forever, even if the actual body of the ship are lost at sea.