Excerpt from Old Ironsides

Oliver Wendell Holmes

Her deck, once red with heroes' blood,

Where knelt the vanquished foe,

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 pluck

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;

Nail to the mast her holy flag,

Set every threadbare sail,

And give her to the god of storms,

The lightning and the gale.

Which of these BEST describes a theme of this poem?

A) loss of innocence

B) nature's fury and power

C) pride in battle and death

D) romantic love lost in battle

Question

Jakayla Gamble

English

11 September, 17:27

Excerpt from Old Ironsides

Oliver Wendell Holmes

Her deck, once red with heroes' blood,

Where knelt the vanquished foe,

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 pluck

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;

Nail to the mast her holy flag,

Set every threadbare sail,

And give her to the god of storms,

The lightning and the gale.

Which of these BEST describes a theme of this poem?

A) loss of innocence

B) nature's fury and power

C) pride in battle and death

D) romantic love lost in battle

+2

Answers (2)

Know the Answer?

Keaton Branch · Answer 1

Keaton Branch 11 September, 17:39

0

c is the right one; )

Blackburn · Answer 2

The answer is option C: pride in battle and death.

The poem "Old Ironsides," by Oliver Wendell Holmes, was written to acknowledge the eighteenth-century frigate USS Constitution, which took action in several battles, including the War of 1812 between The USA and The UK. As a result, the poem is a demand for people to honor the ship and offer it an appropriate retirement rather than have it destroyed.