What does the first stanza of Old Ironsides mean?

What does the first stanza of Old Ironsides mean?

The meteor of the ocean air. Shall sweep the clouds no more! In the first stanza, the speaker begins by asserting that the ship which is the main subject of the poem, the USS Constitution, should be decommissioned. A reader will soon realize that his statements have a double meaning.

What is the irony in Old Ironsides?

– Irony: Holmes presents conflicting ideas through his poem. He wants to preserve the USS Constitution, but his idea to have it sink rather than be scrapped would have the same end result anyway.

What does the harpies of the shore shall pluck the eagle of the sea mean?

With the lines ‘The harpies of the shore shall pluck / The eagle (American symbol) of the sea,’ Holmes demonstrates that it’s often those who have the least to do with the ship or country’s operations that are the most willing to allow it to fall into disrepair.

What does harpies of the shore mean?

Holmes talks about how the glory of the ship is that the “harpies of the shore” (greedy business men) will take the ship and use its scraps for profit. Holmes concludes that the best end for such a noble ship would be for no one but the sea to have it!

What is the purpose of the poem Old Ironsides?

“Old Ironsides” is a poem written by American writer Oliver Wendell Holmes Sr. on September 16, 1830, as a tribute to the 18th-century USS Constitution. The poem was one reason that the frigate was saved from being decommissioned, and it is now the oldest commissioned ship in the world that is still afloat.

What does the eagle represent in Old Ironsides?

Using “the eagle of the sea” as a symbol for both the Constitution itself and the United States, he warns that they are in danger of being “plucked” – taken apart, made useless – by the “harpies of the shore” – evil mythological creatures symbolizing those threatening the destruction of the ship.

What was the purpose of writing the poem Old Ironsides?

How would you describe the tone of the poem Old Ironsides?

I would say that the tone of this poem is most ironic in the first stanza. By the third stanza, it is not ironic at all — it is angry. In the first stanza, the tone is ironic because the words Holmes uses are opposed to what he actually wants. The first line of the poem is the most ironic.

What metaphor is used to describe the ship at the end of the second stanza?

In the final stanza, the poet compares the sound of the ship’s cannon to thunder; he continues the storm metaphor in the concluding lines of the poem, where he likens the destruction of the ship to an oblation offered to the god of storms.

What is the eagle of the sea?

A sea eagle (also called erne or ern, mostly in reference to the white-tailed eagle) is any of the birds of prey in the genus Haliaeetus in the bird of prey family Accipitridae….Sea eagle.

Why is it called Old Ironsides?

On August 19 she ran across the British frigate Guerriere, who accepted battle. In a short and sharp engagement, Constitution wrecked Guerriere while suffering only slight damage herself. This victory gave rise to the comment “her sides are made of iron,” and her nickname “Old Ironsides.”

What is the tone in the poem Old Ironsides?