Old Ironsides
Ay, tear her tattered ensign down!
Long has it waved on high,
And many an eye has danced to see
That banner in the sky;
Beneath it rung the battle shout,
And burst the cannon's roar;—
The meteor of the ocean air
Shall sweep the clouds no more.
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!
O, 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!
Quick facts about “Old Ironsides”
- Author
- Oliver Wendell Holmes
- First line
- Ay, tear her tattered ensign down!
- Length
- 24 lines in 3 stanzas
- Time to learn
- about 12 minutes
Questions about “Old Ironsides”
Who wrote “Old Ironsides”?
“Old Ironsides” was written by Oliver Wendell Holmes.
What is the first line of “Old Ironsides”?
The first line of “Old Ironsides” is: “Ay, tear her tattered ensign down!”
How long is “Old Ironsides”?
“Old Ironsides” is 24 lines long, in 3 stanzas.
How long does it take to memorize “Old Ironsides”?
Plan on about 12 minutes in the Memorizun trainer, which hides words and letters step by step so you recall the text instead of rereading it. A few short sessions on separate days help it stick.
What is the best way to memorize “Old Ironsides”?
Read it aloud once or twice, then use the trainer to hide more of the text each round until you can say it without looking. Learn it stanza by stanza, then join the stanzas together. Review it again the next day.
