The EAGLE OF THE SEA: the ship symbolizes the strength & dignity of the eagle which is also the nation's symbol.
The eagle is commands the sky; the ship commands the sea. all is subject to the strength of the ship. 2. In 1830, the 44-gun American warship Constitution, the inspiration for "Old Ironsides," was scheduled to be scrapped - that is, stripped of everything valuable or reasonable. What proposal is put forth by Holmes, in the last stanza of his poem? * It is better that the ship should sink than be scrapped as a derelict hulk. The ocean is where the ship lived and that is where she should come to her end. 3. What do you think Holmes wants the ship to symbolize? * The strenght, the dignity, the pride of a nation that she represents. She fought for a "holy" cause that being democracy and justice. 4. The term,"Harpies," in line 15 of "Old Ironsides" is an allusion to predatory flying creatures in Greek mythology, which have bodies of vultures and heads of women. The name meant "snatchers" or "robbers." * The harpies lured ships (and sailors) to their death. In this case the harpies shall pluck (tear) the ship and all it represents from the sea. In effect, the harpies shall destroy a great symbol of the nation. 5. In Longfellow's "The Tide Rises, The Tide Falls," how does the title foreshadow the fact the traveler will not return? * He uses the footprints on the sand as evidence that the traveler was there once but will never return due to the darkness. 6. Do you think Longfellow's poem is about one specific traveler, or could it apply to all in general? Explain your answer. * I think Longfellow’s poem is about one sailor because it talks about how the sailor is