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The Bonnie Blue Flag



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Mon Mar 04, 2019 5:16 pm
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Brigadier says...



I posted an American Civil War poem for discussion before but it never really went anywhere. And after posting a few color based poems yesterday, I was reminded of a certain song of the Confederates.

We are a band of brothers, and native to the soil,
Fighting for our Liberty with treasure, blood and toil;
And when our rights were threaten'd, the cry rose
near and far,
Hurrah for the Bonnie Blue Flag, that bears a
Single Star!

Chorus:
Hurrah! Hurrah! for Southern Rights, Hurrah!
Hurrah for the Bonnie Blue Flag that bears a
Single Star!

First, gallant South Carolina nobly made the stand;
Then came Alabama who took her by the hand;
Next, quickly Mississippi, Georgia, and Florida,
All rais'd on high the Bonnie Blue Flag, That bears a
Single Star! (Chorus)

Ye men of valor, gather round the Banner of the Right,
Texas and Louisiana, join us in the fight;
Davis, our loved President, and Stephens, Statesman
rare,
Now rally round the Bonnie Blue Flag, That bears a
Single Star! (Chorus)

And here's to brave Virginia! The Old Dominion State,
With the young Confederacy at length has link'd her
fate
Impell'd by her example, now other States prepare
To hoist on high the Bonnie Blue Flag,That bears a
Single Star! (Chorus)


Some questions to get rolling.

1. What do you think this poem is about? Why?
When you bring in the why, make sure to give us a bit of evidence for your interpretations and feelings.

2. As a reader, what line sticks out to you the most? Why?

3. Does the patriotic side appeal to you? Why or why not?

the brigadier rides again!
LMS VI: Lunch Appointment with Death

  





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Mon Mar 04, 2019 8:33 pm
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Messenger says...



Hey, so I love me some Civil War, and especially this song (if you haven't looked up the scene from "Gods and Generals" in which this song is performed, I would recommend it :D)

As for your questions though:

1. First and foremost this poem is a chronological telling of how the states one by one left the Union to join the Confederate cause. We know it's Confederate-positive because it's talking about the rights of states as well as mentioning President Davis of the CSA in an affirming light.
Second, it's really a rallying cry to bring them together. It could maybe be likened to what would have been their National Anthem for the Confederate states. It was a unifier for the southern states to congregate around.

2. Since I've seen the song performed in G&G it's hard to not go straight to the visuals first: a bright blue flag with a bright white star and the very catchy tune. The scene is overall jovial in tone. But you can see the unification aspect of the poem itself. Grabbing of hands, linked fate, band of brothers etc. And what were the rallied around? The Bonnie Blue Flag. The most iconic line then for me is "All rais'd on high the Bonnie Blue Flag, That bears a Single Star! "

3. I am a patriotic person so it definitely appeals to me. I've always thought that the Confederates got a bad rap as well without most people doing their research, but even without it, if you just take the song and read it by itself it definitely feels patriotic and exciting, like the birth of a new nation (although that didn't quite work :/ :p)
  





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Tue Mar 05, 2019 12:24 am
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keystrings says...



1. What do you think this poem is about? Why?

- Judging by this being a Confederate song, this is certainly about taking pride in the states that seceded, following South Carolina's declaration in removing itself from the Union. In addition, this is also calling out to fellow southern states to join their newly created Confederacy, including Texas as a typical more "conservative" state than most, especially as this is only a few years after the Lone Star state fought against Mexico. From that aspect, I view this as both a rallying call for those who've already seceded, but also to encourage other states to overthrow the North.

- On a side note, I do find it interesting that the flag mentioned in the title and is being repeated didn't end up being "their" flag/symbol of sorts.

2. As a reader, what line sticks out to you the most? Why?

- The line that is the most catching to me has to be
Ye men of valor, gather round the Banner of the Right,
for a couple of reasons. First, it makes me wonder about the regular person in the South, and how they felt about what was going on - more so those poor enough to not own any slaves. I'm sure there were people down south who didn't support going to war for slavery, while I'm sure some people in the North probably shared different views. This line sticks out to me because this is a sentiment probably shared by a few governmental figures rather than a whole union of states (ironic using that term) and people with their distinct thoughts. Especially because this line, in particular, is trying to lure in outside states into their cause of what's just and "right" to Southerners. Some interesting food for thought, for me at least.

3. Does the patriotic side appeal to you? Why or why not?

- The patriotic side doesn't really appeal to me, but that's probably due to learning a lot about history and that it can be hard to not have an opinion on the Civil War and what led up to it occurring. Thus, I must admit this doesn't strike my fancy in the patriotic sense, but the historical aspect is always interesting.
name: key/string/perks
pronouns: she/her/hers and they/them/theirs


novel: the clocktower (camp nano apr 24)
poetry: the beauty of the untold (napo 2024)
  





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Tue Mar 05, 2019 8:27 pm
Messenger says...



@Fraey I would say that the line you picked is very interesting. I do think that while the south definitely was fighting in some instances for slavery, I think a big push of the south was states rights, and I think that this drive would have rallied many more than just slave owners (including the poor people as you mention). So it may be that the "Banner of the Right" was pushing for the states freedom, and freedom to do what one wants is always something will appeal to people more so than one specific right like slavery, if that makes sense? Not stating it declaratively, but I think it's an interesting idea.
  








The best and most beautiful things in the world can not be seen or even touched - they must be felt with the heart.
— Helen Keller