In “Old Ironsides,” Oliver Wendell Holmes conveys that he believes the ship deserves a better ending than it is getting. What does he mean when he writes, “And give her to the god of storms / The lightning and the gale”?
The ship should be stripped and used to build a new one.
The ship should be put in a museum for others to visit and admire.
An enemy should destroy the ship in the course of battle.
Let the ship sink at sea, rather than suffer humiliating demolition.
3 answers
Oliver Wendell Holmes means that the ship should be allowed to sink at sea, rather than face the disgraceful fate of being torn apart or demolished. He believes that the ship, with all its history and significance, deserves a more dignified and noble end. By giving her to the "god of storms / The lightning and the gale," Holmes is suggesting that it would be better for the ship to meet its end naturally through the forces of nature, rather than being dismantled or destroyed intentionally.
pick one answer
The ship should be allowed to sink at sea, rather than suffer humiliating demolition.
19 answers