Last Updated on July 29, 2019, by eNotes Editorial. Word Count: 141

Think of an object that you are familiar with and try to write a poem about its history. Mention the people who have used it, the events it has been part of, and its significance in society.

Download Old Ironsides Study Guide

Subscribe Now

Click on to the Constitution’s web site at www.ussconstitution.navy.mil and find some event in the ship’s history that interests you. Then report on that event and on other things that were going on in the United States at the same time.

What happens to ships that are decommissioned today? Make a chart showing which ships go where, and where their various components go when they are scrapped.

Why does the speaker think this ship would be better off sinking? Point to specific images from the poem that support his idea that destruction is better than decommissioning for a warship.