프랜시스 스콧 키

소개

프랜시스 스콧 키(Francis Scott Key, 1779년 8월 1일 – 1843년 1월 1일)은 미국 조지타운 출신의 변호사, 작가, 시인이다. 그는 미국의 국가인 《별이 빛나는 깃발》(영어: The Star-Spangled Banner)의 가사를 썼다.

Francis Scott Key was an American lawyer, author, and poet from Frederick, Maryland, best known as the author of the poem "Defence of Fort M'Henry", which was set to a popular British tune and eventually became the American national anthem "The Star-Spangled Banner". In 1814 Key observed the British bombardment of Fort McHenry in Baltimore during the War of 1812. He was inspired upon seeing an American flag flying over the fort at dawn: his poem was published within a week with the suggested tune of the popular song "To Anacreon in Heaven". The song with Key's lyrics became known as "The Star-Spangled Banner" and slowly gained in popularity as an unofficial anthem, finally achieving official status as the national anthem more than a century later in 1931.