The Flag Goes By
By Henry Holcomb Bennett
Published in 1897, ‘The Flag Goes By’ quickly became one of Bennett’s most recognized works. The poem first appeared in ‘The Youth’s Companion’, a widely read national magazine that later merged with ‘The American Boy’ in 1929. Bennett, a journalist and landscape painter from Chillicothe, Ohio, captured the patriotic spirit that many Americans associated with the flag at the turn of the twentieth century. Through magazine publication, school readers, and a later musical adaptation, the poem reached audiences across the country and became a lasting part of American patriotic literature. Bennett’s contributions are still remembered in his hometown, where a historical marker commemorates his life and work.*
In ‘The Flag Goes By’, Bennett reminds readers that the flag is more than a piece of cloth, it is a symbol of the nation’s history, sacrifices, and ideals. And while thoughts of cotton candy, ice cream, and the festivities of the day may await after the parade, for one brief moment every eye is fixed upon the flag and the values it represents.
Hats off!
Along the street there comes
A blare of bugles, a ruffle of drums,
A flash of colour beneath the sky:
Hats off!
The flag is passing by!
Blue and crimson and white it shines
Over the steel-tipped, ordered lines.
Hats off!
The colours before us fly;
But more than the flag is passing by.
Sea-fights and land-fights, grim and great,
Fought to make and to save the State:
Weary marches and sinking ships;
Cheers of victory on dying lips;
Days of plenty and years of peace;
March of a strong land’s swift increase;
Equal justice, right, and law,
Stately honour and reverend awe;
Sign of a nation, great and strong
Toward her people from foreign wrong:
Pride and glory and honour,–all
Live in the colours to stand or fall.
Hats off!
Along the street there comes
A blare of bugles, a ruffle of drums;
And loyal hearts are beating high:
Hats off!
The flag is passing by!
Fun Fact – Bennett’s poem was also included in Poems Every Child Should Know, edited by Mary E. Burt. Burt noted that her decision to include the patriotic selection was inspired by observing a young boy pay heartfelt respect to the national flag, thereby encouraging similar conduct in others. This scene is reflected in the sketch created to accompany the poem.
* Hill, James. “Beyond Books: The Flag Goes By Penned by Chillicothe Native.” Chillicothe Gazette, June 7, 2021.