A UNIFYING SYMBOL IN LITERATURE: NATIONAL ANTHEMS

National anthems are one of the earliest forms of universal symbols which unify communities and create a strong bond among individuals. They include the significant values of a nation and arouse intense feelings since they are usually written after an important victory in a country’s history and are performed orally in a loud manner altogether with a sense of identification. However, they have not undergone extended research so far in the scope of literature as the context and the performance of them have been the main focus of interest. Indeed, national anthems are regarded as not only significant components of oral culture but also contributors of the genre of epic poetry after they are put into written form. For this study, with the hope of providing further research to the area, national anthems of England, the USA and France have been selected as the core sources to be evaluated in accordance with the methodology of textual analysis. The reason behind this choice is to relate the concept of anthems to literature specifically English Literature; thus, anthems of England and the USA have been prioritized. Since these two countries have been in close interaction and had respectable relationships with France for decades, the national anthem of France has been found appropriate as the third item of the analysis. The results of the study have shown that though they may differ in tone, the level of God’s influence and in the use of combining other national elements, anthems present similar patterns and are personified with the attribution of patriotic and stimulating characteristics, which result in the formation of a national identity embracing every segment of the nation holistically. It is concluded that anthems play an important part in maintaining the unity of a nation and in creating a sense of belongingness among its citizens proving once again the intrinsic unitary power of literature and literary works simultaneously.