What do you think Holmes wants the ship to symbolize in poem Old Ironsides?

Oliver Wendell Holmes' poem "Old Ironsides" does not depict the ship as a symbol nor use many figurative elements or symbols to convey a complex meaning. The poem tells the story of the frigate Constitution and its brave crew, celebrating the ship's significance in American history. Here, "Old Ironsides" primarily refers to the ship itself, not as a symbol for something else.