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o captain my captain background

by Wayne Lockman IV Published 3 years ago Updated 2 years ago

Whitman wrote “O Captain! My Captain!” in response to the assassination of Abraham Lincoln
assassination of Abraham Lincoln
On April 14, 1865, Abraham Lincoln, the 16th president of the United States, was assassinated by well-known stage actor John Wilkes Booth, while attending the play Our American Cousin at Ford's Theatre in Washington, D.C. Shot in the head as he watched the play, Lincoln died the following day at 7:22 am in the Petersen ...
https://en.wikipedia.org › Assassination_of_Abraham_Lincoln
in 1865
. He revised the poem in 1866 and again in 1871. Apparently, the Riverside editors published an earlier version of the poem.
Feb 9, 2022

Full Answer

Why do people say Oh Captain my Captain?

Captain Lee has been a mentor to many during his time on Below Deck. Chef Rachel certainly tested the captain with her “eat my cooter ... And then people were like, ‘Oh yeah, she doesn ...

Who does the captain in O Captain Your Captain symbolize?

Walt Whitman ’s poem “O Captain! My Captain!” is rich with symbolism. Written about the aftermath of Abraham Lincoln’s assassination, it represents President Lincoln as the captain of the Union’s journey to victory in the United States Civil War. In the first line, the speaker proclaims “O Captain! my Captain!

What does the ship represent in O Captain my Captain?

O Captain! my Captain! our fearful trip is done, the ship has weather’d every rack, the prize we sought is won, the port is near, the bells I hear, the people all exulting, For the sake of this post, let’s pretend that’s the end of Walt Whitman the poem. In what can only be described as a turbulent season, Damir Kreilach was the ship’s anchor.

What is the message in O Captain Your Captain?

My Captain!”

  • Lines 1-4 O Captain! my Captain! ...
  • Line 6 O the bleeding drops of red, Unlock all 274 words of this analysis of Line 6 of “O Captain! ...
  • Lines 9-12 O Captain! ...
  • Lines 13-18 Here Captain! ...
  • Lines 19-24 The ship is anchor’d safe and sound, its voyage closed and done, From fearful trip the victor ship comes in with object won; Exult O shores, and ring ...

Who wrote "My Captain"?

When did Whitman write "My Captain"?

When did Whitman's poem "My Captain" disappear?

Who is John Keating?

Who read Whitman's leaves of grass?

See more

About this website

What is the background of the poem O Captain My Captain?

My Captain!" is an extended metaphor poem written by Walt Whitman in 1865 about the death of U.S. president Abraham Lincoln.

Which president is O Captain my captain based on?

President Abraham Lincoln- Inspired by the death of President Abraham Lincoln (1809-1865), Walt Whitman (1819-1892) wrote his famous dirge "O Captain! My Captain!" in 1865.

What is the main theme of the poem O Captain My Captain?

The major theme that runs throughout the poem is the death of Abraham Lincoln at the end of the Civil War, which deprived the United States of the great president. Each stanza gives us a clue about the war. Although the fearful trip ends, bells ring, the captain is no more to enjoy the victory.

What is the setting of the poem O Captain My Captain?

By Walt Whitman This poem is set on a ship that's coming into harbor. Of course, for Whitman, this was much more than a ship. This was the U.S.S. America he was talking about (for more on the importance of the ship, see “Symbolism, Imagery, Allegory”).

What does weathered every rack mean?

The “captain” represents Lincoln , and the “ship” represents the Civil War; Lincoln was the commander of the Civil War much as a captain would be of his ship. In line two, when it says that “the ship has weather'd every rack,” it is referring to all the lives that were lost during the War.

What does Fallen cold and dead mean?

The poem is an extended metaphor: (1) Lincoln is the captain who has “fallen cold and dead,” having been assassinated shortly after the Civil War had ended; (2) the “fearful trip” is the Civil War; (3) “the prize we sought” is the preservation of the Union, something which both Whitman and Lincoln felt was the supreme ...

What is the tone of this poem?

To figure out the tone of a poem, understand the writer's attitude toward the subject or the audience. A poem of praise conveys the tone of approval while a satirical poem conveys an ironical tone.

Why is the narrator sad in the poem O Captain My Captain?

Tragically, however, the speaker reveals that the captain lies dead on the deck of the ship while the city rejoices—a metaphor for recent events, since President Lincoln was assassinated in 1865 and was unable to celebrate his victory.

What is the central idea of the poem O Captain My Captain quizlet?

What is the central idea of this poem? A victory has been achieved but the leader was lost in the process.

What is the mood of O Captain My Captain?

The tone of 'O captain! My captain! ' is mostly melancholy. It's a very sad—pensive poem expressing people's feelings when Abraham Lincoln and their loved ones died after the civil war.

What is the meaning of fearful trip?

A ship's trip can be fearful because there are many natural and man-made dangers in the sea. But the "fearful trip" that Whitman is referring to is the Civil War, during which he'd volunteered as a nurse in the army hospitals.

Why does the poet's heart bleed?

Why does the poet's heart bleed? 4. What seems like a dream to the poet? Answer: The poet is surprised to see that the ship's captain who guided the whole crew to the land from within a fearful fight,now himself lying to the deck covered with blood.

O Captain! My Captain! Full Text - Text of the Poem - Owl Eyes

The ship is a symbol for the United States, which had just emerged from the Civil War (1861–1865) at the time Whitman was writing. The victorious return of the ship without its captain is an extended metaphor, which unfolds throughout an entire text, for President Lincoln’s leading the Union to victory over the Confederacy and his assassination.

What does O Captain My Captain poem mean?

'O Captain! My Captain!' is an extended metaphor poem written in 1865 by Walt Whitman, about the death of American president Abraham Lincoln. It was included in Whitman's comprehensive collection Leaves of Grass beginning with its fourth edition published in 1867. The poem emphasizes grief and sorrow.

O Captain! My Captain! by Walt Whitman - Poems | poets.org

O Captain! my Captain! our fearful trip is done, The ship has weather’d every rack, the prize we sought is won, The port is near, the bells I hear, the people all exulting,

O Captain! My Captain! by Walt Whitman | Poetry Foundation

Walt Whitman is America’s world poet—a latter-day successor to Homer, Virgil, Dante, and Shakespeare. In Leaves of Grass (1855, 1891-2), he celebrated democracy, nature, love, and friendship. This monumental work chanted praises to the body as well as to the soul, and found beauty and...

O Captain! My Captain! Summary and Analysis | Englicist

Whitman’s “O Captain! My Captain!” is an extended metaphor mourning the death of Abraham Lincoln in 1865 at the close of the American Civil War.

Who wrote "My Captain"?

My Captain! " is an extended metaphor poem written by Walt Whitman in 1865 about the death of U.S. President Abraham Lincoln. Well received upon publication, the poem was Whitman's first to be anthologized and the most popular during his lifetime. Together with " When Lilacs Last in the Dooryard Bloom'd ", " Hush'd Be the Camps To-day ", ...

When did Whitman write "My Captain"?

An early draft of the poem is written in free verse. "My Captain" was first published in The Saturday Press on November 4, 1865. Around the same time, it was included in Whitman's book, Sequel to Drum-Taps —publication in The Saturday Press was considered a " teaser " for the book. Although Sequel to Drum-Taps was first published in early October 1865, the copies were not ready for distribution until December. The first publication of the poem had different punctuation than Whitman intended, and he corrected before its next publication. It was also included in the 1867 edition of Leaves of Grass. Whitman revised the poem several times during his life, including in his 1871 collection Passage to India. Its final republication by Whitman was in the 1881 edition of Leaves of Grass.

When did Whitman's poem "My Captain" disappear?

In an analysis of poetry anthologies, Joseph Csicsila found that, although "My Captain" had been Whitman's most frequently published poem, shortly after the end of World War II it "all but disappeared" from American anthologies, and had "virtually disappeared" after 1966.

Who is John Keating?

John Keating (played by Robin Williams ), an English teacher at the Welton Academy boarding school, introduces his students to the poem in their first class. Keating is later fired from the school. As Keating returns to collect his belongings, the students stand on their desks and address Keating as "O Captain!

Who read Whitman's leaves of grass?

There is an account of Lincoln reading Whitman's Leaves of Grass poetry collection in his office, and another of the President saying "Well, he looks like a man!". upon seeing Whitman in Washington, D.C., but these accounts are probably fictitious.

What is the poem "O Captain My Captain" about?

From 1867 the poem was included in the 1867 and subsequent editions of Leaves of Grass. “O Captain! My Captain!” is an elegy on the death of Pres. Abraham Lincoln. It is noted for its regular form, metre, and rhyme, though it is also known for its sentimentality verging on the maudlin.

Who was the captain of the ship in the poem "The Ship is Anchored Safe and Sound, its voyage closed

The poem, which was highly popular, portrays Lincoln as the captain of a sea-worn ship—the Union triumphant after the American Civil War. While “The ship is anchor’d safe and sound, its voyage closed and done,” the Captain lies on the deck, “Fallen cold and dead.”.

Background

Lincoln's presidency (1861-1865) coincided with one of the most divisive times in American history. The country entered into the Civil War, encountered years of bloody fighting, saw the end of slavery in the nation, and ended the war with a lingering bitterness.

Setting and Symbolism

''O Captain! My Captain!'' utilizes a series of symbols related to sailing. There is the Captain, who is a reference to Lincoln. There are also references to the ''keel'' and ''deck,'' parts of the ship which has returned to ''port.'' The ship has ''weather'd'' a difficult voyage, a symbol for the bloody Civil War.

Themes

Loss, grief, and victory are central themes in ''O Captain! My Captain.''

In Short

Walt Whitman’s “O Captain! My Captain!” is an extended metaphor mourning the death of Abraham Lincoln in 1865 at the close of the American Civil War.

O Captain! My Captain! Explanation

O Captain! my Captain! our fearful trip is done, The ship has weather’d every rack, the prize we sought is won,

O Captain! My Captain! – Into Details

Walt Whitman is regarded as one of America’s most significant 19 th century poets. He wrote the poem “O Captain! My Captain!” in 1865 after the death of Abraham Lincoln, the former American President. The poem is the poet’s tribute to Abraham Lincoln for his role in the American Civil War.

O Captain! My Captain! – Themes

As you already know, Whitman’s poem “O Captain! My Captain!” is an elegy, mourning the death of President Abraham Lincoln at the end of the American Civil War. Through this poem the poet pays a homage to his admired leader and it gives an expression to the nation’s collective grief after the President’s death.

O Captain! My Captain! – Symbols

The poem “O Captain! My Captain!” is an extended metaphor where the ship is the United States itself. Abraham Lincoln guided the nation’s ship as a captain through many storms in the Civil War. But the captain died when the ship returned home safely after accomplishing its mission, i.e., when the war ended and the Union emerged victorious.

O Captain! My Captain! – Literary Devices

An end-stopped line is a line of verse that ends with a punctuation. All 24 lines in this poem are end-stopped lines.

Who wrote "My Captain"?

My Captain! " is an extended metaphor poem written by Walt Whitman in 1865 about the death of U.S. President Abraham Lincoln. Well received upon publication, the poem was Whitman's first to be anthologized and the most popular during his lifetime. Together with " When Lilacs Last in the Dooryard Bloom'd ", " Hush'd Be the Camps To-day ", ...

When did Whitman write "My Captain"?

An early draft of the poem is written in free verse. "My Captain" was first published in The Saturday Press on November 4, 1865. Around the same time, it was included in Whitman's book, Sequel to Drum-Taps —publication in The Saturday Press was considered a " teaser " for the book. Although Sequel to Drum-Taps was first published in early October 1865, the copies were not ready for distribution until December. The first publication of the poem had different punctuation than Whitman intended, and he corrected before its next publication. It was also included in the 1867 edition of Leaves of Grass. Whitman revised the poem several times during his life, including in his 1871 collection Passage to India. Its final republication by Whitman was in the 1881 edition of Leaves of Grass.

When did Whitman's poem "My Captain" disappear?

In an analysis of poetry anthologies, Joseph Csicsila found that, although "My Captain" had been Whitman's most frequently published poem, shortly after the end of World War II it "all but disappeared" from American anthologies, and had "virtually disappeared" after 1966.

Who is John Keating?

John Keating (played by Robin Williams ), an English teacher at the Welton Academy boarding school, introduces his students to the poem in their first class. Keating is later fired from the school. As Keating returns to collect his belongings, the students stand on their desks and address Keating as "O Captain!

Who read Whitman's leaves of grass?

There is an account of Lincoln reading Whitman's Leaves of Grass poetry collection in his office, and another of the President saying "Well, he looks like a man!". upon seeing Whitman in Washington, D.C., but these accounts are probably fictitious.

Overview

Background

Walt Whitman established his reputation as a poet in the late 1850s to early 1860s with the 1855 release of Leaves of Grass. Whitman intended to write a distinctly American epic and developed a free verse style inspired by the cadences of the King James Bible. The brief volume, first released in 1855, was considered controversial by some, with critics particularly objecting to Whitman's blunt depictions of sexuality and the poem's "homoerotic overtones". Whitman's work received signific…

Text

O Captain! My Captain! our fearful trip is done; The ship has weather'd every rack, the prize we sought is won; The port is near, the bells I hear, the people all exulting, While follow eyes the steady keel, the vessel grim and daring: But O heart! heart! heart! O the bleeding drops of red, Where on the deck my Captain lies, Fallen cold and dead. O Captain! My Captain! rise up and hear the bells; Ri…

O Captain! My Captain! our fearful trip is done; The ship has weather'd every rack, the prize we sought is won; The port is near, the bells I hear, the people all exulting, While follow eyes the steady keel, the vessel grim and daring: But O heart! heart! heart! O the bleeding drops of red, Where on the deck my Captain lies, Fallen cold and dead. O Captain! My Captain! rise up and hear the bells; Ri…

Publication history

Literary critic Helen Vendler thinks it likely that Whitman wrote the poem before "When Lilacs Last in the Dooryard Bloom'd", considering it a direct response to "Hush'd Be the Camps To-Day". An early draft of the poem is written in free verse. "My Captain" was first published in The Saturday Press on November 4, 1865. Around the same time, it was included in Whitman's book, Sequel to Dru…

Style

The poem rhymes using an AABBCDED rhyme scheme, and is designed for recitation. It is written in nine quatrains, organized in three stanzas. Each stanza has two quatrains of four seven-beat lines, followed by a four-line refrain, which changes slightly from stanza to stanza, in a tetrameter/trimeter ballad beat. Historian Daniel Mark Epstein wrote in 2004 that he considers the structure of the poem to be "uncharacteristically mechanical, formulaic". He goes on to describe the poem a…

Reception

The poem was Whitman's most popular during his lifetime, and the only one to be anthologized before his death. The historian Michael C. Cohen noted that "My Captain" was "carried beyond the limited circulation of Leaves of Grass and into the popular heart"; its popularity remade "history in the form of a ballad". Initial reception to the poem was very positive. In early 1866, a reviewer in the Boston Commonwealth wrote that the poem was the most moving dirge for Lincoln ever writt…

Themes

Academic Stefan Schöberlein writes that—with the exception of Vendler—the poem's sentimentality has resulted in it being mostly "ignored in English speaking academia". Vendler writes that the poem utilizes elements of war journalism, such as "the bleeding drops of red" and "fallen cold and dead". The poem has imagery relating to the sea throughout. Genoways considers the be…

In popular culture

The poem, which never mentions Lincoln by name, has frequently been invoked following the deaths of a head of state. After Franklin D. Roosevelt died in 1945, actor Charles Laughton read "O Captain! My Captain!" during a memorial radio broadcast. When John F. Kennedy was assassinated on November 22, 1963, "O Captain! My Captain!" was played on many radio stations, extending the 'ship of state' metaphor to Kennedy. Following the 1995 assassination of Israeli Prime Minister Yit…

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