What does the poem O Captain my Captain mean?
by Walt Whitman
- Summary. My Captain!’ by Walt Whitman is a heart-touching elegy on the death of the American President Abraham Lincoln.
- O Captain! My Captain! ...
- Literary Devices. Most of Walt Whitman’s poems use repetition and rhythm for rendering a spellbinding poetic beauty. ...
- Themes. ...
What is the main idea in Oh Captain my Captain?
My Captain!”
- Metaphor: There are three extended metaphors in the poem. ...
- Personification: Whitman has used personification to give human qualities to lifeless objects. ...
- Imagery: Imagery appeals to the five senses of the readers. ...
- Apostrophe: An apostrophe is a device used to call somebody or something from afar. ...
What is the poem Oh Captain my Captain about?
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. The speaker, a sailor, reports to his captain that the ship has completed its journey. They have returned from a successful voyage. The crowd is celebrating on the shore to welcome home the captain.
What makes O Captain Your Captain an elegy?
An elegy is a poem of mourning. Most elegies are about someone who has died. Some elegies mourn a way of life that is gone forever. “O Captain! My Captain!” mourns the tragic death of President Abraham Lincoln. The poem was written in honor of President Lincoln following his assassination, and it also has celebratory passages that mark the ...
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What is the meaning of the poem O Captain My Captain?
Walt Whitman's poem "O Captain! My Captain!" uses the metaphor of a ship's captain who has died to represent the death of President Abraham Lincoln at the end of the U.S. Civil War. Mourning the death of the captain is a way of expressing grief over the traumatic loss of the president.
What kind of poem is O Captain My Captain?
elegy“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.
What is the tone of this poem?
The tone of a poem is the attitude you feel in it — the writer's attitude toward the subject or audience. The tone in a poem of praise is approval.
What is most closely a theme of the poem O Captain My Captain?
Victory and Loss. Even as the poem “O Captain! My Captain!” celebrates the end of the American Civil War, it is also an elegy for President Abraham Lincoln. Victory and loss are thus closely intertwined throughout the poem.
What does "o Captain my captain" mean?
Here, the “ship” is a symbol of the civil war fought for liberating the slaves. According to the poet, the ship is sailing nearer to the shore, meaning the war is about to end.
Who wrote "My Captain"?
My Captain!’ was authored by famous American poet Walt Whitman. It alluded to President Abraham Lincoln’s death in 1865. The poem was a part of his controversially famous collection of poems “Leaves of Grass”. The poetic collection continuously was revised to add new poetic pieces from Walt Whitman as a result.
What literary device does Walt Whitman use?
Literary Devices. Most of Walt Whitman’s poems use repetition and rhythm for rendering a spellbinding poetic beauty. He uses anaphora constantly as several verses begin with the same word/ phrase. For instance ‘When I Heard the Learn’d Astronomers’ uses ‘when’ 4 times to render a lyrical sound.
What did Walt Whitman do to become the voice of the nation?
Speaking in the language of ordinary men, Walt Whitman aspired to become the voice of the nation, speaking on the behest of the American population at the time . As a result, he has recorded the events, moods, and spirit of the time magnificently. Explore O Captain! My Captain! 1 Summary. 2 O Captain!
What themes does Whitman use in his poem?
He may use inanimate objects for that end. Apart from that, Whitman uses the themes of victory, lamentation, grief, sadness, and loss in his poem, ‘O Captain! My Captain!’. Though this poem concerns the theme of victory, it contains a sad note on the death of Lincoln.
What meter does the poet use in the poem?
Thereafter, the poet mostly uses the iambic meter in this poem. For instance, the first line is in iambic hexameter. The following two lines are in iambic heptameter. While the second quatrain does not follow a specific metrical scheme.
What is Walt Whitman's masterpiece?
Walt Whitman’s masterpiece, ‘O Captain! My Captain!’ moves with a sheer melancholic tone throughout its entirety. He was the new-age poet, poised with breaking away from the shackles of established poetic practices and forming new ones just as America is created for a different purpose, tearing away from the yoke of colonialism ...
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.''
Origins of 'O Captain! My Captain!'
It was supposed to be a time of celebration. A nice April breeze was blowing through the states. The Civil War had just ended after General Lee surrendered at the Appomattox courthouse in Virginia. The North had won, and slavery was on course to being abolished.
Extended Metaphor
In his elegy, Whitman uses the extended metaphor, or the consistent use of a figurative idea to portray a literary reality throughout a work of art, of Lincoln as a ship's captain to portray Lincoln as the nation's leader.
Who wrote "Walk the deck my Captain lies, Fallen cold and dead"?
Summary of “O Captain! My Captain!”. Popularity: “O Captain! My Captain!” a renowned poem written by Walt Whitman, was one of the 18 poems written with the background of the Civil War in America . It was first published in 1865 in a pamphlet named Sequel to Drum-Taps.
Why did Whitman use figurative language in the poem?
Whitman used very strong figurative language throughout the poem to express his respect and to mourn the loss of Abraham Lincoln. The expression of mourning and grief mark the center of the poem. However, what stays in the mind of the readers is the speaker ’s passionate expression of his love for his dead captain.
What is the repetition of consonant sounds in the same lines of the poetry?
Alliteration: Alliteration is the repetition of the same consonant sounds in the same lines of the poetry such as the use of /f/ in “flag is flung” and the sound of /s/ in “safe and sound.”. Consonance: Consonance is the repetition of consonant sounds such as /g/ sound in “flag is flung.”.
How many stanzas are there in a poem?
The analysis of some of the poetic devices is given below. Stanza: A stanza is a poetic form of some lines. In this poem, there are three stanzas with each stanza having eight verses.
What is the visual imagery of Whitman?
The poet has used visual imagery such as, “cold and dead”, “Lips are pale and still”, bleeding drops of red” and “mournful tread.”. Whitman’s choice of powerful words has made the reader visualize the death of the captain.
Who is the captain in the poem?
On a figurative level, the opening lines introduce the metaphorical comparisons in the poem: The Captain is Abraham Lincoln.
What does the last use of "my captain" mean?
This tragedy will overshadow the greater victory. The last use of "my" Captain shows the speaker forgoing the celebration to continue mourning. He's not ready to live on his own, even though soon, he will have to.
Why does the speaker implores his Captain to get up?
The speaker implores his Captain to get up because everything's for him. The bells, the music, the flowers, the wreaths and the flag are all for him. The gathered crowd is there to celebrate the Captain, and they can't wait to see him. The speaker shows denial by asking someone he knows is dead to "rise up".
What does the crewman call his father?
The crewman now refers to his Captain as "dear father", showing he viewed him as much more than a commanding officer. His denial continues as he says the Captain's death must be a dream. As a metaphor, Lincoln is being called a "father"—he was more than a leader as well, as America looked to him as a father-figure.
When was My Captain by Walt Whitman published?
My Captain!". by Walt Whitman was published in November 1865, about seven months after the assassination of Abraham Lincoln. This is significant, as we'll get into later. It was an immediate success with the public, and many students had to memorize it. Contributing to this is the poem's basic structure—couplets with a standard meter and end-rhymes.
Did the speaker say "my father" or "my captain"?
The fact remains that the Civil War was successfully fought. Again, the speaker says "my" Captain and adds "my" father. There's no doubt the speaker has lost much more than a commanding officer. The Captain has seen him through a difficult trip; his judgment has saved the speaker and the rest of the crew.
Who was Walt Whitman's captain?
Abraham Lincoln was a man Walt Whitman deeply admired and is the captain to whom Whitman refers. David Reynolds of History Now - American History Online discusses the relationship between the master poet and the fearless leader. He asserts that Whitman looked for a “Redeemer President of These States,” who would come out of the real West, ...
What is an apostrophe in a poem?
Apostrophe - an apostrophe is a form of personification in which an individual addresses someone who is dead, someone who is not there, or an inanimate object. “O Captain! My Captain!” at the start of the first two stanzas are examples of apostrophe, as is “Exult O shores, and ring O bells!” in the third stanza.
What is the fearful trip in the poem?
The fearful trip is the Civil War. The ship is the United States. The prize is the preservation of the union. The repetition of “heart” in line 5 emphasizes the poet’s grief at the death of his captain. “Fallen cold and dead” is repeated at the end of each stanza to emphasize the poet’s deep loss.
What does the shortened lines mean in the poem?
The shortened lines emphasize the personal grief experienced by the poet against the backdrop of a broader victory. The poem’s rhythm is created by the varying line lengths. Extended Metaphor - The captain is Abraham Lincoln. The fearful trip is the Civil War. The ship is the United States.
What is the progression of Stanza?
Note the progression: Stanza 1 begins with two happy couplets; Stanza 2 begins with two celebrating couplets, but something isn’t quite right as demonstrated by the off rhyme of “bells” and “trills.”. Stanza 3 re-establishes the rhyming couplet pattern, but the message is as clear as the rhyme: the captain is dead.
How many lines are in O Captain My Captain?
Whitman employs an unconventional verse form in “O Captain! My Captain!”. Each of the three eight-line stanzas contains four long lines and four short lines. The long lines follow a slanting AABB rhyme scheme and consist of pentameter, hexameter, and, most commonly, heptameter.
What is the difference between the long lines and the short lines in the poem?
The long, expansive lines describe the grand scenes of victorious return, whereas the short lines—with their quickened pace and heightened intensity—register the tragic death of the captain.
What is the tone of the poem "The Triumph of Grief"?
The tone of the poem is that of triumph stained with grief. Whitman uses a variety of techniques to convey this dual tone. The repetition of words such as “O” and “heart!” creates an emphasis that can express either victory or grief.
What is the word used to describe Lincoln?
One of Whitman’s most notable choices in diction, or word choice, is “father,” a word he uses to describe Lincoln in the second and third stanzas. To refer to a American political leader as a figurative “father” is a convention that dates back to the “founding fathers” of the American Revolution.
What is the meaning of "O Captain My Captain"?
In its tone, conceit, and structure, “O Captain! My Captain!” reflects the mixed mood of the Northern United States in the aftermath of the Civil War. On April 9, 1865, Robert E. Lee surrendered to Ulysses S. Grant, an event considered the Confederacy’s most significant gesture of defeat.
Who killed Lincoln in the Civil War?
After four long years of fighting, the Union had finally prevailed. Just five days after the surrender, Abraham Lincoln was killed by John Wilkes Booth in the capital. Lincoln’s death cut through the Union’s post-victory elation like a cold draught of wind. In Whitman’s "O Captain!
What is the only Walt Whitman poem that has a regular meter and rhyme scheme?
My Captain!". is the only Walt Whitman poem that has a regular meter and rhyme scheme. Often hailed as "the father of free verse," Whitman tended to write his poems without following any kind of ordered poetic form. However, "O Captain! My Captain!". is organized into three eight-line stanzas, each with an AABBCDED rhyme scheme.
What is the poem "The Ship Has Reached Its Home Port" about?
In the first stanza, the speaker expresses his relief that the ship has reached its home port at last and describes hearing people cheering.
What does the poem "Prize won" mean?
The Captain represents the assassinated president; the ship represents the war-weathered nation following the Civil War; the "prize won" represents the salvaged union.
What does the speaker say about the dead body of the Captain?
In the second stanza, the speaker implores the Captain to "rise up and hear the bells," wishing the dead man could witness the elation.
Summary of “O Captain! My Captain!”
- Popularity: “O Captain! My Captain!” a renowned poem written by Walt Whitman, was one of the 18 poems written with the background of the Civil War in America. It was first published in 1865 in a pamphlet namedSequel to Drum-Taps.This poem, having historical value, was written as a tribute to Abraham Lincoln, the American President, whom Whitman used to admire. Since then, it has …
Analysis of The Literary Devices in “O Captain! My Captain!”
- literary devices serve as a tool to project hidden meanings in the text. With the help of literary devices, the authors equip their simple texts with powerful impacts on their readers. Whitman, too, has enriched this poem, using following literary devices. 1. Metaphor: There are three extended metaphors in the poem. The first extended metaphor is “Captain,” used in the first line that runs t…
Analysis of Poetic Devices in “O Captain My Captain”
- Although most of the poetic devices share the same qualities with literary devices, there are some which can only be used in the poetry. The analysis of some of the poetic devices is given below. 1. Stanza: A stanza is a poetic form of some lines. In this poem, there are three stanzas with each stanza having eight verses. 2. Double Quatrain: Quatra...
Quotations For Usage from “O Captain! My Captain!”
- These lines can be used to celebrate the victory to congratulate a captain, leader, or group leader to pay tributes for his leadership qualities.