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theme of o captain my captain

by Major Terry Published 3 years ago Updated 3 years ago

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.

Full Answer

What is the tone of O Captain my Captain?

There are three types of Verse – Rhymed, Blank & Free:

  • Rhymed Verse – the most common and it usually has a metrical form that rhymes throughout.
  • Blank Verse – is described to have a metrical form but no rhyme.
  • Free Verse – is described to have no set meter but may or may not be rhymed.

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 ...

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. ...

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 is the theme of the poem O Captain My Captain?

What is the main theme of the poem "O Captain My Captain?" Whitman's "O Captain! My Captain!" focuses on the expression of grief. The poetic speaker tells of a ship's captain who has died and the pain of that loss.

What does O Captain My Captain symbolize?

The ship's anchor in “O Captain! My Captain!” is a symbol for the end of Civil War and Lincoln's death. While the voyage symbolizes the Civil War, it may also symbolize Lincoln's life. When the speaker says that the anchored ship is safe and sound, Whitman refers to the country being out of war and in a state of peace.

What is the theme of O Me O life?

Major Themes in “O Me! O Life!”: Existence, expectations versus reality, and struggle are the major themes of this poem. The poem revolves around one question that hinders the bliss of the speaker's life. The poet questions the existence and futility of life.

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 does the ship symbolize?

Through time, ships have been regarded variously asfeminine symbols of fertility, as symbols of faith, of peace, of discovery, of disaster, of power, of fools, of life, of death and of the afterlife.

Why is the death of the captain ironic?

The Captain death is, however, ironic because although the masses don't feel the personal loss that the speaker over the captain's death. In return, the crowd, which represents the American population is at the show to cheer the ships return.

What does Whitman think is the meaning of life?

Whitman Confirms The purpose of life is to sing There are so many recurring entities -people. Most of them are faithless and foolish. Of them, the most faithless and foolish is singer himself, Whitman himself. All of them have so many questions that arise from life.

What is the tone of the poem O Me O life?

He laments the futility of life in the era of industrialization, of “trains of faithless, of cities filled with foolish” (2). He examines himself in a self-deprecating tone, labeling himself “foolish” and “faithless” to believe he influences the world around him.

What will your verse be meaning?

You've read this poem & heard bits of it in Dead Poet's Society and iPad commercials. It asks deep questions we all ask when we're not feeling worthy, and it provides a profound answer: That you are here, and that you get to contribute a “verse” to this powerful play we call life.

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

Tone/Attitude 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 elegy write a note on the poem O Captain My Captain explaining why it has been described as an elegy?

An elegy is a poem of mourning. Most elegies are about someone who has died. ... 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 end of the Civil War.

What does the phrase fearful trip represent?

The "fearful trip" is the Civil War. The "ship" is the United States, and the "prize" is the preservation of the Union. The "port" is the peace that will follow the war. Examine lines 3-13.

Extended Metaphor

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Alliteration

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Epistrophe

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Apostrophe

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Caesura

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Anaphora

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End-Stopped Line

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What is the third stanza of the poem "My Captain does not answer, his lips are pale and still

The third stanza is about reckoning with the reality of Lincoln's demise: "My Captain does not answer, his lips are pale and still, / My father does not feel my arm, he has no pulse nor will....". Notice here that Lincoln is not only the nation's leader, or "Captain," but also a paternal figure, guiding the nation morally.

What is the theme of the song "Song of Myself"?

The overarching theme is the death of Abraham Lincoln. His death heralded not only the end of the Civil War (Whitman's original motivation for writing " Song of Myself " was, according to Whitman scholar Ed Folsom, an attempt to use poetry to keep the nation together) but also the end of a great presidency.

What is the theme of the poem "Share Link"?

Share Link. The primary theme is masculine love ; the speaker loves his captain as his own father. Other themes are duty, honor and the personal sacrifice and individual cost of war, only seen by the speaker, due to his personal connection with the captain. As the others in the poem are rejoicing in victory, only the speaker is mourning in spite ...

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.

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.''

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 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 ...

What is the mood of the poem after Lincoln's death?

After his death, the nation is fatherless. In this agony, the poet writes the verses. However, the mood of the poem is not gloomy. Even if they have lost Lincoln, the dream Lincoln has seen is not lost.

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