It alluded to President Abraham Lincolns death in 1865. It involves a writer addressing a dead or absent person, an inanimate object, or an idea. Poem Analysis, https://poemanalysis.com/walt-whitman/o-captain-my-captain/. LitCharts Teacher Editions. at Wikisource. Summary & Analysis. While follow eyes the steady keel, the vessel grim and daring; O Captain! Whitmans extolling the shores to exult is an example of personification, in which nonhuman things are given human-like characteristics or qualities. Whitman begins his poem with an apostrophe when he writes, 'O Captain! 3The port is near, the bells I hear, the people all exulting. [84][88] Luke Buckmaster, a film critic, wrote in The Guardian that "some people, maybe even most people, now associate Whitman's verse first and foremost with a movie rather than a poem". For you bouquets and ribbon'd wreathsfor you the shores a-crowding; My Captain!' This arm beneath your head! They have achieved their coveted goal. [46] Vendler concludes that Whitman's use of a simple style is him saying that "soldiers and sailors have a right to verse written for them". Such kind of repetition of consonant sounds is called Consonance. Poetry and the Mediation of Value: Whitman on Lincoln All Rights Reserved. The poem reflects the following extended metaphors The Ship is the United States, the Captain is Abraham Lincoln, the President of the United States. Have a specific question about this poem? literary devices serve as a tool to project hidden meanings in the text. Dear father! My Captain! is a call by the speaker to the Captain of the ship who is on the deck, probably out of sight of the speaker or far away from him. O Captain! In the first stanza, you would have observed the phrase O Captain! "O Captain! Well received upon publication, the poem was Whitman's first to be anthologized and the most popular during his lifetime. [23] An early draft of the poem is written in free verse. The poet's impassioned cry to the noble, dead captain is an example of that appeal to emotion. My Captain!, the speaker shouts with sheer excitement to the ships captain about making it home safe and sound. Even though the server responded OK, it is possible the submission was not processed. dear father!This arm beneath your head!It is some dream that on the deck,Youve fallen cold and dead. My Captain!" My Captain! as a printable PDF. In conclusion, this shows that the two authors use unique means to get their messages 518 Words 3 Pages Decent Essays Read More My Captain!". The captain is a metaphor for Abraham Lincoln, president of the United States from 1861-1865. Got it. [47] William Pannapacker, a literature professor, similarly described the poem in 2004 as a "calculated critical and commercial success". Latest answer posted September 26, 2020 at 11:02:43 AM. Walt Whitman's famous "O Captain! Figurative language is an umbrella term to describe many different techniques that bring flavor and life to writing. Owl Eyes is an improved reading and annotating experience for classrooms, book clubs, and literature lovers. In the excerpt, the lines "O Captain! O Captain! For you they call, the swaying mass, their eager faces turning; My Captain does not answer, his lips are pale and still. The ship has weatherd every rack, the prize we sought is won. Moreover, the fallen ships captain is a reference to Abraham Lincoln, whereas the ship is also an allusion to the United States of America during its early years of independence. The poem pays tribute to the leader, calling him a captain which is also the main idea of the poem. Fallen cold and dead. The ship has weatherd every rack, the prize we sought is won, [33] The literary critic F. O. Matthiessen criticized the poem, writing in 1941 that its early popularity was an "ample and ironic comment" on how Whitman's more authentic poetry could not reach a wide audience. "Fallen cold and dead." The entire text of 'O Captain! The analysis of some of the poetic devices is given below. Every single person that visits Poem Analysis has helped contribute, so thank you for your support. [69] Poet Robert Pinsky told the New York Times News Service in 2009 that he considered the poem "not very good",[70] and a year later another poet, C. K. Williams, concluded that the poem was a "truly awful piece of near doggerel triteness" that deserved derisive criticism. 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. Select any word below to get its definition in the context of the poem. My Captain! Apostrophe is a kind of personification in which a person calls out to something or someone who isn't there or can't answer you back. Here in the poem, Whitman has made a stark contrast between the cheerfulness and mourning in the last stanza when the speaker says exult O shores but I with mournful tread. The poet creates contrast by transposing the images of the joyous crowd beside the lifeless body of the captain. See in text(Text of the Poem). O the bleeding drops of red, Where on the deck my Captain lies, Fallen cold and dead. 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. In conclusion, this shows that the two authors use unique means to get their messages 518 Words 3 Pages Decent Essays Read More I Hear America Singing Personification: Whitman has used personification to give human qualities to lifeless objects. rise up and hear the bells; My Captain! If we define a figure of speech as figurative language, the poem includes metaphor and personification. Actually, the poet wants to mourn the death of Lincoln, who, after achieving great victory in the Civil War, breathed his last in an assassination attempt. By beginning the poem in this manner, it becomes an ode or a tribute to one who has fallen. This stanza contributes to the main idea of the poem, which is the celebration after the victory in the Civil War and the appreciation of Abraham Lincoln for his role in it. A.personification B.simile C.apostrophe D.repetition See answers Advertisement Advertisement . In this case, the poem's speaker addresses his captain, who is dead, and obviously cannot hear. heart! For audio recordings of the poem, check out the free downloadable selection from LibriVox. Central Message: Lincoln's leadership was critical. 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! Two Worlds of Mourning: Walt Whitman and Abraham Lincolns Death The act of talking to the dead is known as an apostrophe. With the help of literary devices, the authors equip their simple texts with powerful impacts on their readers. He has also personified shores in line 21 where it is stated, "Exult, O Shores!" As a result, he has recorded the events, moods, and spirit of the time magnificently. "[32] Whitman responded to the article on September 11, 1888, saying: "Damn My Captain[] I'm almost sorry I ever wrote the poem," though he admitted that it "had certain emotional immediate reasons for being". Jaded and exhausted after a tiresome journey, the mission has been a roaring success. It is famously featured in Dead Poets Society (1989) and is frequently associated with the star of that film, Robin Williams. ^O APTAIN! My Captain! Whitman uses it to great effect in this poem. My Captain!" This is the major figure of speech that it is important that you analyse when discussing this excellent poem. Saddened by the results of the American civil war, Walt Whitman wrote the elegy, O Captain! The first line of the poem is an example of diacope, or the repetition of a word with intervening words in between. [39], The poem, which never mentions Lincoln by name, has frequently been invoked following the deaths of a head of state. (9) Oh captain! Walt Whitman established his reputation as a poet in the late 1850s to early 1860s with the 1855 release of Leaves of Grass. My Captain does not answer, his lips are pale and still,My father does not feel my arm, he has no pulse nor will,The ship is anchord safe and sound, its voyage closed and done,From fearful trip the victor ship comes in with object won;Exult O shores, and ring O bells!But I with mournful tread,Walk the deck my Captain lies,Fallen cold and dead. 12For you they call, the swaying mass, their eager faces turning; 13 Here Captain! All rights reserved. During the American Civil War, Whitman moved to Washington, D.C., where he worked for the government and volunteered at hospitals. Whitman emphasizes the importance of self in the majority of his poems, ranging from I Hear America Singing to others, he prizes the American populace to believe in themselves. [56] In 1892, The Atlantic wrote that "My Captain" was universally accepted as Whitman's "one great contribution to the world's literature",[45] and George Rice Carpenter, a scholar and biographer of Whitman, said in 1903 that the poem was possibly the best work of Civil War poetry, praising its imagery as "beautiful". Educators go through a rigorous application process, and every answer they submit is reviewed by our in-house editorial team. my Captain! my Captain! He or she has to understand the strengths and weaknesses of each player and accordingly decide when or which position they get to play. Make your lives extraordinary', "Robin Williams death: Jimmy Fallon fights tears, pays tribute with 'Oh Captain, My Captain', https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=O_Captain!_My_Captain!&oldid=1150374770, This page was last edited on 17 April 2023, at 20:28. Alas! My Captain! O Captain! My Captain! ), Difficulty Level 3 (Developing to Mastery), https://www.storyboardthat.com/lesson-plans/o-captain--my-captain--by-walt-whitman/extended-metaphor, This Storyboard That activity is part of the lesson plans for, *(This Will Start a 2-Week Free Trial - No Credit Card Needed), This Activity is Part of Many Teacher Guides. scene. Even if they have lost Lincoln, the dream Lincoln has seen is not lost. After his death, the nation is fatherless. "[16][17] He admired the president, writing in October 1863, "I love the President personally. Whitman Out Loud O Captain! my Captain! the speaker expresses a strong emotion that quickly shifts from triumphant to despairing. My Captain! refers to Abraham Lincoln as a captain of the ship. The crowd is getting restless, as anticipation rises to catch a glimpse of their ships captain. Get unlimited access to over 88,000 lessons. Stylistically, the poem is uncharacteristic of Whitman's poetry because of its rhyming, song-like flow, and simple "ship of state" metaphor. my Captain! With Lincoln's death, "the sins of America are absolved into a religio-sentimental, national family". [10] Whitman's poetry was informed by his wartime experience, maturing into reflections on death and youth, the brutality of war, and patriotism. heart! In each description box in the left column, write a line or a part of the poem. copyright 2003-2023 Study.com. What is the theme of Walt Whitman's poem I Hear America Singing? [5] Whitman's work received significant attention following praise for Leaves of Grass by American transcendentalist lecturer and essayist Ralph Waldo Emerson. Although most of the poetic devices share the same qualities as literary devices, there are some which can only be used in poetry. It has "won" its "object." More so, he even uses symbolical allusions to drive home a point. heart! The figures of speech used in. When the speaker says that the anchored. My Captain!" is an elegy written by Walt Whitman in 1865 to commemorate the death of President Abraham Lincoln. Apostrophe It was first published in 1865 in a pamphlet named Sequel to Drum-Taps. My Captain! Whitman, too, has enriched this poem, using following literary devices. [48] In 2003, the author Daniel Aaron wrote that "Death enshrined the Commoner [Lincoln], [and] Whitman placed himself and his work in the reflected limelight". The sailor looks at the fallen comrade and wishes this nightmare was just a dream. Again, the poet uses synecdoche to represent the entire American audience at large as the poem relates to the death of Abraham Lincoln. The vivid description paints a picture of the pale, unmoving captain in sharp contrast to the bright, red blood. Apostrophe Apostrophe is a special type of personification in which an object or someone who is not there is being spoken to. [11] Whitman's brother, Union Army soldier George Washington Whitman, was taken prisoner in Virginia in September 1864, and held for five months in Libby Prison, a Confederate prisoner-of-war camp near Richmond. The "Critical Overview" section is particularly comprehensive, including excerpts from the work of several prominent critics. Apostrophe can be seen in stanza 2, "O heart! "O Captain! However, "O Captain, My Captain" does not use personification in the poem. rise up and hear the bells;Rise upfor you the flag is flungfor you the bugle trills,For you bouquets and ribbond wreathsfor you the shores a-crowding,For you they call, the swaying mass, their eager faces turning;Here Captain! Metaphor is a figurative language that implies comparison between seemingly unlike things. It gathers to a greatness, like the ooze of oil Crushed, "Sooo much more helpful thanSparkNotes. It is some dream that on the deck, It is some dream that on the deck, This line contains alliteration, or the repetition of consonant sounds, in the words flag and flung. In this case, alliteration both enhances the images of celebrationwhich Whitman contrasts with images of the captain who has fallen cold and deadand reinforces the poems steady rhythm. "My Captain", "The Singer in the Prison" (1869), and "Ethiopia Saluting the Colors" (1871) are considered Whitman's most 'conventional' works. " O Captain! [2][3] The brief volume, first released in 1855, was considered controversial by some,[4] with critics particularly objecting to Whitman's blunt depictions of sexuality and the poem's "homoerotic overtones". Critical Analysis of Walt Whitmans O Captain! The ship is anchord safe and sound, its voyage closed and done, 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. While the voyage symbolizes the Civil War, it may also symbolize Lincoln's life. Refine any search. The poem is an ode to the president written after his assassination. Significantly, Whitman always capitalizes this word, indicating that it refers to a specific captain and one who is highly respected. Walt Whitman's most famous poem, O Captain! This website helped me pass! While the second quatrain does not follow a specific metrical scheme. Note how this extended metaphor is presented, and how it brings out the irony of the situation: The ship is anchored safe and sound, its voyage closed and done;From fearful trip, the victor ship, comes in with object won; America is now "safe and sound" and firmly "anchored" in harbour, having achieved its goal of unity. From fearful trip the victor ship comes in with object won; Here, the "ship" is a symbol of the civil war fought for liberating the slaves. 6 O the bleeding drops of red. [15][30] Whitman revised the poem several times during his life,[31] including in his 1871 collection Passage to India. My Captain! We also have the stark image of the fallen captain on the deck. Its final republication by Whitman was in the 1881 edition of Leaves of Grass. These elements likely contributed to the poem's initial positive reception and popularity, with many celebrating it as one of the greatest American works of poetry. O Captain! O Captain! An extensive introduction to the poem and its context. Create your account. rise up and hear the bells; 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". 23 Walk the deck my Captain lies. See in text(Text of the Poem). Rarely seen in its natural environment, the amphibrach is a measure of rhythm that is an unstressed syllable, followed by a stressed syllable, followed by another unstressed syllable. An extensive introduction to the poem and its context. This poem, having historical value, was written as a tribute to Abraham Lincoln, the American President whom Whitman admired. "[16][17] Whitman and Lincoln shared similar views on slavery and the Union, and similarities have been noted in their literary styles and inspirations. The first time was when Lincoln stopped in New York City in 1861 on his way to Washington. The ship is anchord safe and sound, its voyage closed and done. : "O Captain! My Captain! O Captain! 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Crowds gather to greet the ship, bells ring, wreaths and bouquets are offered, but even though the crowds call for the captain, he cannot hear them or share in their celebration, just as Lincoln was unable to greet the reunified nation he had steered through four years of war. Walt Whitman's 'O Captain! [28] The first publication of the poem had different punctuation than Whitman intended, and he corrected before its next publication. Our fearful trip is done, The ship has weatherd every rack, the prize we sought is won., Copyright 2023 Literary Devices. [13] While visiting Brooklyn, Whitman contracted to have his collection of Civil War poems, Drum-Taps, published. Commenting on his poetry, he said that the audience of his time appreciated poetry with form, rhyme, and meter, still unfamiliar to the free-verse concept. O Captain! The end of the Civil War was supposedly a moment of rejoicing for the American populace, instead, it became an event of mourning. Erin has taught college level English courses and has a master's degree in English. our fearful trip is done. [79] When John F. Kennedy was assassinated on November 22, 1963, "O Captain! [54] "My Captain" is considered uncharacteristic of Whitman's poetry,[55][48] and it was praised initially as a departure from his typical style. My Captain!. my Captain! The church bells are ringing and people act animatedly as the ship nigh the shore. Already a member? The victorious return of the ship without its captain is an extended metaphor, which unfolds throughout an entire text, for President Lincolns leading the Union to victory over the Confederacy and his assassination. My Captain! was authored by famous American poet Walt Whitman. When he lived, he guided the multitude with his fatherly guidance. You've fallen cold and dead. For instance When I Heard the Learnd Astronomers uses when 4 times to render a lyrical sound. But not all of the imagery is happy. In this apostrophe, the first call to the captain gets the attention of the reader, but the second call of "my captain" suggests a bond between the speaker and captain. The poem, "o captain my captain" by Walt Whitman re-imagines the assassination of Abraham Lincoln. For you they call, the swaying mass, their eager faces turning; The sailor implores the now dead captain to rise from the dead. ". dear father! The entire poem is an extended metaphor, or figurative language that implies comparison between seemingly unlike things, for the United States after the Civil War and Abraham Lincoln's assassination. [64] Author James O'Donnell Bennett echoed that, writing that the poem represented a perfect "threnody", or mourning poem. Exult, O shores, and ring, O bells! 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! My Captain!, is set in the American Civil War (1861- 65), the four-year struggle between two groups the Northern and the Southern States. Speaker - O Captain! This arm beneath your head;[b] The ship has weather'd every rack, the prize we sought is won; Whitman used very strong figurative language throughout the poem to express his respect and to mourn the loss of Abraham Lincoln. Anaphora is generally used for joyous chants and rendering celebratory feelings in a poems entirety. My Captain! ". My Captain! by Walt Whitman is a heart-touching elegy on the death of the American President Abraham Lincoln. The ship after enduring tough storms and impenetrable winds made it back on the dock. Our summaries and analyses are written by experts, and your questions are answered by real teachers. Using personification, Whitman's speaker walks with "mournful tread" because he cannot leave his beloved "captain." [84] John Keating (played by Robin Williams), an English teacher at the Welton Academy boarding school,[85] introduces his students to the poem in their first class. For you they call, the swaying mass, their eager faces turning; Here Captain! Using elements of popular poetry enabled Whitman to create a poem that he felt would be understood by the general public. The sailor feels uncomfortable as he needs to relay the bad news to the populace at large, as the victory celebrations come to a standstill eventually. This resource from the National Portrait Gallery dives in to the relationship between Walt Whitman and the subject of his elegy, President Abraham Lincoln. The poem was a part of his controversially famous collection of poems Leaves of Grass. Together with "When Lilacs Last in the Dooryard Bloom'd", "Hush'd Be the Camps To-day", and "This Dust was Once the Man", it is one of four poems written by Whitman about the death of Lincoln. He has personified the walk of the speaker as a "mournful tread" because he cannot live without his captain. [36], Academic Stefan Schberlein writes thatwith the exception of Vendlerthe poem's sentimentality has resulted in it being mostly "ignored in English speaking academia". My Captain! [59] In 1916, Henry B. Rankin,[60] a biographer of Lincoln,[61] wrote that "My Captain" became "the nation'saye, the world'sfuneral dirge of our First American". [23][40][41] Historian Daniel Mark Epstein wrote in 2004 that he considers the structure of the poem to be "uncharacteristically mechanical, formulaic". "What are the figures of speech in "O Captain! My Captain!" [28], Negative perspectives on the poem continued into the 21st century. My Captain! The soldiers fought long and hard for their side. Tiresias in Oedipus Rex: Character Analysis | Who is Tiresias? My Captain!". (6-8) My captain lies on the deck cold and dead. my Captain! My Captain! as an Elegy: This poem is written in the form of an elegy, meaning a funeral song. For you bouquets and ribbond wreathsfor you the shores a-crowding. He later included it in the collection Leaves of Grass and recited the poem at several lectures on Lincoln's death. Then, Lincoln is shot and dies. "O captain! In "O Captain My Captain" by Walt Whitman, the swaying mass refers to people. | 1 our fearful trip is done. "for you the flag is flung" Here, the ship is a symbol of the civil war fought for liberating the slaves. 1O Captain! Each stanza gives us a clue about the war. Latest answer posted January 18, 2016 at 8:46:43 PM, What is the tone, imagery, metaphor, simile, alliteration, hyperbole, and a prefix or suffix used in "I hear America singing?". My Captain!' Apostrophe is another facet of figurative language. Thereafter, he speaks from the heart. Walt Whitman, has a patriotic attitude towards this poem as he describes Abraham Lincoln and all that he did for America by using imagery to develop a scene similar to the reality. In 'O Captain My Captain', Walt Whitman uses extended metaphor to illustrate Abraham Lincoln's admirable qualities while in 'Annabel Lee', Edgar Allan Poe is straightforward when talking about Annabel Lee, who symbolizes his wife; Virginia Eliza Clemm Poe that passed away 7 years before he wrote the poem. O Captain! Further, in the phrase Exult O shores, ring O bells! the speaker addresses inanimate things/objects. [51] After Robin Williams' suicide in 2014, the hashtag "#ocaptainmycaptain" began trending on Twitter and fans paid tribute to Williams by recreating the "O Captain! Walt Whitman. My Captain! makes use of father and heart to mourn the death of assassinated Abraham Lincoln. Opines that deal-making is a skill that often is overlooked when discussing female empowerment. printed copy with corrections, "Walt Whitman "Live": Performing the Public Sphere", "Walt Whitman's Slips: Manufacturing Manuscript", "Poetry and the Mediation of Value: Whitman on Lincoln", "A Delicate Balance: Whitman's Stanzaic Poems", "Lincoln Biographer Dies; Henry B. Rankin, a student of War President, Lived to Be 90", "Odes to the chief: Poems on presidents rhapsodize, ridicule", "Los Angeles, 1960: John F. Kennedy and Whitman's Ship of Democracy", "Naomi Shemer, 74; Wrote Unofficial Israeli National Anthem", "Naomi Shemer, 74, Poet and Composer, Dies", "David Broza: Making the Music the Poem Wants", "Dead Poets Society: 30 years on Robin Williams' stirring call to 'seize the day' endures", "Robin Williams' best Dead Poets Society quotes: 'Carpe diem. At a moment when the entire nation has united, and peace is restored, the speaker mourns the loss of a father figure of the United States. Whitman intended to write a distinctly American epic and developed a free verse style inspired by the cadences of the King James Bible. 2The ship has weatherd every rack, the prize we sought is won. For Whitman, the praise was redundant by all means. On the other hand, Walt Whitman uses similar poetic devices like that of William Wordsworth and Dante Alighieri. In 'O Captain! The breakdown of emotions is surging from the sailor as the fallen comrade lies beside him, in all his glory but dead. My Captain! consists of 3 stanzas in totality having 2 quatrains in each. Whitman begins his poem with an apostrophe when he writes, 'O Captain! Walt Whitman is known as the father of free verse poetry. heart!" are a great example of repetition, more specifically it is an Epimone, which it's a type of repetition of a phrase or question aiming to emphasize or to dwell on a point. [15], Although they never met, Whitman saw Abraham Lincoln several times between 1861 and 1865, sometimes at close quarters. Major Themes: The poem comprises sentiments of the speaker at the demise of his captain. Juxtaposition is a literary device in which two things are placed alongside each other in order to highlight their differences. The valiant death of the captain shows the poet appreciating the role of the captain as well as mourning his death. The ship is anchor'd safe and sound, its voyage closed and done; I highly recommend you use this site! This website uses cookies to ensure you get the best experience. Very well, then I contradict myself, I am large, I contain multitudes"?I need to explain how it relates to The Toughest Indian in the World Latest answer posted April 06, 2021 at 3:43:57 PM. Rise up and hear the bells, rise up For you (three times), This arm beneath your head, It is a dream People/Port - the flag is flung, the bugle trills, bouquets and wreathes, the shores a-crowding, they call, the swaying mass, their eager faces turning The Journey - NONE The Ship - On the deck Learn more. The ship has weatherd every rack, the prize we sought is won. He is to respond to the public appreciation, pacify the public and respond to their sloganeering. My Captain does not answer, his lips are pale and still, Lincoln was like a captain because he was the leader of the country in the same way that a captain leads his crew. 2023 eNotes.com, Inc. All Rights Reserved, Walt Whitman Poetry: American Poets Analysis, Walt Whitman American Literature Analysis, https://literarydevices.net/figure-of-speech/.

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