'O Captain! My Captain!' Poem in English by Walt Whitman | Summary | Question-Answers.
Abraham Lincoln was the sixteenth President of the United States of America and is regarded as one of America's greatest heroes due to his role in the suspension of slavery. He was assassinated in 1865 after the civil war. The poem, 'O Captain, My Captain', is an elegy (a sad poem, written to praise and express sorrow for someone who is dead), written to commemorate the death of the President of the United States.
# THIS PAGE INCLUDES :
# Poem :
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Let us read a poem written in honour of Abraham Lincoln.
The ship has
The port is near, the bells I hear, the people all
While follow eyes the steady
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;
Rise up-for you the flag is flung-for you the
For you bouquets and ribbon'd wreaths-for you the shores a-crowding,
For you they call, the swaying mass, their eager faces turning;
Here Captain! dear father!
This arm beneath your head!
It is some dream that on the deck,
You've fallen cold and dead.
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 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 O bells!
But I with mournful tread,
Walk the deck my Captain lies,
Fallen cold and dead.,
Walt Whitman (1819-1892) was one of the most influential American poet, journalist, and essayist whose verse collection Leaves of Grass, first published in 1855, is considered a landmark in the history of American literature. Whitman's final book, Good-Bye, My Fancy, was published the year before his death.
# Summary :
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O captain, My Captain! We have completed our difficult journey. The ship has survived every storm, and we’ve won the prize we've been fighting for. I can hear the bells ringing and people celebrating near the port. All their eyes are on the steady ship, that fearless and courageous vessel. But oh, my heart! my heart! my heart!, look at the drops of blood on the deck where my captain is lying cold and dead.
O captain, My Captain! Get up and listen to the bells. People are playing the bugle and waving the flags. For you they are crowding the shore, bringing bouquets and ribboned wreaths. The swaying crowd is calling for you and their eager faces are turning towards you. Here Captain, dear Father! Let me place my arm beneath your head. I must be dreaming that, you're lying cold and dead on the deck.
My Captain is not answering me. His lips are pale and lifeless. My father does not feel my arm beneath his head, Since he has no pulse and consciousness. The ship has anchored safely, and its journey is over. The victorious ship has returned from the difficult journey with the prize we've been fighting for. Let the crowd celebrate and ring the bells, While I slowly and sadly walk across the deck where My Captain is lying cold and dead.
# Theme :
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The poem comprises the sentiments of the speaker at the demise of his captain. The speaker admires his captain for the victory that they have won together. The major theme that runs throughout the poem is the sorrow of the death of Abraham lincoln at the end of the civil war which deprived the United states. Each stanza gives us a clue about the war. Altough the fearful trip ends, the bells ring, people celebrated but the captain is no longer able to enjoy the victory.
# Poetic Devices :
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⁕ Metaphor : The poetic device which is used through out the poem is Metaphor where the ship represents the country United states and the captain symbolizes th president Abraham Lincoln.
⁕ Repetition : The repetition of the phrases like 'O captain, My Captain!' and 'Fallen cold and dead' are used to create the required musical quality in the poem.
# Word-Meanings :
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⁕ Weather'd : Changed in colour or shape because of the effect of the sun, rain or wind.
⁕ Exulting : Excited and happy.
⁕ Keel : A long piece of wood along the bottom of a ship, which supports the frame.
⁕ Grim : Serious.
⁕ Bugle : A musical instrument like a small trumpet, used in the army for giving signals.
⁕ Trills : To make short, high sounds repeatedly.
# Question-Answers :
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⇒ Answer these questions.
Q1. Who is honoured by the speaker in the poem 'O Captain! My Captain!'?
Answer. Abraham Lincoln, the 16th president of the United State is honoured by the speaker in the poem 'O Captain! My Captain!'. He is honoured for successfully leading the country through the American civil war and saving the union.
Q2. Why are the people exulting?
Answer. The people are exulting the return of the victorious ship, which stands for the union's triumph in the civil war. They are thrilled that the horror of the war has ended and slavery may now be abolished.
Q3. What kind of preparation has been made to welcome the captain?
Answer. The people gathered along the shore, ringing bells, waving flags, playing bugles, bringing flower bouquets and ribbon'd wreaths to welcome the captain.
Q4. Which country is represented as a ship in the poem? What figure of speech is it?
Answer. The United States of America is represented as a ship in the poem. The figure of speech is metaphor where the ship represents the country (USA) and the Captain symbolizes the President (Abraham Lincoln).
Q5. Why is the captain not responding to the speaker?
Answer. The captain is not responding to the speaker because he had fallen dead on the deck of the ship.
Q6. Why do you think some phrases are repeated throughout the poem?
Answer. The repetetion of the phrases like 'O Captain, My Captain!' and 'Fallen cold and dead' emphazises the emotional grief and highlight the tragic loss.
⇒ Answer these questions with reference to the context.
But O heart! heart! heart!
O the bleeding drops of red,
Where on the deck my Captain lies,
Fallen cold and dead.
a. What does the phrase 'bleeding drops of red' mean?
Answer. The phrase 'bleeding drops of red' symbolizes the blood that is flowing out from the wounds on captain's body, which expresses the emotional pain and physical sign of death.
b. Who is lying on the deck?
Answer. The captain of the ship, Abraham Lincoln is found lying motionless on the deck, indicating he is dead.
c. Comment on the tone of the speaker.
Answer. The tone of the speaker is full of emotional grief and sorrow. Thus, the overall tone in elegiac.
The ship is anchor'd safe and sound, its voyage closed and done,
From fearful trip the victor ship comes in with object won;
a. How is the ship described?
Answer. The ship is described as victorious which means it has completed its mission successfully despite of all the challenges.
b. What does the phrase 'voyage closed and doneΚΌ mean?
Answer. The phrase 'voyage closed and doneΚΌ refers to the end of the diffucult journey which is the civil war in the United State.
c. Why does the speaker call the trip fearful?
Answer. The speaker called the trip fearful because it was full of dangers like - the civil war which involves violence, bloodshed and loss of lives.
⇒ Think and Answer.
Q1. What is the mood of the poem? Is it different or same in every stanza? Provide contextual examples as evidence from the text to support your analysis.
Answer. The mood of the poem is elegiac. It is different in every stanza like -
⁕ Stanza I : It starts with 'fearful trip is done' and 'the prize we sought is won' which shows relief and celebration as the war is finally ends.
⁕ Stanza II : It shows both happiness and sorrow as people are ringing the bells and waving the flags to show their triumph but the captain is no longer able to enjoy the victory.
⁕ Stanza III : This stanza is full of emotional grief as the captain is lying motionless on the deck which shows that he is dead.
Q2. Why did the poet use symbols like a boat, captain, sea-voyage in the poem? Discuss how these symbols elaborate the melancholic tone of the poem.
Answer. The poet Walt Whitman uses the symbols like boat, captain and sea-voyage to add depth in the poem. Each represents emotional resonance and historical context.
⁕ The Boat : Here, the boat/ship symbolizes the country United States of America which survives difficulties through the civil war and won the prize that they were expecting, which was to abolish slavery.
⁕ The Captain : Here, the captain refers to the president Abraham Lincoln who lead the country through civil war and triumph the battle with great success but unfortunately he was no longer able to enjoy the victory.
⁕ The Sea-voyage : This refers to the civil war which was a long terrifying struggle for the country. The poet called it 'fearful trip' as it involves violence, bloodshed and loss of lives.
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