![]() The poem does not establish a time, place, or subject matter instead, Whitman writes it in classic, almost romantic metaphorical diction. Whitman writes “O Captain! My Captain!” in vague, enduring terminology. “ O Captain! My Captain!” The Saturday Press, 4 Nov. The ship is anchor’d safe and sound, its voyage closed and done,įrom fearful trip the victor ship comes in with object won My father does not feel my arm, he has no pulse nor will, My Captain does not answer, his lips are pale and still, Rise up-for you the flag is flung-for you the bugle trills,įor you bouquets and ribbon’d wreaths-for you the shores a-crowding,įor you they call, the swaying mass, their eager faces turning O Captain! my Captain! rise up and hear the bells While follow eyes the steady keel, the vessel grim and daring ![]() The port is near, the bells I hear, the people all exulting, ![]() The ship has weather’d every rack, the prize we sought is won, O Captain! my Captain! our fearful trip is done, His influence on poetry after the 19th century is indisputable. He based his cadence on the rhythm of the Christian bible, and most of his poetry rejected traditional structures, form, rhyme, and subject matter. Critics credit Whitman with advancing the free verse format. Later in life and especially after his death, critics noted his contributions to American poetry, and in the 2000s, most poets and scholars consider him a quintessential American poet. Whitman’s reputation improved near the end of his life-especially outside of the United States. The experience of seeing the wounded greatly affected Whitman and he wrote about his experiences during the war in many later poems. At the time of publication, Leaves of Grass was a mild success mainly because of a glowing review from popular writer and orator Ralph Waldo Emerson however, critics criticized Whitman’s poetry for its sexual themes and some took issue with because of the homoerotic nature of the poetry.ĭuring the American Civil War, Whitman worked various government jobs and volunteered as a nurse for the Union. Whitman’s literary career didn’t truly begin until the mid-1850s when he published Leaves of Grass (1855), which became his most famous and influential work. During his teenage years working at various newspapers, Whitman began publishing his first poems, though he anonymously did so. Whitman finished school at the age of 11 and began working a series of jobs-mostly in publishing. Throughout his childhood, his family faced continual financial hardship, resulting in a rather unpleasant upbringing. The poem played a key role in adding to the mythology and martyrdom of Lincoln, who, in death, became an almost religious figure for many Americans at the time and to this day.īorn in 1819 in Long Island, Walt Whitman grew up in New York. ![]() As the country celebrated the conclusion of the war, it also grieved its fallen leader. Ultimately, “O Captain!” contains an equal mixture of grief and celebration. This contrasts with Whitman’s other poetry that most critics view as being original for its rejection of tradition in a time where traditional poetry was highly valued. The poem also utilizes set stanza patterns and embraces a classic metaphor. Most of Whitman’s poetry is free verse, unrhymed poetry of personal expression, but “O Captain!” is written in a much more traditional form with a set rhythm, meter, and rhyme scheme. The poem is unique amongst the body of Whitman’s work.
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