O Captain! my Captain! our fearful trip is done,The ship has weather’d1 every rack, the prize we sought2 is won,The port is near, the bells I hear, the people all exulting,While follow eyes the steady keel,3 the vessel4 grim and daring;[5]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;[10]Rise up — for you the flag is flung — for you the bugle trills,5For you bouquets and ribbon’d wreaths — for you the shores a-crowding,For you they call, the swaying mass, their eager6 faces turning;Here Captain! dear father!This arm beneath your head![15]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,[20]From fearful trip the victor ship comes in with object won;Exult O shores, and ring O bells!But I with mournful7 tread,8Walk the deck my Captain lies,Fallen cold and dead."O Captain! My Captain!" by Walt Whitman (1865) is in the public domain.Unless otherwise noted, this content is licensed under theCC BY-NC-SA 4.0 licenseNotesAllDefinitionsFootnotesan archaic way of saying “weathered,” which means “to survive” an event"sought" is a past participle of the word "seek"a part of underside of a boata term for a large boatthe repeating of a high-pitched sound from the instrumentEager (adjective) : very interested, anxious, or enthusiastic (to do or have something)Mournful (adjective) : full of sorrow, sadness, regret, or griefTread (verb) : to walk or stepRead AloudAnnotateTranslateAssessment QuestionsShow Less1234567Considering the events occurring at the time this poem was written, how does the author use the captain, the ship, and the journey as symbols to develop the theme of the poem? Use specific evidence from the text to support your answer.
Question
O Captain! my Captain! our fearful trip is done,The ship has weather’d1 every rack, the prize we sought2 is won,The port is near, the bells I hear, the people all exulting,While follow eyes the steady keel,3 the vessel4 grim and daring;[5]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;[10]Rise up — for you the flag is flung — for you the bugle trills,5For you bouquets and ribbon’d wreaths — for you the shores a-crowding,For you they call, the swaying mass, their eager6 faces turning;Here Captain! dear father!This arm beneath your head![15]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,[20]From fearful trip the victor ship comes in with object won;Exult O shores, and ring O bells!But I with mournful7 tread,8Walk the deck my Captain lies,Fallen cold and dead."O Captain! My Captain!" by Walt Whitman (1865) is in the public domain.Unless otherwise noted, this content is licensed under theCC BY-NC-SA 4.0 licenseNotesAllDefinitionsFootnotesan archaic way of saying “weathered,” which means “to survive” an event"sought" is a past participle of the word "seek"a part of underside of a boata term for a large boatthe repeating of a high-pitched sound from the instrumentEager (adjective) : very interested, anxious, or enthusiastic (to do or have something)Mournful (adjective) : full of sorrow, sadness, regret, or griefTread (verb) : to walk or stepRead AloudAnnotateTranslateAssessment QuestionsShow Less1234567Considering the events occurring at the time this poem was written, how does the author use the captain, the ship, and the journey as symbols to develop the theme of the poem? Use specific evidence from the text to support your answer.
Solution
"O Captain! My Captain!" by Walt Whitman was written in 1865, shortly after the end of the American Civil War and the assassination of President Abraham Lincoln. In this poem, Whitman uses the captain, the ship, and the journey as symbols to develop the theme of the poem, which is a reflection on the end of the war and the death of Lincoln.
The captain in the poem symbolizes Abraham Lincoln. The captain is described as "fallen cold and dead" on the deck of the ship, mirroring Lincoln's assassination. The speaker's repeated pleas for the captain to "rise up" reflect the nation's grief and disbelief at Lincoln's death.
The ship in the poem represents the United States. The "fearful trip" the ship has weathered is a metaphor for the Civil War, a tumultuous and violent period in the country's history. The fact that the ship has "weather'd every rack" and the "prize we sought is won" suggests that the Union, the side Lincoln led, has emerged victorious.
The journey symbolizes the war itself. The poem begins with the end of the journey, indicating the end of the war. However, the victory is bittersweet, as it is marred by the captain's, or Lincoln's, death. The speaker's "mournful tread" on the deck where the captain lies dead underscores the nation's collective sorrow.
In conclusion, Whitman uses the captain, the ship, and the journey as symbols to convey the mixed feelings of relief and grief experienced by the nation at the end of the Civil War and Lincoln's death. The poem is both a celebration of the Union's victory and a lament for the fallen leader.
Similar Questions
The following text is adapted from Walt Whitman’s 1865 poem “O Captain! My Captain!". O Captain! my Captain! rise up and hear the bells!Rise up! for you the flag is flung, for you the bugle trills:For you bouquets and ribboned wreaths; for you the shores a-crowding:For you they call, the swaying mass, their eager faces turning.My Captain does not answer, his lips are pale and still:My father does not feel my arm, he has no pulse nor will. Exult, O shores! and ring, O bells! But I, with silent tread, Walk the spot my Captain lies, Fallen cold and dead.Which choice describes the overall structure of the text?The speaker describes his aspirations for his country, then describes his aspirations for himself.eliminateThe speaker makes an impassioned plea, then contends with the reality of the situation.eliminateThe speaker puts forth an argument, then lists the reasons why that argument is not valid.eliminateThe speaker questions his own reality, then repeatedly contradicts his own claims.
“O Captain! My Captain!” is an 1865 poem by Walt Whitman published after the assassination of President Abraham Lincoln. In the poem, the speaker expresses grief about the irony of a leader dying before he can fully enjoy his victory, writing -------Which quotation from “O Captain! My Captain!” most effectively illustrates the claim? “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.”eliminate"But O heart! heart! heart! / O the bleeding drops of red, / Where on the deck my Captain lies, / Fallen cold and dead."eliminate“My Captain does not answer, his lips are pale and still; / my father does not feel my arm, he has no pulse nor will.”eliminate“O Captain! my Captain! rise up and hear the bells; / rise up - for you the flag is flung - for you the bugle trills.”
Which line best shows Whitman’s sorrow about this event?Group of answer choicesFor you they call, the swaying mass, their eager faces turningRise up for you the flag is flung for you the bugle trillsBut I, with mournful tread, Walk the deck my Captain lies, Fallen cold and dead.For you bouquets and ribbon’d wreaths - for you the shores a-crowding
When the wind returned, the sea captain ordered his crew to release the sails so that they could _________ the power of the wind and, at last, be on their way.conceiveharnessinfringereplicate
The sea is calm tonight. The tide is full, the moon lies fair Upon the straits; on the French coast the light Gleams and is gone; the cliffs of England stand,5 Glimmering and vast, out in the tranquil bay. Come to the window, sweet is the night-air! Only, from the long line of spray Where the sea meets the moon-blanched land, Listen! you hear the grating roar10 Of pebbles which the waves draw back, and fling, At their return, up the high strand, Begin, and cease, and then again begin, With tremulous cadence slow, and bring The eternal note of sadness in.2Select the correct answer.In the passage, what is the figurative meaning of the phrase “the waves”? A. circumstances B. destiny C. finances D. emotions
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