Understanding Poetry Historical Context

Walt Whitman (1819–1892) Pioneered free verse in America •Was a public spokesperson for the masses and a prophet of progress •Changed the course of American literature with his collection Leaves of Grass (1855)

Walt Whitman Born May 31, 1819 Grew up in Brooklyn and Long Island, NY Began to work for a printer at the age of 12 and fell in love with the writing process Taught himself to read and began to read anything he could find- especially Dante, Homer, and Shakespeare

Walt Whitman Began to work as a teacher in 1836 (only 17-years-old) Taught for five years until he became a journalist Worked for a number of different newspapers; the job eventually took him to New Orleans In 1848, in New Orleans, he first saw the horrors and viciousness of slavery

Walt Whitman After returning to Brooklyn, he founded a “free soil” newspaper and began to refine his poetry style In 1855, he published Leaves of Grass, which included 12 untitled poems With the help of Ralph Waldo Emerson, he would eventually publish several more editions of the work, adding more poems each time

Walt Whitman When the Civil War broke out, Whitman vowed to live a “purged” and “cleansed” life He began writing freelance journalism and visiting the New York-area hospitals, helping with the wounded Inspired by the suffering he saw, Whitman took a job with the Department of the Interior

Walt Whitman He was eventually fired when his boss found out about his poetry, which he had found offensive He struggled for the next few years, working odd jobs Other writers sent his “purses” to help him get by, and to provide for his widowed mother and invalid brother

Walt Whitman In the early 1870s, he settled in Camden, New Jersey There he cared for his dying mother until he suffered a stroke For the next few years, he prepared his final book of poems, Good-Bye, My Fancy He died on March 26, 1892 and was buried in a tomb he had designed

O Captain! My Captain! O Captain! My captain! Our fearful trip is done; The ship has weathered ever 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! 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 bugle trills For you bouquets and wreaths for you the shores a-crowding; For you they call, the swaying mass, their eager faces turning. O Captain! Dear father! This arm beneath your head; It is dome 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 safe and sound, its voyage closed and done: From fearful trip the victor ship come in with object won! Exult, O shores! And ring, O bells! But I, with silent tread, Walk the spot my captain lies

Making Sense of the Poem Without any historical context, the poem is hard to make sense of- it seems to be about a ship captain who has been killed When we look at the time period and political atmosphere it was written in, however, a clearer meaning of the poem emerges

The Time Period On April 14, 1854, President Abraham Lincoln was assassinated Since the war was essentially over, most saw this as a bloody, pointless act Grief spread through the North and South with hundreds of poems and songs being written in mourning

The Time Period Walt Whitman had lived near the D.C. area during the war and had always been a vocal admirer of Lincoln He felt Lincoln embodied the American virtues of plain-spokenness, courage, and “horse sense” He had often seen Lincoln out horseback riding and the men had been acquaintances

The Time Period Lincoln’s death inspired Whitman to write what would become one of his most famous poems “O Captain! My Captain!” was published in New York’s Saturday Press in November of 1865 It was met with immediate acclaim It would become Whitman’s most famous poem and helped secure him a place as one of America’s greatest poets

O Captain! My Captain! Whitman’s revisions of the poem

Breaking the Poem Down Rhyme Scheme Meter and Rhythm AABB CDED No fixed meter The rhythm is created by the varying line lengths

Breaking the Poem Down Apostrophe When the writer addresses someone who is dead, someone who is not there, or an inanimate object “O Captain! My Captain!” (line 1) “Exult O shores, and ring O bells!” (line 21)

The Extended Metaphor Extended Metaphor = A metaphor that is developed at great length This poem features an extended metaphor Using your notes from this lecture as well as the poem itself, write an explanation of the poem’s extended metaphor This is due at the end of class