1. “O Captain! My Captain!”

2. To begin, let’s view this brief clip about Walt Whitman.
What interesting facts do you learn about Whitman from this clip?

3. Walt Whitman 1819-1892 American poet
Leaves of Grass is his most famous book of poetry
Many people didn’t like it because it was written in free-verse instead of a traditional rhyme scheme
Whitman revised this collection continuously until his death
Scholars believe there are between six and nine different editions of the book

4. “O Captain!” was one of his most popular poems because of the subject matter and rhyme scheme
This poem is not characteristic of most of Whitman’s poetry

5. To begin, let’s listen to an audio recording of “O Captain. My Captain

6. O Captain! my Captain! 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! heart! heart!
                            O the bleeding drops of red,
                               Where on the deck my Captain lies,
                                  Fallen cold and dead.

7. 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 ribbon’d wreaths—for you the shores a-crowding,
For you they call, the swaying mass, their eager faces turning;
                         Here Captain! dear father!
                            The arm beneath your head!
                               It is some dream that on the deck,
                                 You’ve fallen cold and dead.

8. 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.

9. Stanza One What is the rhyme scheme of this stanza?
AABBCDED
Describe the trip that the ship is returning from.
The trip is described as “fearful” (Line 1) and stormy (Line 2).
What has happened to the captain? How do you know?
The captain is dead. We know this because he is bleeding (Line 6) and it says that he has “Fallen cold and dead.” (Line 8)

10. Stanza Two
Describe the crowd on shore. What are they doing? Why are they doing this?
They are ringing bells, flying flags, playing the bugle, tossing bouquets of flowers and wreaths and calling out for the captain.
They are doing this because they are excited to see the captain and they are happy about the victory.

11. Stanza Three
What line(s) in this stanza indicate how the speaker feels about the captain?
“My father” (Line 18)
“But I with mournful tread/Walk the deck my Captain lies/Fallen cold and dead” (Line 24)
It is clear that the speaker respects the captain and cares about him.
Irony is the difference between what is expected to happen and what actually occurs. What makes the captain’s death ironic?
Although the captain has led the ship to victory and everybody is happy that he has returned, he does not get to live to see this victory celebrated.

12. Additional Questions What type of poem is this?
Elegy (poem of mourning)
What is an extended metaphor?
An extended metaphor is a comparison that is extended through several lines of a poem.
Who is the captain in Whitman’s extended metaphor? Why does it make sense to have him be the captain of a ship?
The captain represents Abraham Lincoln
A captain is in charge of a ship, and Lincoln was in charge of a country

13. Additional Questions
What does the ship represent in Whitman’s extended metaphor?
The ship represents the country
What “trip” do you think Whitman is referring to in Line 1?
The Civil War

14. Additional Questions Reread the second stanza.
During what types of occasions or events would you expect to hear bells ringing?
Celebrations like weddings
Sad events like funerals
When do people fly or display the flag?
Celebrations and holidays like the Fourth of July
Funerals for soldiers
Flags fly at half-staff when the country is in mourning

15. Additional Questions
During what types of occasions or events would you expect to hear a bugle sounding?
Celebrations, parades
Wake-up call
“Taps” at funerals
When do we typically see bouquets and wreaths?
Celebrations and holidays
Weddings
Funerals

16. To prepare for tonight’s reading of “I, Too,” let’s view a brief clip about the life and significance of Langston Hughes.