O Captain! My Captain! Analysis

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.





O Captain! my Captain! rise up and hear the bells;

Rise up--for you the flag is flung--for you the bugle trills;10

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;20

Exult, O shores, and ring, O bells!

But I, with mournful tread,

Walk the deck my Captain lies,

Fallen cold and dead.

.: :.

O.K this poem is about ABerham Lincoln. And with no means to offend the person who said that their proffesor said it was about the titanic they where way off. Whitman himself said it was about Aberham, so yeah. hope the following analyis of the poem helps becaus ei know i would have liked to have this when i was doing my project.
this is about lincoln. "o captain my captain" is repeated a lot to emphasize who we are talking about, president lincoln and also that we see him as the captain of the ship, metaphorically."our fearful trip is done" is referring to the civil war being over. "the ship" is a metaphor for the country which lincoln leads in the war, US, but more specifically, the north. "the prize" is that he is able to keep the country together and united after this war. "fallen cold and dead" is repeated several times to emphasize the shock caused by Lincoln's death. "rise up and hear the bells" is where walt wishes Lincoln can rise up and hear the cheers for him. "some dream" is referring to how the people feel like it's a dream and that it's hard for the americans to accept the President's shocking death. Stanza 2 describes how they don't want to believe lincoln is dead and they want him to see them cheering. They're in shock. "voyage closed and done" is showing how the long, burdonsome war is over."exult o shores" is saying that although the north are happy with the outcome of the war, they are mourning the fallen dead president who pushed them to victory. the beginning of each stanza is longer, with more happiness. the end of each stanza is shorter about death. the rhyming pattern is AABBCDED
Shocked? yeah and i'm only in middle school! ha yoiu high schoolers!!!!

| Posted on 2010-01-29 | by a guest

.: :.

O.K this poem is about ABerham Lincoln. And with no means to offend the person who said that their proffesor said it was about the titanic they where way off. Whitman himself said it was about Aberham, so yeah. hope the following analyis of the poem helps becaus ei know i would have liked to have this when i was doing my project.
this is about lincoln. "o captain my captain" is repeated a lot to emphasize who we are talking about, president lincoln and also that we see him as the captain of the ship, metaphorically."our fearful trip is done" is referring to the civil war being over. "the ship" is a metaphor for the country which lincoln leads in the war, US, but more specifically, the north. "the prize" is that he is able to keep the country together and united after this war. "fallen cold and dead" is repeated several times to emphasize the shock caused by Lincoln's death. "rise up and hear the bells" is where walt wishes Lincoln can rise up and hear the cheers for him. "some dream" is referring to how the people feel like it's a dream and that it's hard for the americans to accept the President's shocking death. Stanza 2 describes how they don't want to believe lincoln is dead and they want him to see them cheering. They're in shock. "voyage closed and done" is showing how the long, burdonsome war is over."exult o shores" is saying that although the north are happy with the outcome of the war, they are mourning the fallen dead president who pushed them to victory. the beginning of each stanza is longer, with more happiness. the end of each stanza is shorter about death. the rhyming pattern is AABBCDED
Shocked? yeah and i'm only in middle school! ha yoiu high schoolers!!!!

| Posted on 2010-01-29 | by a guest

.: :.

i have a ass. about this it really helped me about the ass. given by mrs. ecalnir. i really believe tha walt respect lincolin.and this poem is for lincolin

| Posted on 2010-01-27 | by a guest

.: :.

i have a ass. about this it really helped me about the ass. given by mrs. ecalnir. i really believe tha walt respect lincolin.and this poem is for lincolin

| Posted on 2010-01-27 | by a guest

.: :.

Walt Whitman wrote such a touching poem.
It's all about Abaraham Lincoln who had done a great job all along his life.
I believe this poem is very helpful!

| Posted on 2010-01-26 | by a guest

.: :.

I'm pretty sure it's about Abraham Lincoln because 95% of People said so. thanks to you all who posted a comment. i am confident with this poem because those who made comment on Lincoln, They express the reason. they gave summary of what the poem it's about. and those with wrong answer have a few summary which didn't make sense.
STOP ARGUING. we all know it's about Lincoln. i have a phenomenon to you all. "look before you leap" thanks

| Posted on 2010-01-23 | by a guest

.: :.

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 anchored safe and sound its voyage closed and done meaning the us is the ship and the civil war will be over soon. from fearful trip the victor ship comes in with object won exult o shores and ring o bells but i will mournful tread walk the deck my captain lies fallen cold and dead. he is saying to tell everyone to be happy but he finally realizes that his captain is dead and won get up to see his goal complete and he wants everyone to know that. IM IN HIGH SCHOOL! THIS IS EASY! SYDNEY WEBB

| Posted on 2010-01-19 | by a guest

.: :.

oh captain my captain rise up and hear the bells come back to life 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 its because of him they one and he wants him to see what his victory has done to the world. people are crowded together to see him. for you they call the swaying mass their eager faces turning hear captain dear father this arm beneath your head it is some dream that on deck youve fallen cold and dead. All this is saying is that the narrator doesnt want to believe his captain is dead and begs him to get up and see the people cheering for him. IM IN HIGH SCHOOL! THIS IS EASY!

| Posted on 2010-01-19 | by a guest

.: :.

Oh captain my captain-abraham lincoln was shot dead shortly after his voctory in war. our fearful trip is done. they have made it out. the ship has weathered ever rack, the prize we sought is won. they won the battle. the port is near, the bells i hear, the people all exulting people are celbrating for the victory. while follow eyes the strady keel means follow their country the vessel is the usa grim and darring is the nations mood. but oh hear heart heart means have faith oh the bleeding drops of red where on the deck my captains lies fallen cold and dead. meaning he just found his captain dead on the ship. IM IN HIGH SCHOOL THIS IS REALLY EASY!!!!

| Posted on 2010-01-19 | by a guest

.: :.

This Poem is about Abraham Lincoln and how he died geeze laweeze papa cheese

| Posted on 2010-01-19 | by a guest

.: :.

i have to do a project on this poem i no what its about but is it a free verse... whats that ryhme sceme?!?!? like whats the 4 elements??!?! someone help me!!!!
-C˘ŔL3

| Posted on 2010-01-18 | by a guest

.: :.

How the HECK could it be about Hitler?? Hitler was alive in the 1900's! Walt Whtiman wrote this in the 1880's. Get your gosh darn facts straight, people. God... Really!

| Posted on 2010-01-12 | by a guest

.: :.

you guys argue over nothing. who cares!!!! i get on these stupid websites to make fun of idiots, and losers like you... ;)) sooo do your self a favor and get a life!!!!

| Posted on 2010-01-04 | by a guest

.: :.

To analyze a poem, you need to know backround on the author. For the people that honestly think that this is about Hitler, think again. Look up Walt Whitman's date of death and Hitler's.

| Posted on 2009-12-16 | by a guest

.: :.

There is no right and wrong analysis of the poem! If you think its about Hitler fine just have evidence to support your statement. An individual interpretation CAN be different than the original message from the author.

| Posted on 2009-12-09 | by a guest

.: :.

this is about lincoln. "o captain my captain" is repeated a lot to emphasize who we are talking about, president lincoln and also that we see him as the captain of the ship, metaphorically."our fearful trip is done" is referring to the civil war being over. "the ship" is a metaphor for the country which lincoln leads in the war, US, but more specifically, the north. "the prize" is that he is able to keep the country together and united after this war. "fallen cold and dead" is repeated several times to emphasize the shock caused by Lincoln's death. "rise up and hear the bells" is where walt wishes Lincoln can rise up and hear the cheers for him. "some dream" is referring to how the people feel like it's a dream and that it's hard for the americans to accept the President's shocking death. Stanza 2 describes how they don't want to believe lincoln is dead and they want him to see them cheering. They're in shock. "voyage closed and done" is showing how the long, burdonsome war is over."exult o shores" is saying that although the north are happy with the outcome of the war, they are mourning the fallen dead president who pushed them to victory. the beginning of each stanza is longer, with more happiness. the end of each stanza is shorter about death. the rhyming pattern is AABBCDED

| Posted on 2009-11-28 | by a guest

.: :.

I am a Junior in High School and I was oping to find a meaningfull analysis of this poem but instead i find useless post of people going back and forth saying "It's about Hitler" or "It's about Abraham Lincoln" and for someodd reason Naruto. I guess I will annotate this myself. :(
"O' Captain! O' Captain! our fearfull trip is done.-- The guy is telling LINCOLN that the civil war has ended.
"The ship has weather'd every rack, the prize we sought is won;"--America has fought a long hard war and America has finally won.
"The port is near, the bells I hear, the people all exulting,"-- America is on it'sway too freeing the slaves after ending the war and the people are cheering for LINCOLN.
"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 coldand dead."-- America has gone through difficult times and many people lost their lives. The war was a great risk LINCOLN took but he did it any ways and got what he wanted in his even if it resulted in his dying.
2nd paragraph-- The narrator doesn't wantto believe LINCOLN is dead and he begs him to get up and see the people cheering for him.
3rd paragraph-- The Narrator realizes that in fact LINCOLN is dead and he isn't going to see his goal completed.

| Posted on 2009-11-12 | by a guest

.: :.

In this awsome poem I found that the ship is represented by the United States of America. And the line " The Ship is anchored safe and sound, its voyage is close to done", is refering to that the civil war will be over soon.
This was posted by someone(hope you like it)
YOUR WELCOME I JUST MADE YOUR LIFE EASIER

| Posted on 2009-11-11 | by a guest

.: :.

This rock my sox off because the ship is representing the United States of America I found it on Wikapedia

| Posted on 2009-11-11 | by a guest

.: :.

it is about the civil war and Lincoln's death. after a long, long voyage (civil war) ended, the captain, the person who led the voyage, the father of all the sailors died (Lincoln) died. the poem is in my S.S. book after the civil war. Lee surrendered on April 10th 1865 (at the Appomattox court house). Lincoln was shot on the 14th by john Wilkes booth at the Ford theater and he died the next morning on the 15th. 5 days after the civil war ended

| Posted on 2009-11-08 | by a guest

.: :.

im pretty sure this p0em's ab0ut abe linc0ln...i d0nt kn0w where hitler came 0uta this...freaks 0f nature...im 0nly in high sch00l but even i kn0 h0w 2 rec0gnize the c0mpletely 0bvi0us...peace.

| Posted on 2009-11-05 | by a guest

.: :.

uhm...HUH?
im in middle school and i really don't give a crap....sorry.

| Posted on 2009-11-04 | by a guest

.: :.

Uhmmm...im sorry to disturb but my professor said the is all about a father and son whom the father is the captain of the ship....called..TITANIC...and the teller of this story is the son...my prof said that all and he said this a true story...way back along time ago ....a story of a true captain himself .the captain of TITANIC and his son ..

| Posted on 2009-10-29 | by a guest

.: :.

I had to do a paper on what the theme or life lesson of this poem is and I thought it was that no journey ends without a fight,but now I think I understand what I did wrong.I got a B and I am rewriting my paper because now that I understand it,I think I can do better.I'll describe how Whitman's captain has died,but yet the the ship was successful because of Lincoln's hard work.

| Posted on 2009-10-12 | by a guest

.: :.

Parts of the poem worth considering:
Rhyming patter AABBCDED
There is also internal rhyme:
The port is near, the bells I hear...
and
From fearful trip, the victor ship...
Alliteration:
for you the flag is flung.
I'm not sure about the meter but I think it's Iambic Pentameter (5 feet or 10 syllables) moving to Tetrameter (8 syllables).
Right on Walt!

| Posted on 2009-09-21 | by a guest

.: :.

Weirdos! It's about ab lincoln! Seriouslly HITLER? Wow! Not even close.

| Posted on 2009-08-22 | by a guest

.: :.

This is definitely written by Walt Whitman who lived in Washington on the occasion of Abraham Lincoln's assassination which was a absolute horror for the country, possibly even more so than the Kennedy assassination which is my generation's point of reference.
Lincoln - and through his political genius - had indeed saved the country and the union and in fact, the Civil War had just ended. But more importantly, he had issued the Emancipation Proclamation a few years prior - not that he was a avowed abolitionist but he came to be regarded (rightly so) as the savior in many ways of the African Americans AND the country.
He had won the prize- the union defeated the rebels and won the war! Yet there at Ford's Theater, the Captain who had led the ship of state a metaphor for the country and perhaps the military as well, Lincoln lay dead! Whitman - who wrote eloquently and frequently about Lincoln during those years- could walk the streets of Washington - but the man he admired - the country adored and the freed African Americans saw as their new Moses - was gone. It would make all the difference to the new country and to the coming restoration of the south for Lincoln had been kind and understanding, the new Congress and VP Johnson less so. Whitman is worried and very upset but mostly, he mourns his Captain who has fought so bravely to see this through and save the nation!

| Posted on 2009-06-22 | by a guest

.: :.

This poem is about Lincoln saving the U.S. from splitting in half. i can see how you think its about slavery but that was just a side effect during the war. the war was made because the tensions between the north and south were to great and when lincoln was elected the south succeeded from the union. after the war lincoln was assassinated because the south thought lincoln would treat them as a conqured country not an equal. they were wrong and ended up crippling the south for many decades after.

| Posted on 2009-06-18 | by a guest

.: :.

Hey guys...I know im posting over a year later, bit I thgough if the poem differently. I thought it means that in order to getwhat you want...you need to take many risks. It kind of relates to Lincoln though. Like with the civil war Lincoln wanted to save the union and the country and by ding this he was killed and took many chances in the civil war. In the end though...Lincoln got what he wanted...even though it cost him his life and the deaths of many US soldiers, from the Confederacy and the North. Thanks for all your help..im doing a research report on whitman and i read articles about him and wrote a biographical paragraph about him. I also had to choose one poem and analyze it..thanks again for all your help guys..have a nice summer!

| Posted on 2009-06-09 | by a guest

.: :.

In the poem, "O Captain! My Captain!" written by Walt Whitman, describes Lincoln’s death through an analogy. The captain Whitman refers to is Abraham Lincoln. He is the head of a great ship, which represents America. The ship’s trip across sea corresponds to the Civil War, and the ship nearing the port illustrates how the time the poem takes place is the end of the Civil War, as the trip across sea is coming to an end. The port symbolizes the ultimate goal of the Union, to free the slaves. As the ship continues to approach port, the Captain suddenly falls dead on the deck this signifies Lincoln’s assassination. From this point on, Whitman repeatedly calls to Lincoln, begging him to get up and see the roaring crows of Union supporters waiting for him at shore. Whitman also begs Lincoln to rise up and witness his goal of emancipating slave be achieved. However, Lincoln lays motionless on the deck, and Whitman must accept the reality of Lincoln’s death.
Whitman not only uses images and metaphors to illustrate the mood of the elegy, but also sound through his diction. For instance, Whitman writes “O Captain! My Captain! rise up and hear the bells”. He makes the bells refer to the excitement of the roaring crowd at the port. Whitman asks Lincoln to look up and see the fruits of his labor waiting for him. The author continues to use sound by asking Lincoln to hear the “bugle trills”. These trills refer to the lively energy of the crowd, honoring and celebrating Lincoln’s arrival. The sounds ultimately serve to depict the sheer joy of the celebration at shore, as the Union has nearly won the Civil War. However, this is ironic because the crowd is unaware they have lost their essential leader. Therefore, the hopeful tone created by sound words changes to a sad tone, as Whitman, who is the only one aware of the captain's death, now focuses on his own somber emotions.
The tone Whitman creates in "O Captain! My Captain!" is mostly sad because of the depressed state Whitman is in as he describes death. For example, Whitman writes, “My Captain does not answer, hip lips are pale and still." This phrase is describing Lincoln’s cold lips as “pale and still," which implies he is truly dead, as Whitman finally accepts the truth. Furthermore, his lips no longer being able to move signifies the great speaker and leader will no longer be able to address and lead the Union. Such details alluding to death cause the audience to also feel depressed because of the loss of a powerful and well-respected leader. Therefore, they create a melancholy tone. Whitman continues by writing “My father does not feel my arm, he has no pulse nor will." The audience now envisions the limp and helpless body of Lincoln, as his soul has left him.

| Posted on 2009-05-31 | by a guest

.: :.

hi again. i am the same person that wrote the 3rd from the top comment. i jut wanted to say that i got a 100% on the poem interpretation. this is the site that helped me a lot. :)
oh and i do agree with the person above my comment. everyone should respect each other. ok well thanks again guys and keep interpreting the poem however you like!
personallly, i think(and am pretty sure) that this poem is about Abraham Lincoln. i wrote all of my other thoughts in my other comment.
:)

| Posted on 2009-05-14 | by a guest

.: :.

umm i beleive that the poem is about the civil war and and the abolishment of slavery....

| Posted on 2009-05-07 | by a guest

.: :.

Thanks guys you really came up with some great ideas and personally i do agree strongly with the person who said that everyone has their own ideas and that we should respect other peoples opinions even if we dont agree. I am extremely shocked at the type of language and rudeness that people have obtained these days and I honestly agree with the person who is from Canada. Im American and the other person who claimed to be American too should be deeply ashamed of yourselves. i mean really do you have nothing better to do than sit on a computer and find ways to cuss people out! seriously!? Also, i believe that this poem is about Abraham Lincoln now! At first i had no idea but some of you really cleared that up for me thank you! Many of you guys came up with GREAT ideas that were really helpful. i have to do a project for school right now and it seemed kind of hard but now ive got it! im in 7th grade so i guess the help from SOME older mature people helped a bit!

| Posted on 2009-05-07 | by a guest

.: :.

ok guys. this poem is definitely about abraham lincoln....it is not about tellitubbies.lol
anyway, the captain of the ship is abraham lincoln. this poem tells us about the hard journey that the union had taken to abolish slavery. this poem also tells us about the many lives that were lost.
this poem is very sad. when you read it, you can tell that walt whitman greatly respected abraham lincoln and thought of him as his captain or even father.
i have a project to do on this poem and after reading the comments, i found some very helpful information and interpretations of this greatly written poem. thanks!
oh and guys, stop arguing, everybody has their own opinion. i am NOT saying that this poem is about tellitubies, naruto, hitler, robin hood, etc. THIS POEM IS MOST DEFINITELY ABOUT ABRAHAM LINCOLN! i am only in 7th grade and even i know that! (no offence) ok well i have to get going with the project.thanks again.

| Posted on 2009-05-06 | by a guest

.: :.

ok guys. this poem is definitely about abraham lincoln....it is not about tellitubbies.lol
anyway, the captain of the ship is abraham lincoln. this poem tells us about the hard journey that the union had taken to abolish slavery. this poem also tells us about the many lives that were lost.
this poem is very sad. when you read it, you can tell that walt whitman greatly respected abraham lincoln and thought of him as his captain or even father.
i have a project to do on this poem and after reading the comments, i found some very helpful information and interpretations of this greatly written poem. thanks!
oh and guys, stop arguing, everybody has their own opinion. i am NOT saying that this poem is about tellitubies, naruto, hitler, robin hood, etc. THIS POEM IS MOST DEFINITELY ABOUT ABRAHAM LINCOLN! i am only in 7th grade and even i know that! (no offence) ok well i have to get going with the project.thanks again.

| Posted on 2009-05-06 | by a guest

.: :.

this poem is about meth heads in kentucky during the mid 1990s... couldn't be anymore obvious.

| Posted on 2009-05-05 | by a guest

.: :.

You guys like to argue dont you? The poem was ENTENDED to be about LINCOLN, but everyones opinions count. If you think it's about Hitler, then think that. But know what the poem was entended to be about. . .

| Posted on 2009-05-04 | by a guest

.: :.

You guys like to argue dont you? The poem was ENTENDED to be about LINCOLN, but everyones opinions count. If you think it's about Hitler, then think that. But know what the poem was entended to be about. . .

| Posted on 2009-05-04 | by a guest

.: :.

This poem is about Hitler. Fact. Now, beat it kids.

| Posted on 2009-04-30 | by a guest

.: :.

Whoever says it is about Hitler is stupid because he wasn't around in Walt Whitman's time, whoever says it's about Naruto is on marijuana or something because Naruto isn't even real, and this was written by a REAL poet. It's not about Robin Hood either because there is nothing similar about them. This is about Abraham Lincoln, and his assassination just as the nation thinks the trouble is over. Just as the Civil War is over and the Union is saved, Abraham Lincoln is shot and killed. THAT is what this poem means. That is not a speculation or an opinion, it's a FACT. Walt Whitman wrote this about Abraham Lincoln, he said so himself.
And finally anyone who argues about what this poem is about that many times on this kind of website needs to get a life. Seriously, get out and interact with other people.

| Posted on 2009-04-19 | by a guest