Download “O Captain! My Captain!” Walt Whitman

“O Captain! My Captain!”
Walt Whitman
Building Background
“O Captain! My Captain!” is an elegy (El uh jee)—a poem written to honor
someone who has died. As you might expect, elegies are usually solemn and sad.
They praise the person who has died, and they express a sense of loss over the
person’s death.
Whitman’s elegy honors President Abraham Lincoln. Like most Americans,
Whitman was shocked and saddened by Lincoln’s death. After leading the United
States through the long, dark days of the Civil War, Lincoln was shot and killed
by John Wilkes Booth, a Southern sympathizer. Lincoln’s greatest hope—that the
nation would reunite—was realized when the war drew to a close and the South
rejoined the Union. Soon after, Lincoln was killed.
Have you ever heard someone refer to a nation or its government as a “ship of
state”? Whitman uses this metaphor in “O Captain, My Captain.” Throughout the
poem he compares post-war America to a ship returning from a difficult journey.
Answer each question below using complete sentences.
1. Where is the ship headed at the beginning of the poem? Where are the people who are
waiting for the ship to return?
The ship is headed to the port. The people are waiting on the shoreline near the port.
2. In line 1, what “fearful trip” has the “ship of state” completed? What made the trip so
fearful?
The “fearful trip” is symbolic of the Civil War. The Civil War was fearful because the
union between the North and South was in danger.
3. In line 2, the poet uses the metaphor “the prize we sought is won.” What is the “prize” he
refers to?
The “prize” that Whitman refers to is the preservation of the Union.
4. In this poem, the ship is a symbol for the country, the United States of America. Who would
the captain of the ship be?
If the “ship” is a symbol for the United States of America, the “captain” would be
Abraham Lincoln.
“O Captain! My Captain!”
Walt Whitman
5. Does the speaker actually expect his “Captain” to rise from the dead, as he demands in
line 9? Explain.
No. The speaker wishes that the “Captain” could “rise up” to see the Union brought
back together. Unfortunately, Abraham Lincoln was assassinated shortly after the Civil
War’s end.
6. Describe what is happening in lines 9-11.
In lines 9-11, Whitman is describing the funeral of Abraham Lincoln. The “flag is
flung” over the casket surrounded by wreaths and flowers as the bugle plays “Taps.”
7. The poet calls Lincoln “Captain.” Why is this appropriate?
The poet’s reference to Lincoln as the “Captain” is appropriate because the captain of a
ship is responsible for keeping the ship “on course,” which is very similar to the role of
the President of the United States.
8. Why does he call Lincoln “father”?
Whitman’s reference to Lincoln shows that Whitman looks up to and respects Lincoln
like a son respects and looks up to his father. He also is showing his affection for the
president.
9. What end rhymes can you find in the third stanza? List them in pairs like this: still/will
done/won
tread/dead
10. What is the slant rhyme in the third stanza?
Fill in the blanks: lips /still