O captain my captain

Næmingur: Malan Martinsdóttir Joensen 18.03.10 Lærugrein: Enskt Lærari: Rannvá Skeel Johannesen

O Captain! My Captain!

Walt Whitman was an american poet, essayist, journalist and humanist. He was born on May 31, 1819 and died March 26, 1892. In this poem, Walt Whitman uses a technique called an "extended metaphor." That means he uses a metaphor and the comparison is extended as far as the poet can take it. The poem "O Captain! My Captain!" was written about the American president, Abraham Lincoln's assassination. But why? How can a man make such a big influence on a normal resident? Abraham Lincoln is said to be the biggest president that has ever been in the United States. He led the country trough the greatest crisis, the American civil war. I think the reason that Walt Whitman wrote this poem about Abraham is, that the American civil war affected him and his family very much. His brother George joined the Union army, and later he was captured by Confederates in Virginia. This probably was a hard time for Walt. In the beginning the poem contains many joyfull words as prize, won, bells, people all exulting. These words give the reader a feeling of excitement. And then suddenly he make a drastic change to sorrow. He uses words as pale, no pulse nor will, and fearful words that gives the feeling of sorrow. Walt Whitman is very good to use the correct words to make poems more lively. It makes poems more interesting to read. In the first verse Whitman writes about a fearful trip. The fearful trip is a metaphor to the Civil War. And the ship is the country America and all the people in it. He mention that the ship has been everywhere, and finally they won the prize, they had been looking for. This prize may represent the abolition of slavery. One thing Abraham Lincoln is known for, is that he abolished all slavery in America. That's what makes him the biggest president of USA. Then he writes, "the port is near, the bells I hear, the people all exulting". When a ship is anchored to the port, it is safe. So when the port is near, he means, that the United States will be safe again. They can see a end of the war. And the bells and the exulting people does mean, that this is something good. But the Captain is dead! Abraham Lincoln died April 15th, 1865, and the war ended April 9th, 1865. So he didn't reach to see the country being build up again. I think this is what Walt Whitman means, when he says, that the port is near, and the Captain is dead. In the poem he keep writing "Fallen cold and dead...". I think, this is to lead us to believe that USA still have a difficult time accepting the loss of their leader. I think this is a very good poem. Walt Whitman is a very good poet. He has a chatchy way to write. He writes on a solemn language, and I think that is very cool. What I am looking at in a poem is, if it has a good language, and if there is much to interpretate.