Captain-My Captain?

Question

There is a poem that starts out 'Captain-My Captain' I read it years ago. I can't remember where its from, or the entire poem, or anything else. Its driving me nuts! (and thats a short drive!) Anybody know? Regards-Bob.

Answer 1

""O Captain! My Captain!" is a poem by Walt Whitman. It was written in homage to U.S. President Abraham Lincoln after his assassination in 1865, and was first published the same year in an appendix attached to the latest version of Whitman's continually expanding anthology, Leaves of Grass."

Taken from Wikipedia. The site contains the poem in its entirety.

Answer 2

I think you're referring to the famous poem by Walt Whitman entitled "O Captain, My Captain"

The poem goes as followed:


1

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! 5
O the bleeding drops of red,
Where on the deck my Captain lies,
Fallen cold and dead.

2

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, 15
You’ve fallen cold and dead.

3

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.

(courtesy of http://www.bartleby.com/142/193.html)

This poem was Whitman's reaction to the death of President Lincoln I believe. In comparison, Lincoln was the captain, the mourns those of the American people. It's a common poem that comes up when discussing literature in a lot of today's classroom. I absolutely adored when we analysed it.

Answer 3

Walt Whitman - Written on the occasion of the death of Abraham Lincoln. Pax - C

O Captain! My Captain!


1

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! 5
O the bleeding drops of red,
Where on the deck my Captain lies,
Fallen cold and dead.

2

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, 15
You’ve fallen cold and dead.

3

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.

Answer 4

Walt Whitman in his poetry book "Leaves of grass."