O CAPTAIN MY CAPTAIN MOVIE

As a result, victory and loss are closely intertwined throughout the poem and this juxtaposition illustrates the close nature between victory, and any associated pain. While “O Captain! My Captain!” was written at a time of celebration with the conclusion of the American Civil War, this poem is also an elegy for President Abraham Lincoln’s assassination. O Captain! my Captain! our fearful trip is done, / The ship has weather’d every rack, the prize we sought is won…

O CAPTAIN MY CAPTAIN MOVIE

I found the symbolism of this piece to the overall plot of the movie to be hauntingly beautiful. In Dead Poets Society, “O Captain! My Captain!” is the phrase used by the students to address an unorthodox but inspiring English teacher, Mr. While the movie references many poems, the one that sticks out is this one by Walt Whitman. The movie emphasizes the importance of both literature and critical thought two forces that define much of who I am today. I recently watched Dead Poets Society (1989) and absolutely loved it. The ship is anchor’d safe and sound, its voyage closed and done,įrom fearful trip the victor ship comes in with object won My father does not feel my arm, he has no pulse nor will, My Captain does not answer, his lips are pale and still, Rise up-for you the flag is flung-for you the bugle trills,įor you bouquets and ribbon’d wreaths-for you the shores a-crowding,įor you they call, the swaying mass, their eager faces turning O Captain! my Captain! rise up and hear the bells

While follow eyes the steady keel, the vessel grim and daring The port is near, the bells I hear, the people all exulting, The ship has weather’d every rack, the prize we sought is won, O Captain! my Captain! our fearful trip is done, The use of repetition of consonant sounds at the beginning these words are significant in this poem because 'for you the flag is flung' is showing that everyone is celebrating what they had accomplished on their 'fearful trip'.“O Captain! My Captain!” by Walt Whitman (read by Tom O’Bedlam): This is effective with this poem because although the final consonants in a word agree but the vowels that precede them differ, it give the illusion that these lines rhyme but they do not completely.Īlliteration- 'Flag is flung' in line 10 and 'safe and sound' in line 19, these are both examples of alliteration. This is representing the death of the Captain.Ĭonsonance- This is used at the end of lines 3 & 4 as well as lines 11 & 12. Symbol- ‘For you bouquets and ribbon’d wreaths’ are what are normally placed next to a grave of the deceased. The reader can visualize the Captain laying there dead and motionless 'he had no pulse nor will'. Imagery– 'His lips are pale and still,' helps you visualize what the Captain would look like there dead on the deck. This is significant because it is asking of the Captain to 'rise up' and celebrate - the end of the civil war - with the others. The prize is the preservation of the union.Īpostrophe- 'O Captain! My Captain!' at the start of the first two stanzas are examples of apostrophe, as is 'Exult O shores, and ring O bells!' in the third stanza. Metaphor– The captain is Abraham Lincoln. The ship is anchor'd safe and sound, its voyage closed and done, Nįrom fearful trip the victor ship comes in with object won N My father does not feel my arm, he has no pulse nor will, M My Captain does not answer, his lips are pale and still, M Rise up-for you the flag is flung- -for you the bugle trills, Gįor you bouquets and ribbon'd wreaths-for you the shores a- crowding, Hįor you they call, the swaying mass, their eager faces turning I O Captain! my Captain! rise up and hear the bells G While follow eyes the steady keel, the vessel grim and daring C The port is near, the bells I hear, the people all exulting, B The ship has weather'd every rack, the prize we sought is won, A O Captain! my Captain! our fearful trip is done, A

O captain my captain