AN ANALYSIS OF WALT WHITMAN POEM'S "O CAPTAIN! MY CAPTAIN!"

O CAPTAIN! MY CAPTAIN!

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,
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;
Exult O shores, and ring O bells!
But I with mournful tread,
Walk the deck my Captain lies,
Fallen cold and dead.

1st Stanza
The 1st line of the poem, “Captain” is a substitute for Abraham Lincoln, and the “ship” has meaning the United States of America. “The fearful trip” is refers to the Civil War, which had ended just prior to Lincoln’s assassination. In 2nd line, “the prize” means the victory of the Union in Civil War. In 3rd line, “the port” is refers to home and the “bells” are imagining the bells ring in celebration of military victory. This line is imagining cheering crowds celebrating the victory, just as the Union, led by Lincoln, had returned victorious from the Civil War. On April 9, 1865 the Union’s armies surrounded the Confederate armies at Appomattox Court House, Virginia. This moment is the end of war (Benton, 1768: 730-743).

Lines 5-8 communicate the unpleasant news that the Captain has somehow fallen dead after the battle. The repetition of “heart! heart! heart!” (line 5), communicates the sadness and horror at realizing that his Captain has died. In 6th line, the “bleeding drops of red” are both the Captain’s bleeding wound and the speakers wounded heart. The “fallen cold and dead,” (line 8th) is it seems that addressed to the Lincoln’s death.

2nd Stanza
In 1st line, 2nd stanza, the “Rise up and hear the bells” is refers to the Captain having led his crew bravely to victory, will not receive the fanfare that is his just due. At the same time, the “bells” in 1st line are imagining the bells ring in celebration of military victory; however, knowing the great Captain and leader has died the bells might also symbolize funeral bells tolled in mourning. Similarly, in 2nd line, the “flag,” is flown in honor of the Captain both as a symbol of pride and victory and as a symbol of lamentation — as in the tradition of flying the American flag at half-mast when a respected American dies. The “bugle” symbolize military musical instrument, alludes to both military victory in the traditional requiem at funerals of fallen soldiers. “Bouquets and ribbon wreathes” are also common to both celebratory receptions and funerals.

In 5th line, the “father” is a metaphor of Lincoln beyond the more limited scope of a military leader of men into a father figure, one whose wisdom and teachings led his children into adult. The poem celebrates Lincoln as more than simply a great military leader who led the Union to victory during the Civil War and attaches to him a broader significance as the father of this new, post-slavery country. In line 7th, the “some dream that on the deck” is essences to the heart feeling of American. It is hard for Americans to accept the shocking death of their president by hands of assassin. On April 15, 1865, the evening when he was with his wife and his friends watched the play of Our American Cousin at Ford’s Theater, Washington, he was shot by an actor, John Wilkes Booth. The refrain “fallen cold and dead,” (line 8th) is it seems that addressed to the Captain’s death

3rd Stanza
“My Captain does not answer, his lips are pale and still/My father does not feel my arm, he has no pulse nor will” (1st and 2nd line) essences the reality of the Captain’s death. In this sense, the writer finally accepted that his Captain is dead. In 3rd line, “voyage closed and done” has meaning of long and burdensome war is done. Civil War began on April 12, 1861 until April 1, 1865. Then, “the fearful trip” in line 4 is the metaphor of fearful war.

Same with the explanation in 1st stanza, the “bells” in 5th line are imagining the bells ring in celebration of military victory. While “Exult O shores, and ring O bells/with mournful tread/Walk the deck my Captain lies/Fallen cold and dead” (5th-8th line) is the analogy of the celebration the end of the Civil War but continues to express of mourn of his fallen hero. Then, “the deck” (7th line) associated to Oak Ridge Cemetery in Springfield when he was buried.