USA HISTORY

AMERICAN CIVIL WAR(1861 1865)

GETTYSBURG ADDRESS

[SOURCES]
In “O’Captain, My Captain, “ the captain has:

(A) Fallen, uninjured

(B) ** Fallen dead

(C) Been stabbed

(D) made a wonderful sopeech

EXPLANATIONS BELOW

Concept note-1: -Exult O shores, and ring O bells! But I with mournful tread, Walk the deck my Captain lies, Fallen cold and dead.

Concept note-2: -Tragically, however, the speaker reveals that the captain lies dead on the deck of the ship while the city rejoices-a metaphor for recent events, since President Lincoln was assassinated in 1865 and was unable to celebrate his victory.

Concept note-3: -My Captain’ (Whitman 2) is used to reveal that the captain’s death, immensely shocked the poet. In addition, at the end of every paragraph, the phrase ‘fallen cold and dead’ (Whitman 2) is repeated. This emphasizes how difficult it is for people, including the poet, to believe that Lincoln is already dead.

Concept note-4: -From 1867 the poem was included in the 1867 and subsequent editions of Leaves of Grass. “O Captain! My Captain!” is an elegy on the death of Pres. Abraham Lincoln.

Concept note-5: -The Captain death is, however, ironic because although the masses don’t feel the personal loss that the speaker over the captain’s death. In return, the crowd, which represents the American population is at the show to cheer the ships return.