Both Line 6 O the bleeding drops of red and line 8 Fallen cold and dead have trochaic meters with an imperfect root at the end. Line 5, But O heart! heart! heart! consists of an imperfect root followed by two spondees, or feet with two equally accented syllables. O Captain! My Captain! contains even more exceptions to the iambic meter. In “Hope is a Thing with Feathers, the first line Hope is the thing contains a trochee followed by an iamb. Each poem also contains notable exceptions to the iambic meter. The unaccented beat followed by the accented beat creates a rising meter. “Hope is a Thing with Feathers and O Captain! My Captain! contain a similar scansion. Dickinsons Hope is a Thing with Feathers and Whitmans O Captain! My Captain! share many qualities. Although polar opposites in personality, Emily Dickinson and Walt Whitman created similar poetry. Their poems give us insight into the time period, as well as universal insight about life. During this tumultuous period, two great American writers captured their ideas in poetry. New technologies and ideas helped the nation grow, while the Civil War ripped the nation apart. He uses sadness and happiness together gracefully while never losing the seriousness of the matter.Īmerica experienced profound changes during the mid 1800s. Whitman accepts Lincolns death with dignity and sympathy for the nation. If a follower feels moved by a dead leader and feels as if he should continue on that leaders quest, than the leader has done a successful job. Expressions that should be felt if a leader was great. Exult, O shores, and ring, O bells! these are strong words, empowering words. Whitman must remember that Lincoln was victorious, that there should be feelings of joy and triumphant power. Though he feels pain, joy shines through. In the last verse, Whitman begins to feel some true joy, joy in the remembrance of Lincoln. He examines his pale lips and his stillness in a kind of awkward silence. Whitman looks at his Captain, his father. Years of looking at smiles and expressions from that person will be all but a memory. A dead loved one will be buried and gone forever. When a parent dies, or anyone that is loved for that matter, it is not odd to really look at them after they die. A father is loved, respected, and should be shown loyalty from his children. There was an eagerness, a longing for his return, for you the shores a-crowding.Ī man calling another man father is a sign of great love. Lincolns death was so sudden that it left the country in misbelief. Whitman uses metaphors of bells and ribbond wreaths to show his loyalty towards Lincoln. Rather than mourn for a death, people were prepared for celebrating Lincolns victory. Lincoln was victorious in his struggle or as Whitman puts it, the price we sought was won. Whitman tells of a fearful trip, a trip only taken with someone respected and trusted.
O Captain! My captain, our fearful trip is done. The Captain in the poem had that respect. Abraham Lincoln had people behind him, people who would follow him boldly into any situation. In O Captain! My Captain, Walt Whitman metaphorically uses the image of a Captain to depict the respect, loyalty and love he and his countrymen felt for Abraham Lincoln.įor a Captain to lead his crew, he must have the respect of his crew. Mourning the death of such a leader is an even great task. The ability to move a great people is a virtue lacked by many leaders.
0 kommentar(er)
