Read the following poem and answer the question that follows. "O Captain! my Captain!" by Walt Whitman 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. What connotation does the poet use for the words in bold? Misery Celebration Fury Romance
Answers
Answer:
Here are the expressions that bring out the following aspects of the poem:
1. Misery - “But O heart! heart! heart! O the bleeding drops of red”, “Fallen cold and dead”, “My father does not feel my arm”, “with mournful tread”
2. Celebration - “the bells I hear, the people all exulting”, “bouquets and ribbon'd wreaths”, “bugle trills”
3. Fury - “From fearful trip”, “the vessel grim and daring”, “our fearful trip is done”
4. Romantic elements- The features of romantic poetry include:
a) Expressing emotions- The poem presents the speaker’s emotions. Therefore, all phrases that express misery and celebration add to the romantic aspect of the poem. The poem examines the speaker’s mixed emotions about the joy of victory and the sadness of his captain’s passing away.
b) Supporting democracy- Since the captain is supposed to represent Abraham Lincoln, the speaker’s love for the captain shows his belief in the ideals of democracy, which is an ideal that the romantics cherished.