Jackson Grimsland "O Captain! My Captain!" by Walt Whitman

1. Poetic Language

1.1. Visual Imagery "For you bouquets and ribbon’d wreaths—for you the shores a-crowding," (Line 11).

1.2. Personification " Exult O shores, and ring O bells!" (Line 21).

1.3. The Ship anchoring and the crew reaching their destination symbolizes the end of their journey "The ship is anchor’d safe and sound, its voyage closed and done," (Line 19).

2. Poetic Structure

2.1. Repetition "Fallen cold and dead." (Line 8).

2.2. Free Verse "While follow eyes the steady keel, the vessel grim and daring;-But O heart! heart! heart!" (Lines 4-5)

2.3. Alliteration "Rise up—for you the flag is flung—for you the bugle trills," (Line 10)

3. Poetic Meaning

3.1. First Person Point of View "O Captain! my Captain! our fearful trip is done," (Line 1).

3.2. The Setting is on a ship "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," (Lines 2-3)

3.3. The Speaker is a crew member on a ship whose captain had died "Where on the deck my Captain lies," (Line 7)