> Funeral Poems > O Captain! My Captain!
O Captain! My Captain!
Author: Walt Whitman's
This Page Includes: Full Verses of the Poem in Text. A Recording of the Poem (Audio). A Free PDF Download for reading purposes. Free Editable Google Doc Download if you wish to make changes or to personalise the poem. The page also includes what the poem is about, structure of poem and explaining the best parts.
O Captain! My Captain! Poem Verses
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.
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.
Audio Recording
Please note the audio recording may not exactly match the text version as 'O Captain! My Captain!' can be tailored/personalised
Download Poem
Please note the audio recording may not exactly match the text version as 'O Captain! My Captain!' can be tailored/personalised
Personalised Poem
Would you like to customise this poem? You have the option to personalise it by accessing the provided link, which will direct you to Google Docs. From there, you can download the poem ‘Memories’ to your personal Google Docs account or Microsoft Word where you will be able to edit the poem however you want.
About the poem
This poem is an elegy written by Walt Whitman in honor of the 16th President of the United States, Abraham Lincoln, after his assassination in 1865. The speaker of the poem is addressing Lincoln as the captain of a ship, using a metaphor to describe the country as a vessel that has weathered storms and reached its destination. The first two stanzas express joy and relief at the successful completion of the journey, but the third stanza reveals the captain has died on deck. The final stanza mourns the loss of the captain and contrasts the celebratory mood of the people with the speaker's grief.
This poem is often used as a funeral poem to honor someone who was a leader or a captain figure in their own life, whether in a literal or metaphorical sense. The poem could be personalized by substituting the name of the deceased for "My Captain" and changing the imagery to reflect their life experiences. For example, if the person was a sports coach, the ship metaphor could be replaced with a sports team metaphor.
This poem is often used as a funeral poem to honor someone who was a leader or a captain figure in their own life, whether in a literal or metaphorical sense. The poem could be personalized by substituting the name of the deceased for "My Captain" and changing the imagery to reflect their life experiences. For example, if the person was a sports coach, the ship metaphor could be replaced with a sports team metaphor.
The Structure of Poem
Walt Whitman's poem "O Captain! My Captain!" is structured in three stanzas, each containing eight lines. The rhyme scheme follows an ABAB, CDCD, EFEF pattern. The poem is written in the form of an elegy, and is addressed to the captain of a ship who has died. The speaker mourns the loss of the captain and the difficult journey the ship has endured to reach its destination. Despite the ship's successful voyage, the speaker is filled with sadness because their captain has fallen dead.
Best Quote from O Captain! My Captain! Poem
This is a quote from the poem O Captain! My Captain! by Walt Whitman's
"O Captain! my Captain! our fearful trip is done,
The ship has weather’d every rack, the prize we sought is won"
This opening stanza from Walt Whitman's poem "O Captain! My Captain!" is a powerful and emotional tribute to Abraham Lincoln, using the metaphor of a ship's voyage to represent the journey of Lincoln's life and presidency. The imagery of weathering every rack and winning the sought-after prize is a fitting representation of Lincoln's perseverance and ultimate success in leading the country through the Civil War and ending slavery.
Looking for a Funeral Director?
Contact someone today
Related Categories
See related catergories below
Popular Funeral Poems
Celebration Of Life Poems
Military Funeral Poems
Lost A Colleague Or Mentor Funeral Poem
Popular Poems
Discover a collection of our website's most popular poems below:
Main Categories
Are you in search of a particular genre within the realm of poetry? Explore our compilation of the most popular categories below.