My favourite poem

O Captain! My Captain! by Walt Whitman
1
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.

2
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.

3
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.


1) How are the figurative language used in the poem?

This poem “O Captain! O Captain!” written by Walt Whitman uses a lot of figurative language. The phrases "O Captain”, “O heart” and “O Shores” are the use of hyperbole. Hyperbole is a form exaggeration as the author wants to make a great impact on the readers. When the author keeps repeating the words, it make the reader feel sad for him as his father is dead. The phrase “the vessel grim and daring” is an example of personification. By writing that, the author wants to portray the image of the vessel as a daring person, which in turn makes the readers want to respect the vessel. For the use of metaphors, the phrase is “fearful trip”. I think that the symbol used is the vessel because the vessel is daring and victorious (victor ship).

2) Why do I like this poem?

I like this poem because it shows a contrast between happiness and grievance. Happiness is the fearful trip being accomplished and the grievance is the death of the author’s father. The author felt joyful at first and later, he felt crestfallen due to his father’s death. This poem uses a lot of figurative language, which is personification, hyperbole and symbolism. These factors make the vessel and the trip more life-like, which in turn makes the poem interesting. Also, this poem does not have any difficult words, and is readable for all ages. From the poem, I can feel that the author is trying to manipulate the readers’ feelings between happiness and grievance. (112 words)