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Tara Chadha, Lalitha Eapen - Longman-PEARSON

ICSEClass 8
English

O Captain! My Captain!

Walt Whitman

About Walt Whitman

Walter 'Walt' Whitman (1819-1892) was an American poet, essayist and journalist. He is considered to be one of the greatest American poets. His most famous work is the collection of poetry called Leaves of Grass.

The poem describes the despair of someone who had lost a leader; a leader who was like a father to him. There is a profound sense of tragedy since the death of the captain happens at the time of victory. The poet uses the metaphor of a ship and its captain to describe how the death of Abraham Lincoln affected the people of the nation whom he had led to a great victory.

 

O Captain! my Captain! our fearful trip is done;
The ship has weathered every rack, the prize we sought is won;
The port in 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 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 had no pulse nor will;
The ship is anchored 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.

Available Answers

  1. 1.

    State whether the following statements are true(T) or false(F). Correct the false ones.

    1. In the poem, the captain of the ship is Abraham Lincoln. 
    2. The ship went for a trip around the world.
    3. The prize that was sought was victory in the Civil War.
    4. The captain of the ship was not able to complete his trip because he was killed in a storm on the sea. 
    5. The captain's lip were pale because of fear, anxiety and a sense of failure. 
    6. The captain was not able to achieve his objective. 
    7. The speaker walks with a mournful tread beacuse the ship has reached the port victorious. 
  2. 2.

    Explain what the following words mean to you in the context of the historical events. One has been done for you. 

    1. captain  ----- Abraham Lincoln has been compared to the captain of a ship, as he was the President leading his people. 
    2. trip
    3. ship
    4. rack
    5. prize
    6. port
  3. 3.

    The civil war was fought between the northern and the southern states of the United States of America. With which sides has the poet identified himself? Illustrate your answer. 

  4. 4.

    Replace the highlighted parts of the following sentences with/words phrases from the box. Make the necessary changes. 

    heart-rendingtake heartin one's heart of hearts
    sick at heartwear one's heart on one's sleeveheartfelt
    1. Please accept my sincere wishes on your success.
    2. After his failure in the entrance test, Vicky felt very low. 
    3. Ravi was very nervous on the eve of his exams; his mother advised him to again confidence. 
    4. Aman kept arguing with Ruchi, but deep inside, he knew she was right. 
    5. The news of Kalpana Chawla's death was very sad.
    6. Rani is very frank; she reveals her feeling openly. 
  5. 5.

    Write suitable sentences for the following interjections. 

    1. Quick!
    2. Uh oh!
    3. Achhoo!
    4. Yippee!
    5. Ouch!
    6. Be quiet!
    7. Shh!
    8. What!
    9. Hi!

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