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RL.8.3
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RL.8.2
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Context of Lincoln's assassination, quick intro to elements of poetry, deconstruction and CER response to O Captain! My Captain!
Walt Whitman is considered the grandfather of modern American poetry. Largely self-taught, he broke from the traditional strictures of verse, writing long, robust lines brimming with populism, physicality, and personal content. Written to elegize the recently assassinated Abraham Lincoln, “O Captain, My Captain” strikes a distinctly patriotic note, and marked a departure from Whitman's typical style with its conventional meter and rhyme. The poem was collected into Leaves of Grass, of which Whitman wrote, "This is no book; who touches this touches a man."
Follow the directions for each of the questions to get a more in-depth understanding of Walt Whitman's poem about the death of Abraham Lincoln.
Briefly summarize the assassination of Abraham Lincoln.
What do you think is the biggest difference between poetry and prose (regular fiction or nonfiction writing)?
Let's do a first read of Walt Whitman's poem to memorialize Abraham Lincoln, "O Captain! My Captain!" As you read, highlight all the words that rhyme (HINT: Repeated words are NOT Rhymes).
O
Now, let's dive in a little deeper. As you read again, highlight all the examples of repetition (Alliteration/Consonance - repetition of CONSONANT sounds; Assonance - repetition of vowel sounds; Anaphora - repetition of phrases at the beginning of lines, phrases, stanzas; basic repetition - words, phrases in any part of the line/poem).
One more time: As you read the poem for a third time, select all the lines that show you a metaphor in the poem.
Match the metaphors to what they refer to:
| Draggable item | arrow_right_alt | Corresponding Item |
|---|---|---|
The Voyage | arrow_right_alt | The United States |
The Ship | arrow_right_alt | Abraham Lincoln |
The Captain | arrow_right_alt | The Civil War |
The poem “O Captain! My Captain!” is delivered mainly in tense, from a point of view.
Walt Whitman wrote this poem in 1865 to mourn the death of Abraham Lincoln. Explore how Whitman expresses emotion through metaphor, imagery, rhythm, and structure. What message or messages does this poem convey? Make sure you answer all parts of this question and follow CER format to construct your response.
What is your first reaction to this poem?
Select at least two quotes that best display the motif (repeated topic) of Admiration in the poem.
What is most closely a theme of the poem?
Choose the line from the poem that best supports the correct answer to the previous question.
Place the events of the poem in chronological (time) order.
The narrator questions whether he is dreaming.
The ship drops anchor in the harbor.
The ship arrives
The Captain is dead on deck.