...Walt Whitman was an American Poet who lived in the United States during the the Civil War. Whitman moved to Washington DC in 1862 to care for his brother who was wounded in the war. While in Washington, he was overcome by the the suffering and ramifications of the Civil War. Whitman worked in hospitals in Washington DC for several years before writing “O’ Captain! My Captain” in 1865. Walt Whitman lived a simple life. Walt Whitman's humble life, love of democracy and writing style made him one of my favorite poets for this assignment. Walt Whitman was born in Brooklyn, New York on May, 31st 1819. He was one of 9 children in his family (Oppen). His family did not have a lot of money and for school he was mainly self taught. When he turned twelve he started a job in the printing business. This is when his love of reading turned into one of his passions. He had many jobs throughout his life. They included, a printer, teacher, journalist, he founded a newspaper called the, Long Islander, he was the editor of the New Orleans Crescent, and of course a writer and poet. He also worked in a hospital for several years. Oppen wrote that “Whitman struggled to support himself through most of his life. In Washington, he lived on a clerk’s salary and modest royalties, and spent any excess money, including gifts from friends, to buy...
Words: 525 - Pages: 3
...After careful consideration, I elected to write my final paper on the works of author, Walt Whitman. The reason I selected this author is because I have travelled to the Atlantic coast and driven over the Walt Whitman Bridge numerous times, never knowing who he was, or what he did. When I saw his name in the textbook, I was intrigued. I decided I wanted to educate myself and analyze his work. The first poem I studied by him was “Beat! Beat! Drums!”. In this poem he speaks of bugles and drums, and the sounds that originate from them. In the first paragraph, he states “Through the windows-through doors-burst like a ruthless force, Into the solemn church, and scatter the congregation, Into the school where the scholar is studying;” I interpreted this to mean the sound of the bugles and drums carry through windows and doors and interrupt those that are around them. They hear the sounds being made, and cannot shut them out. He continues by saying “Make no parley-stop for no expostulation” (Whitman, para 3). To me, this means that that he wants the sounds to keep coming, regardless of any complaints from elsewhere. I am thinking that this has something to do with the military, and the bugles and drums that are being played are a way to express to everyone that it is happening and unavoidable regardless of pleas from mothers and children. The second poem I read by Walt Whitman was “I Hear America Singing” (Whitman, 644). This poem talks of different labored...
Words: 937 - Pages: 4
...It is about the victory of the war and the festival that came after it. It states “The ship is weather’d every rack, the prize we sought is won”, this talks about how the union won the war. It also states “O the bleeding drops of red, Where on the deck my Captain lies, Fallen cold and dead", this explains how even though they won the war they lost one of their leaders of whom led them through the war and steered them to victory. The tone of this poem is darker than Elizabeth’s because Whitman really focuses on the loss of Lincoln as opposed to a day to day life which is what his vignette was...
Words: 480 - Pages: 2
...2 2-19-13 In the poem “Oh Captain My Captain” by Walt Whitman is about the assassination of Abraham Lincoln and many people are shocked to see their hero be assassinated, and reveals that Lincoln has earned respect, leadership, and gratitude. Lincoln earned respect by going out to the war and fighting to preserve the Union. Whitman uses metaphors to show the respect Lincoln has earned. “For you the flag is flung”, this metaphor shows that Lincoln was an important person, and for that reason we will raise the flag to show our honor for him. Whitman shows that he is Mournful for the loss of Lincoln. “For the bugle trills” is another metaphor Whitman uses to show his honor, they are blowing the trumpets Many people are thankful for Lincoln because he fought in the war to free the slaves from the southern states, and he also gave them back their human dignity back. In the poem “Oh Captain My Captain” Whitman says “rise up and hear the bells”, the bell are ringing to celebrate a victory and the people are rejoicing. They are celebrating that the war is over and they won, but yet many are also bereave, because of him they are free and aren’t slaves anymore. “For you bouquets and ribbon wreaths”, in this line it means that they put bouquets and ribbons on his grave to show their sorrow for the loss of Lincoln. Lincoln is also a great leader.” My Captain! Our fearful trip is done; The ship has weather'd every rack, the prize we sought is won” Whitman is saying here that the war...
Words: 350 - Pages: 2
...Chapter I The Problem A. INTRODUCTION Having a term paper as a requirement for the graduating students is important. It may be difficult for the students since it is their first time to make this requirement but it is fun to do this, since this is one of knowing the author and the same time develop the researcher’s skill in analyzing and interpreting ideas. In the writing this term paper the researchers gain information and get familiar to the works and life story of the two authors. This term paper focuses the comparative study of William Blake and Walt Whitman. The researchers gather information through research and analyze the data to answer the question stated in the problem. B. BIOGRAPHY OF WILLIAM BLAKE¹ William Blake was an English poet, engraver, and a painter. A boldly imaginative rebel in both his through and art, he combined poetic and pictorial genius to explore life. YOUTH William Blake was born in London, England, on November 28, 1757, the second son of a men’s clothing merchant. From his earliest year he saw vision. He would see trees full of angels on similar sights, if this were not true mystical visions; they were the results of the artistic intense spiritual understanding of the world. From his early teens Blake wrote poems, often setting them to melodies of his own composition. At the age of ten, Blake started at the well-known Park’s DrawingSchool, at age of fourteen; he began a seven year apprenticeship to an engraver. It was as an engraver...
Words: 4226 - Pages: 17
...Summary on Walt Whitman's-'O Captain!My Captain ‘O Captain! My Captain’ is a moving poem in which Whitman expresses his profound sense of grief at a tragic end of a leader of men is addressed to Abraham Lincoln, one of the greatest presidents of the United States of America, who fought a war (the American Civil War) against the Southern States to give the Negro slaves freedom and human dignity. The war was won, the slaves were freed, but Lincoln, soon after his election as president for a second term, fell a victim to an assassin’s bullet. The leader is being conceived as the brave captain of a ship who falls dead on the deck just when the journey is over and the victory is won. Whitman delivers the message to the captain and declares that their fearful and dangerous trip is done. Their ship had withstood every destructive encounter and their prized reward that they longed for is won. Their weary ship is drawing near the sea-port, the church bells are ringing to celebrate a victory and the people are rejoicing. Yet in the midst the celebration, he sees that within the grim and the daring vessel, his heart would spill profusely with drops of blood of immeasurable sadness to see his captain lying cold and dead. Whitman pleads desperately to the captain to get up from his bed and see that the people are flying the flag just for him. The people are blowing their trumpets and bugles and are waiting to present him with bunches of flowers and decorated garlands...
Words: 441 - Pages: 2
...O Captain! My Captain! And Seven Ages of Man Comparison Everyone wonders what reasons they have to read a poem. People always think that poems are boring, sometimes they are and other times they’re not. For example, two very interesting poems are “Seven Ages of Man” written by William Shakespeare. Another good poem is “O Captain! My Captain!” By Walt Whitman. As said above these are two very interesting poems they are alike and different as well. For example: they both have to do with the life cycle of someone, which shows what people go through. It also deals with how death varies from person to person. The difference is that “O Captain My Captain” is about one person and how they died. As for “Seven Ages of Man” is about life as a whole, from to birth to death. “Seven Ages of Man” by William Shakespeare describes the circle of life like never before seen. It has a very interesting way of describing life and how it plays out. To start out with it describes the world as a stage just for some one’s life. This, is saying that the world is a platform for everyone to grow and to develop. Also, everyone that is around is watching as an audience. It’s doesn’t matter where someone is at, everyone around is still watching their every move and action. In act one of this man’s life, he is born into the world. This marks the entry of man in...
Words: 1560 - Pages: 7
...O Captain! My Captain by Walt Whitman O Captain! My Captain is the poem about the brave captain of a ship who felt dead on the deck just when the mission is over and the victory is won. This means that the end of the leader is tragic. "The ship has weathered every rack, the prize we sought is won." The narrator of the poem, he is one of the men of the crew on the ship, delivers the message to the captain that their fearful and dangerous trip is done. "For you bouquets and ribboned wreaths for you the shores a-crowding." They won and people are flying the flag, the church bells are ringing to celebrate the victory, people are cheering and waiting to give him flowers to honour the captain but the problem is that his journey ended on the deck. "Fallen cold and dead." The captain doesn't answer because he lies cold and dead. The ship is safe because the anchor was dropped safe and sound. The victory is worth the effort. "Exult, O shores, and ring, O bells!" The narrator of the poem is encouraging people to cheer and ring those bells loud as possible for the captain to show that he was a honourable man. The narrator says "Here Captain! Dear father!", "My Father." showing that the crew considered him as their father, someone close to them. "But I with mournful tread, walk the deck my Captain lies." The speaker will walk the deck with sadness where his captain lies cold and dead. The captain in this poem was a leader probably one of the greatest who completed his mission and paid...
Words: 293 - Pages: 2
...dreadful war. This was part of a speech that restored hope and showed his nation he cared about the well-being of his country. For example, the author used certain phrases in Lincoln’s speech such as, “...that this mighty scourge of war may speedily pass away... with malice toward none; with charity for all...”(Swanson 2). This may suggest that Swanson also feels that Lincoln was compassionate through the words he used in his speech. Author of “O’ Captain! My Captain!” Walt Whitman depicted Lincoln as admired in his poem. In a similar way as Swanson, Whitman depicted Lincoln as admired after the war ended when he stated, “O Captain! my Captain. rise up and hear the bells; Rise up- for you the flag is flung - for you the bugle trills... " (Whitman line 9). During Lincoln’s life, he was disliked by many in the South, especially after the War, but after his death, even those who despised him came to his funeral. The nation also put up flowers, hung flags, and held a huge funeral for him to show their appreciation and admiration for him. Whitman may also perceive that he admired the number of people that hated him, but still came. Swanson in his novel, Chasing Lincoln's Killer, portrayed Lincoln's assassin, John Wilkes Booth as confident. For instance, in the book, Chasing Lincoln's Killer, Swanson displayed Booth being confident the moments before the murder when he wrote, "Its big.44 caliber ball, weighing in at nearly an ounce, was a solid, deadly round. Unlike military pistols that...
Words: 835 - Pages: 4
...American Literature November 20th, 2012 Perception: The True Meaning of Identity The works published by Whitman, Edwards, and Melville continue to astonish literary critiques today. It amazes me how three writers with such unique qualities all seem to stitch together the same ideas about the “American Identity.” Whitman chooses to see sex as an empowerment on our human race. While Edwards argues that God’s love inspires a fruitful outlook on a trivial life, Melville has no spiritual views and instead ignites his own reasoning to form his perceptions. Whitman’s theory of an American identity rests on an interpretation of sexual reproduction within our humanity. Children of Adam gives our lives true purpose and sheds light on the importance of love and procreation. After reading his poetry, it resurrected a thought I had during our class discussions. We live an endless paradox where life cannot hope to exist without death, good without evil, day without night, and so on. “The oath of procreation I have sworn, my Adamic and fresh daughters, The greed that eats me day and night with hungry gnaw, till I saturate what shall produce boys to fill my place when I am through” (p.2208). Compared to our vast universe, a human being may seem insignificant, yet we hold the key to restoration and preservation of our societal life cycle. Whitman’s poems paralleled the bible when he referred to God’s love for Adam and Eve that was so great, it drove to their creation for his Garden of...
Words: 1723 - Pages: 7
...A part of the poem “O captain O captain” by Walt Whitman is “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. Now not only people that have lost a limb or life in battle are heroes. Everyone that has served and helped is a hero. Not only soldiers are heroes, police officers, firefighters and more. A hero perseveres through times that seem impossible to handle. A quote from the poem “Frederick Douglass” by Robert Hayden is. “Beaten to his knees, exiled, visioning a world where none hunted alien, this man superb in love and logic, this man shall be remembered.” This shows even through thick and thin, through times that seem impossible. A hero does...
Words: 634 - Pages: 3
...Biography of Walt Whitman Walter "Walt" was an American poet, essayist and journalist. A humanist, he was a part of the transition between transcendentalism and realism, incorporating both views in his works. Whitman is among the most influential poets in the American canon, often called the father of free verse. His work was very controversial in its time, particularly his poetry collection Leaves of Grass, which was described as obscene for its overt sexuality. Born on Long Island, Whitman worked as a journalist, a teacher, a government clerk, and – in addition to publishing his poetry – was a volunteer nurse during the American Civil War. Early in his career, he also produced a temperance novel, Franklin Evans (1842). Whitman's major work, Leaves of Grass, was first published in 1855 with his own money. The work was an attempt at reaching out to the common person with an American epic. He continued expanding and revising it until his death in 1892. After a stroke towards the end of his life, he moved to Camden, New Jersey, where his health further declined. He died at age 72 and his funeral became a public spectacle. Whitman's sexuality is often discussed alongside his poetry. Though biographers continue to debate his sexuality, he is usually described as either homosexual or bisexual in his feelings and attractions. However, there is disagreement among biographers as to whether Whitman had actual sexual experiences with men. Whitman was concerned with politics throughout...
Words: 4896 - Pages: 20
...------------------------------------------------- MARIKINACATHOLICSCHOOL ------------------------------------------------- Diocesan Shrine and Parish of Our Lady of the Abandoned ------------------------------------------------- Trunkline: 645.87.38 ------------------------------------------------- website: www.mcs.edu.ph ------------------------------------------------- email address: marikinacatholicschool@mcs.edu.ph ------------------------------------------------- S.Y. 2014-2015 A Narrative Report “With English we can become Heroes” Everything starts with a plan. As early as August we started planning this whole thing. We started with the theme; we decided to focus on heroism since that was the year of the laity and so we come up with the theme: With English we can become Heroes. We also decided to retain all the previous activities from last year’s celebration and we added only one activity which is the poetry writing contest. When November strike, we started with the bulletin board. We also had our department shirt and we decided to use the cute heroine as our mascot. We make it simple and of course related to the theme. The launching happened inside the classrooms with the English teachers patiently explaining all the activities and asking for participants. We also had the rule that no student will join two activities but of course with few exception. The first activity that we had is the best English speaking class – it’s quite familiar...
Words: 2396 - Pages: 10
...Andrew Carnegie: A Tribute "My heart is in the work." -- Andrew Carnegie Neither a rags-to-riches biographical sketch nor a perfectly scanned-in image of Mr. Carnegie could serve as as great a personal tribute to the great Founder of Libraries, the earnest Champion of Peace and the resolute Captain of Industry as presenting his own words online--available electronically and immediately to the whole world through the World Wide Web. He would be tickled pink. Mr. Carnegie loved to promote his ideas and opinions in print. As one of America's most successful businessmen and, perhaps, the world's richest man, it can be assumed that he felt his opinions and advice were not without proven merit. In fact, his journalistic career had begun early when the young man found himself barred from free membership in Col. James Anderson's "Mechanics' and Apprentices' Library." In 1853 Carnegie took the matter to the pages of the Pittsburgh Dispatch; and, as Joseph Wall notes in his definitive biography of Andrew Carnegie, the victory the young man won through his letters to the editor left a lasting impression: It was also his first literary success, and for Andrew nothing else that he had known in the way of recognition by others had been quite as exhilarating as this experience of seeing his own words in print. It fed his vanity and at the same time increased his appetite for more such food. At that moment a journalistic ambition was born which he would spend the remainder of his life...
Words: 1076 - Pages: 5
...Area of Study: Belonging * ‘As You Like It’ written by William Shakespeare * ‘Towelhead’ directed by Alan Ball in * ‘The Surfer’ written by Judith Wright | As You Like It | Towelhead | The Surfer | Language Form and Structure | * ‘As You Like It’ is a stage play in the form of a comedy * It also qualifies as a pastoral romance * Shakespeare wrote the lines of the play in both verse and prose | * ‘Towelhead’ is a film | * Poem * 3 stanzas * Free verse | Personal, cultural, historical and social context | * Written during the reign of Elizabeth I and ironically, both Rosalind and Celia would have been played by men * Appealing nature to both lower and higher classes * Used as a model of social critique | * Set in Houston, Texas during the 1990s * Occurred during the Gulf War * Follows the sexual awakening of Jasira (an American-Lebanese girl) | * Set in Australia | Identity One’s sense of belonging is built upon their exploration of self and the confidence they establish through their own identity. | Identity is explored most obviously with Rosalind’s disguise as Ganymede. This concealment of her true identity allows Rosalind to discover whether Orlando truly loves her. It also allows Rosalind to gain a deeper understanding of herself. This is seen through the use of dramatic irony, this enhances the audience’s connection with the characters and adds to the humour of the play. “Nay, you must call me Rosalind”. Ultimately, it...
Words: 10263 - Pages: 42
