Before Reading
O Captain! My Captain!
I Saw Old General at Bay
Poems by Walt Whitman
What is the
cost of victory?
KEY IDEA Triumph often comes with consequences. For example,
the Union victory in the Civil War preserved the United States and
ended slavery, but these outcomes came at a cost. Almost 700,000
people died, countless others suffered, and enormous amounts of
property were destroyed. In the two poems you are about to read,
Walt Whitman reflects on the great cost of victory in the Civil War.
QUICKWRITE Wars are not the only events in which winning takes
a toll. We all have had personal victories that cost us in one way
or another. For example, suppose you and your best friend have
an argument over an issue that is very important to both of you.
You might win the argument, but lose your friend in the process.
In your journal, write about a time in your life when victory had
a price. Was what you won worth the cost? Explain.
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literary analysis: style in poetry
Walt Whitman is known for his uniquely American style,
or way of using language to express ideas. One thing that
makes Whitman’s style stand out is his unconventional use of
language. He often didn’t follow traditional rules of line length
and rhyme as other poets of his time did. In addition, Whitman
often wrote about politics and current events, topics the poets
who came before him tended to avoid. The following elements
are also part of Whitman’s style:
• strong imagery, or words and phrases that appeal to the
reader’s five senses
• repetition of a sound, word, phrase, or line for emphasis
• irony, or a contrast between what is expected and what
actually happens
As you read “O Captain! My Captain!” and “I Saw Old General
at Bay,” use a chart like the one shown to help you identify
these elements of the legendary poet’s style.
“O Captain! My Captain!”
“I Saw Old General at Bay”
Imagery
Repetition
Irony
reading skill: understand historical context
As with other works of literature, Whitman’s poems become
easier to understand once you know their historical context,
the real events and people that influenced them. Whitman
wrote “O Captain! My Captain!” and “I Saw Old General at Bay”
as a way of expressing his thoughts and feelings about the Civil
War. Before you begin the two poems, read the Background
on this page. The information can help you better appreciate
Whitman’s message.
An American Voice
Poet Walt Whitman
is considered one
of America’s most
beloved and original
writers. The poems in
his collection Leaves
of Grass were the first
to be written in free
verse, which means
they did not contain
regular patterns of
Walt Whitman
rhythm and rhyme.
1819–1892
Whitman’s poetry
was praised by a few critics in his lifetime,
but many others did not like it. As a result,
his work did not become popular until after
his death.
Background
The “Good Gray Poet” When his brother
George, a Union soldier, was injured in
battle in 1862, Whitman went to Virginia
to care for him. Whitman was moved by
the sight of the injured soldiers and decided
to stay in Washington, D.C., volunteering
in army hospitals. Friends often referred to
Whitman as the “Good Gray Poet” because
of his charity toward the troops.
A Poet in Mourning On April 14, 1865,
only five days after the end of the Civil War,
President Abraham Lincoln was assassinated
because of his antislavery beliefs. Whitman
was a great admirer of Lincoln’s. He wrote
“O Captain! My Captain!” to capture the
sense of tragedy that overwhelmed the
nation upon Lincoln’s death. The poem
“I Saw Old General at Bay” was published
in a collection called Drum Taps, which
included many poems expressing Whitman’s
feelings about the war.
more about the author
and background
To learn more about Walt Whitman
and the Civil War, visit the Literature
Center at ClassZone.com.
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Captain!
y Captain!
Walt Whitman
5
10
15
20
O Captain! my Captain! our fearful trip is done,
The ship has weather’d every rack,1 the prize we sought2 is won,
The port is near, the bells I hear, the people all exulting,
While follow eyes the steady keel,3 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. b
O Captain! my Captain! rise up and hear the bells;
Rise up—for you the flag is flung4—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. c
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,5
Walk the deck my Captain lies,
Fallen cold and dead.
a
a HISTORICAL CONTEXT
Given what you read
in the Background on
page 729, who do you
think is the captain, and
what is his ship?
b STYLE IN POETRY
Reread lines 1–8. In what
way does the description
of the rejoicing crowds
help emphasize the
tragedy and irony of
the captain’s death?
c
STYLE IN POETRY
Reread lines 9–16. What
imagery does Whitman
use to convey the people’s
adoration of their leader?
Add these images to your
chart.
ANALYZE VISUALS
What words would you
use to describe the mood
of this painting?
1. rack: a mass of wind-driven clouds.
2. sought (sôt): searched for; tried to gain.
3. keel: the main part of a ship’s structure.
4. flung: suddenly put out.
5. tread (trDd): footsteps.
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unit 6: style, voice, and tone
Lincoln 2, Wendy Allen. Oil on canvas. © Wendy Allen.
I Saw Old General at Bay
Walt Whitman
5
I saw old General at bay,
(Old as he was, his gray eyes yet shone out in battle like stars,) d
His small force was now completely hemm’d1 in, in his works,
He call’d for volunteers to run the enemy’s lines, a desperate
emergency,
I saw a hundred and more step forth from the ranks, but two
or three were selected,
I saw them receive their orders aside, they listen’d with care,
the adjutant2 was very grave,
I saw them depart with cheerfulness, freely risking their lives. e
1. hemm’d: hemmed; surrounded or enclosed.
2. adjutant (BjPE-tEnt): a staff officer who helps a commanding officer with
administrative affairs.
Detail of Major General John Sedgwick Monument, Wendy Allen. Oil on canvas, 40˝ × 30˝.
© Wendy Allen.
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d STYLE IN POETRY
Reread line 2. What
descriptive words
and details help you
understand what the
general looks like?
e
HISTORICAL CONTEXT
Reread the last line.
Which of Whitman’s
experiences best helps
you interpret it?
After Reading
Comprehension
1. Recall What does the speaker of “O Captain! My Captain!” see on the
deck of the ship?
2. Clarify What “desperate emergency” did the old general face?
3. Clarify For what did the general need volunteers?
Literary Analysis
4. Apply Historical Context Knowing the historical
context of a poem often helps you understand
the figurative language that is used. In
“O Captain! My Captain!” Walt Whitman uses
an extended metaphor, a comparison of two
unlike things that unfolds throughout several
lines or stanzas, or even an entire poem. How
does knowing about Whitman’s life and times
help you identify the metaphor? Create a chart
to list the elements of the metaphor and what
each element represents.
Element
What It Represents
captain
President Lincoln
fearful trip
ship
prize
storm
arrival of the ship at port
5. Make Inferences Reread the last line of “I Saw Old General at Bay.”
What do the volunteers’ attitudes say about the general?
6. Understand Elegy An elegy is an extended, thoughtful poem in which the
speaker reflects upon death—often in tribute to a person who has died
recently. Which of the two poems best fits this definition? Support your
answer with examples from the poem you chose.
7. Analyze Style Review the chart you made while reading. Note the places
Whitman uses imagery, repetition, and irony. How do these elements
emphasize both the cost of the war and the greatness of those who led
the Union to victory?
Extension and Challenge
8. Creative Project: Art What pictures might help others to understand these
poems? Choose one of the poems and look online for pictures or clip art that
help capture its mood. Assemble the images in the form of a collage.
9.
SOCIAL STUDIES CONNECTION Find out more about the Civil War.
Create a poster showing the causes, benefits, and cost of the war, and
present your poster to the class.
research links
For more on the Civil War, visit the Research Center at ClassZone.com.
o captain! my captain! / i saw old general at bay
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