O Captain! My Captain!

Her er hjælp til analyse af digtet "O Captain! My Captain" af Walt Whitman. I denne study guide viser vi dig eksempler på, hvad du med fordel kan arbejde med, når du selv skal lave en analyse af denne tekst. Ud over hjælp til analyse får du også et summary og bud på digtets temaer og mulige perspektivering.

Præsentation af teksten

Titel: “O Captain! My Captain!” (1891)
Forfatter: Walt Whitman
Genre: Poesi

Walt Whitman (1819-1892) var en berømt amerikansk poet. Han skrev talrige digte, som handlede om en bred vifte af emner: kærlighed, naturen, religion, politik osv. Under den amerikanske borgerkrig arbejdede forfatteren både som sygeplejer og journalist, men kom aldrig selv rigtig i kamp. Digtet, "O Captain! My Captain" blev skrevet efter den amerikanske præsident Abraham Lincolns død og er dedikeret til ham. Dette dig gjorde Whitman umådeligt populær i sin samtid.

Uddrag

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Summary

The poem “O Captain! My Captain!” by Walt Whitman is an apostrophe (appeal to someone who cannot answer back) addressed to a ship captain who was successful in battles and returns home, where everybody is waiting to celebrate his victory. However, the captain had died on the deck and what was supposed to be a cheerful celebration turns into mourning. The captain is mourned as a father and a ship commander.

Though the speaker calls out for him and wants to celebrate his victory, the captain is unable to answer, as he has died on his ship on the way home. The irony of the situation is that he managed to protect his ship in battle and return it home safe and sound, yet he is no longer alive to enjoy his victory.