Question

How does the rhyming in this poem create emphasis on certain words? How does the emphasis on those words, in turn, emphasize certain themes? Cite evidence from the text to support your answer.

"O' Captain! My Captain!" By Walt Whitman
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
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 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.
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,
Walk the deck my Captain lies,
Fallen cold and dead.

Answer 1

In "O Captain! My Captain!" Whitman's use of rhyme emphasizes contrasting themes of public victory versus private mourning, particularly manifesting in the poem's reflection on Lincoln's death following the Civil War.

Step-by-step explanation:

The poem "O Captain! My Captain!" by Walt Whitman utilizes rhyme to create emphasis on words that contribute to the overarching themes of loss and reverence. The rhyming pairs such as "done" and "won," "bells" and "trills," as well as "head" and "dead" draw attention to the poem's dichotomy of victory and death. The emphasis on these words deepens the contrast between the public triumph and private grief, further emphasized by the juxtaposition of the celebration for the end of the Civil War and the mourning of President Lincoln's assassination, which the Captain symbolizes. Additionally, the repetition of heart in "But O heart! heart! heart!" underscores the profound grief experienced by the speaker, reinforcing the theme of personal loss amidst a collective victory. The poem's structure and rhyming pattern provide a sense of familiarity and rhythm that contrast sharply with its somber content.