Educational worksheet analyzing Walt Whitman's poem "O Captain! My Captain!" with questions on tone, emotion, and symbolism.

Here are the answers to the questions on the worksheet for "O Captain! My Captain!" by Walt Whitman.

1. Who is the speaker of the poem?
Answer: b. a crew member
*(Reasoning: The speaker refers to "our fearful trip" and addresses the captain directly as "you," implying they were part of the group working under him, not the captain himself or an outsider.)*

2. Part A & Part B
Part A Answer: d. proud
Part B Answer: The evidence is in the lines: "The prize we sought is won, / The port is near, the bells I hear, the people all exulting." These lines show that the difficult journey is over, they have succeeded ("prize... is won"), and there is celebration, which creates a tone of pride and triumph before the mood shifts.

3. How and why does the speaker’s tone change in lines 5-8?
Answer: The tone changes from triumphant and celebratory to shocked and mournful. In the first four lines, the speaker is happy about winning the "prize." However, in lines 5-8, he notices his Captain lying on the deck with "bleeding drops of red." The tone shifts because the realization hits him that while the ship has arrived safely, the leader who guided them there has died.

4. Part A & Part B
Part A Answer: c. admiration AND e. anguish
Part B Answer:
* Evidence for Admiration: The speaker calls him "my father" and says, "For you they call, the swaying mass, their eager faces turning." This shows deep respect and love.
* Evidence for Anguish: The speaker pleads, "O heart! heart! heart!" and describes the captain as "fallen cold and dead." This repetition and imagery show his intense pain and grief.

5. Consider the difference between the speaker's emotions and those of the crowd onshore. What effect does this contrast have on the poem?
Answer: The crowd on the shore is celebrating with bells and cheers because they see the victory of the ship arriving. The speaker, however, is grieving because he sees the dead Captain. This contrast highlights the speaker's personal loss; it shows that even though the nation (the crowd) is happy about the end of the war, the speaker feels a deep, personal sadness that the others do not understand yet. It makes the tragedy feel more isolated and painful.

6. The author repeats the phrase “fallen cold and dead” at the end of each stanza. What does this repetition tell the reader about the narrator’s point of view?
Answer: The repetition emphasizes the finality and reality of death. In the first stanza, the speaker is in shock and can barely believe it. By repeating it in every stanza, it shows that the speaker cannot move past this fact. No matter how much he tries to celebrate the victory or wake the captain up, the reality remains: the Captain is gone. It drives home the narrator's inability to accept the loss.

7. Symbolism Chart
Walt Whitman uses an extended metaphor where the ship represents the United States during the Civil War.

| Item | Symbolizes |
| :--- | :--- |
| Captain | President Abraham Lincoln |
| the ship | The United States (or the Union) |
| the voyage | The Civil War |
| the prize | Preservation of the Union (Victory in the war) |

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Final Answer:

1. b
2. Part A: d
2. Part B: The lines "The prize we sought is won" and "the people all exulting" show success and celebration.
3. The tone shifts from proud/triumphant to mournful/shocked because the speaker realizes the Captain has died just as they reached safety.
4. Part A: c, e
4. Part B: Admiration is shown by calling him "father"; anguish is shown by the cry "O heart! heart! heart!" and the description "fallen cold and dead."
5. The contrast emphasizes the speaker's personal grief amidst public celebration, highlighting his isolation and deep personal connection to the Captain.
6. It emphasizes the harsh reality of death that the narrator cannot escape or deny, despite the surrounding victory.
7.
* Captain: Abraham Lincoln
* The Ship: The United States / The Union
* The Voyage: The Civil War
* The Prize: Victory / Saving the Union