Detailed Stylistic Analysis of Walt Whitman's 'O Captain! My Captain!'

This paper presents a stylistic analysis of Walt Whitman's renowned poem, 'O Captain! My Captain!,' focusing on its graphological, grammatical, and phonological levels. The analysis delves into the poem's themes, metaphors, and poetic devices, highlighting its significance as a tribute to Abraham Lincoln. The introduction discusses the concept of style and its application to literary texts, while the literature review explores Whitman's background and the poem's historical context. The methodology employs a qualitative and inductive approach, utilizing speech act theory for data analysis. The paper also examines the poem's impact and its place in American literature, concluding with a comprehensive understanding of Whitman's poetic style and its emotional resonance. The paper also acknowledges the limitations of the research based on the available literature and the poem's specific focus on grief and sorrow.

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STYLISTIC ANALYSIS OF THE POEMO
CAPTAIN! MY CAPTAIN!
BY WALT WHITMAN
Name of Students
Date of Submission

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TABLE OFCONTENTS
Abstract ...............................................................................................................................
Introduction .........................................................................................................................
Significance of research .......................................................................................................
Limitation .............................................................................................................................
Literature Review..................................................................................................................
Methodology ........................................................................................................................
Data analysis Speech act theory ..........................................................................................
Level of Stylistic Analysis .....................................................................................................
Introduction to Poem.............................................................................................................
Theme of Poem ....................................................................................................................
Stylistic analysis of the poem O Captain! My Captain! .........................................................
Graphlogical Level ...............................................................................................................
Grammatical Level ...............................................................................................................
Phonological level ................................................................................................................
Analysis of the Poetic Device ...............................................................................................
Conclusion ...........................................................................................................................
Reference ............................................................................................................................

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ABSTRACT
The aim of this paper is to stylistically analyze the Walt Whitman Poem, O Captain! My Ca
This poem of Walt Whitman is famous because of the political and tribute aspect of Abraha
Lincoln. In this poem, the poet has expressed his sorrow at the death of the most beloved
great leader. The analysis in this paper has been conducted under the aspects of Graphlog
Grammatical and Phonological levels, and patterns. The significance and the literature tha
been written on Walt Whitman is also commenced in this paper. This paper is useful to an
the style and the structure of Walt Whitman's poetry style, theme, metaphor, views, and s
expression.
Keywords:Stylistic Analysis, Walt Whitman,O Captain!My Captain,Grammatical,
Graphlogical, Phonological.

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INTRODUCTION
The world style is driven from the Latin World “Elocution,” and in Greek, it means
which means Style. The word itself has wider terms, and there are several meanings outsi
the literary context. The words practical procedure is, by certain means, something is ach
a proper manner or way of Style. In general, the appearance of anything is considered sty
way of living and doing things in a particular manner is Style (Abuya, 2012). The word styl
also related to the person’s personality. The style also reflects the thought pattern
individual mind; it also expressed the way of individual writing and speaking. The
analysis is referring to the study of the style of individual texts or aesthetics. The objective
aim of the stylistic analysis are to interpret the aesthetics and meaning of the lite
linguistically. There are many definitions of stylistics, but Short and Lee have defi
“Compared with many other studies, literary stylistics is a new science, a linguistic approa
towards literature works” (Allen, 1975). In the applied linguistics theories of the contempo
linguisticsubject,the stylisticanalysisrelatedto the critic's concernsthe appreciation
aesthetically. In this paper, the analysis is based on the American poet Walt Whitman who
born on 31-May-1819 in Long Island. Walt has to face a rough childhood due to fi
difficulties and hardship, and he completed his formal education at the age of elev
completing his formal education, he founded the job as an office boy to support his family
known as the one of greatest American poet, Journalist, Essayist, and Humanist. And also,
proclaimed as the greatest of all American poets around the world and also observed as th
American urban poet (Bogoslaw, 1995).
SIGNIFICANCE OF RESEARCH

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This stylistic research is significant because it is providing a better understanding and mea
the poetry of O Captain! My Captain, one can say that this poem was written for the com
future of American after the death of great leader Abraham Lincoln. The way the
expressed his sorrow and grief with perfect use of words, rhymes, and grammar is
contemporary way for the linguistics analyzers to understand the depth, feel the e
words, and why this poem gained the historical value in America. The poet is also known a
patriotic poet of the 20th century because, in many of his works and poems, he has appreciated
and praised the democracy, and this made him the proclaimed American democratic poet
2010).
LIMITATION
The limitation of this research is based on the limited available literature on the selected p
The second limitation is based on the critical perspective as the poet is proclaimed and lov
the literature; there are minor or zero individuals who have criticized his work. As
poem is concerned, the poet's work is set the limitation as the environment and expressio
poem are solely based on the grief and sorrow of the leader. So, this poem cannot be put
other context.
LITERATURE REVIEW
According to Allen (1975), there is no argument that Walt Whitman is an American great a
most influential poet, and he has given the poetry the innovative touch. He was born into
middle class working family in West Hills Long Island, New York (Whitman, 1902). He was
named after his father 34 years’ old farmer and carpenter when Walter Whiteman was bor

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was trained as the carpenter from beginning but challenging environment made him strug
find the work. So, he did farming for short period of time. one of the most remembered sto
memory of Walt Whitman was when the General Lafayette visited the New York a
million people crowd he selected six years old Walt, he lifted Walt up and carried him. In h
life, after school he started working in the printing press but fire destroyed the press so he
his own news paper and published his own work. Though his work and words was
appreciated and raised many controversies but still he was determined to write an
considered as the “Father of Free Verse” (Visvesvara, 1984).
Moreover, according to (), it has been identified that the objective and the aim of his writin
to reach the common individual of the society who has always felt that they have been ign
by the literature in that period of time. The Walt Whitman was interested in politics and w
writing tool and work he has addressed democratic and political issues that were faced by
in that period of time. One of his famous works is known as the Leaves of Grass that was w
and published in 1855 (Traubel, 1915). However, this collection received numerous critic
from various critics as they called this work obscene because of its sexual themes, which
offensive in that period of time. And due to this collection he was fired from his
Brooklyn Eagle. Though, with so much of critics one of man who names was Ralp
Emerson appreciated and gave Walt Whitman poetry collection appraisal and approval to
his friend. This approval raises the interest in the book. Thus, in the publication and contr
in the careers of the Walt Whitman the Emerson was the important person and he helps h
printing the numerous editions and helped him in mitigating the negative criticism Walt re
for his first edition (Nofal, 2013).

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The work of Whitman also was influenced by the environment and nature. One of
aspects in his works Mortality because in childhood he encountered death of his in
when he was six years old. He also lost loved ones, as well as other relatives. Moreover, w
employed as a writer, he discovered things of individuals who had an influence on his writ
e.g. the poem Song of Myself, in which he reveals violent ends (Natalia, 2010).
The life story of the Walt Whitman is surrounded and heavily influenced by the Ab
Lincoln to the level of intensity. In the beginning of 1870 and beyond this time period he o
and gave numerous lectures on Lincoln. The reflection of these lecture can be seen in his
famous work Elegies “When lilacs last in the dooryard Bloomed” and in the most famous a
recognized Poem O captain my captain. This also brought him the financial suppor
undesired connection to the war and the martyred leader and president. These le
Abraham Lincoln were Whitman's closest come to fulfill his early dream of being a wander
lecturer. Typically he ended with "O Captain!" showing his determination to perform
position of common elegist amid his personal reservations regarding the poem's conventio
(Whitman, 1902).
The Walt Whitman is also considered as the first generation of the American poets who we
develop and form the United States with their patriotic emotions because he was born into
established states and grew up assuming the stable environment of the new country. The
factor in the country was high. The elegy of O Captain! My Captain was written in the 1865
commemorate the sudden assassination of the Abraham Lincoln. A selection of Wh
poetry influenced by the circumstances of the American Civil War, it was first written in Se
to Drum-Taps (1865). The poem is probably the most popular of Whitman's — whi
surprising, because it is far more traditional in meter, style, and topic than much

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work of Whitman. Although some critics suggested Whitman ever regretted writing "O Cap
Captain me! "It certainly caught the spirit of a grieving country and remains one
loved and most-quoted poems of Whitman (Visvesvara, 1984).
METHODOLOGY
In this stylistic research analysis the qualitative and inductive approach of research has be
to analyze the literature and the style of poem that is quite famous and recognize
American history and American literature. The qualitative research approach is broad in s
because it provides the massive amount of data from the accurate resources that can be u
the research for finding the accurate result. The inductive research is the part of
methodology in which if the research has been conduction on the subject on whic
limited information than this research help to identify the road map through which the acc
and precise data can be collected based on the theoretical and philosophical supp
justification (Nofal, 2013).
DATA ANALYSISSPEECH ACT THEORY
The data analysis is has been conducted based on the speech act theory. The theory of sp
received much criticism when it was introduced in the studies and it is considered as the s
of pragmatics studies which’s shows that how words are not used to express the emotions
also carries the actions. The theory was introduced by the J.L Austin the Oxford Philosophe
his work How to do things with words and further the theory was continue and develop by
American Philosopher J.R. Searle (Natalia, 2010). It considers the extent to which utteranc
said to be performing illocutionary acts, illocutionary acts and/or acts of per locution. The

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become instant classic in the American literature because of the strong influence a
people towards the Abraham Lincoln and people were so in grief that for many years their
was recited as the verses in the American schools. Yet the author believed that praise for
poem was less, as he stated once that if he can write complete book on this still that will e
his grief and pain. At the core of this statement he presents the recognition and accredita
received by the audience in those days just because of the words and metaphor he used i
poem expressed the emotion and people of that time can related to the words of
expressed their emotion by reciting the verses. And then, "O Commander! Captain me! "D
testify to the durability of Whitman as a author. While engaging in fixed patterns of rhyme
meter, the poem manages to communicate Whitman’s heroic vision of Lincoln, the Civil W
great Union leader, as well as the horror, shock, and dismay that Whitman felt when he le
of Lincoln’s murder. As far the analysis is concerned the Fallen Captain stance in the Poem
allusion that is used for the Abraham Lincoln, and the Ship is taken as the Metap
country (United Stated of America). The poem is about the difficulty of the speaker to com
grips with his Captain 's death. Although he realizes that his Captain is gone, he hopes tha
may dream, that he may be misunderstood somewhere (Hubert, 2007). The last line, how
repeating the refrain "Fallen cold and dead," gives the poem a sense of intimacy and leav
doubt in the mind of the reader. The Captain (Lincoln), the father figure and chief of the vo
now gone, and what was to have become a moment of immense rejoicing at the close of t
War has been a period of collective sorrow and mourning (Loving, 2000).
LEVEL OF STYLISTIC ANALYSIS

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In the study of applied linguistic the stylistic is more concerned with the style and express
writing. In discipline to research and studies, the stylistic analysis provides and pre
numerous types of varieties in the expression of words as action or emotion in th
aspects. The usage of words and styles are the part of speech and stylistics is more conce
the circumstances or situation properties that provide the different influence and variation
of language. In applied linguistic and theories the stylistic analysis are divided in t
levels and with these level the intensity of the level and score increases (Fischer, 2009). T
level is basic and is linked with the Phonetics as it is the examination and expression of so
The second level is based on the Phonological level which is based on sound of system tha
given in language. The thirds level is based on the graph logical level it is used to measure
study of writing style. The fourth level is based on grammatical level, in this morphologica
syntactic levels are discussed. Lastly, the fifth level is based on lexical in this, the examina
expressions of patterns and idioms are measured in the linguistics context on the
semantics (Hadidi, 2015).
INTRODUCTION TOPOEM
This poem is written and expressed in the form of Elegy means that it is sort of like the Fu
Song which expresses sorrow and the grief of the writers. The poems are famous and reno
in the American literature. The Walt Whitman wrote the around 18 poems on the backgrou
the Civil War in America. The O Captain! My Captain was published initially in pamphlet wh
is known as the Sequel to Drum Taps. This poem, which has historical value, was written a
tribute to the American President Abraham Lincoln, whom Whitman used to admire. This h
since earned a great deal of recognition across the world because of its creative value. Th

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is written as a funeral song in the form of an elegy. Throughout the poem Whitman used v
strong figurative words to show his admiration and lament the death of Abraham
Expression of sorrow and remembrance marks the poem’s heart. Though, what is read tod
this poem is the expression of the authors mind (Abuya, 2012).
THEME OFPOEM
The theme of the poem is commencing the sentiments of the authors to the listen
assassination and demise of his President (Captain). There is administration for the victory
achievement that are won together. The key thread that emerges across the poem
Lincoln’s death at the end of the Civil War which killed the great president of the United S
Each stanza provides us with an indication of the war. Although the distressing cycle ends
ring, the captain is no longer to enjoy the triumph (Allen, 1975).
STYLISTIC ANALYSIS OF THE POEM O CAPTAIN! MY
CAPTAIN!
GRAPHLOGICAL LEVEL
 The Poem has division of Stanzas
 Its going lyrical because its Elegy
 There are Capitalization on Certain words to put the pressure

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 There is much punctuation in the Poem: Such as, Exclamation, commas, full
Apostrophizes and dashes are commonly used in the Poem.
Nouns Pronouns Common Nouns Proper Nouns
 Ship
 Port
 Bell
 Flag
 Lips
 Prize
 Shore
 Captain
 Father
 You
 Trip
 Fearful
 Eyes
 Kneel
 Vessels
 Grim
 Bleeding
 Heart
 Bouquet
 Ribbons
 Ship
 Beneath
 Head
 Anchor
 Victor
 Ship
GRAMMATICAL LEVEL
There is massive use of different punctuation in the poem, such as commas, apos
exclamation marks, colons, dash and full stops.
Use of Exclamations:

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 O Captain! My Captain!
 O heart! heart! heart!
 Here Captain! dear father!
 Beneath your head!
 and ring O bells!
The author has used exclamations at many word
and on the main themeof the poem.The
exclamations are used many times in the writing
to put the forcesand efforton unexpressed
emotions or things that are cannot be changed.
Use of Comma: The authors have used the commas as to pause the expression of his wo
way people pauses while expressing something sorrowful and melancholic, It’s kind of pau
the writing that the author is wiping his tears.
PHONOLOGICAL LEVEL
There are 24 lines in the poem divided in three stanzas.
 There are 59 A’s.
 There are 77 E’s.
 There are 44 I’s.
 There are 48 O’s.
 There are 21 U’s.
The sound is starts with AABBCDED, with minor rhyme but not total rhyming in the poem.
ANALYSIS OF THEPOETIC DEVICE

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Stanzas There is poetic form in the few lines of the poem; there are three stanzas in
poem consisting of eight lines verses each of stanza.
Heroic Couplets The poem is written in the heroic couplets attributing the success and victory
the leader/President. But the author has broken the last stanzas line b
straight meters and ending rhymes.
Double Quatrain There are double quatrains that are used three times in the poem. The initia
the last stanzas of the poem are joining together with dissimilar meters.
Rhyme The poem contains with some inner rhymes, AABBCDED. The poet did
follow a specific rhyme scheme throughout the entire poem.
Scansion It applies to a poem not having a conventional meter or a patterned meter. W
the meteris primarilyiambic,thereare also incoherence’s.Hence,it's a
structural scansion.
Repetition Phrases are echoed, "fallen frozen and buried" and "O captain! My Ca
That is creating the rhyme my not much in the entire poem.
Refrain In the poetry, the lines repeated at any distance are labeled refrain. I
Captain! My Captain! "And in the first and last stanza," fallen cold and dead "
a refrain that has built up a kind of tension in the poem.
CONCLUSION
Hence in the conclusion, there is no argument that this poem has its own position
American literature because of the Historical context. Such reactions of course have more
with fashion in part than with the quality of the poem. To Whitman admirers, though, this

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is somewhat unusual in that its conventional meter and rhyme scheme marks a literary tu
from the other changes that Whitman gives to the realm of American poetry. There is cri
reaction to this poem but that gives the contrasting statements. It was so commo
embraced when it was first written that it was an instant classic, but as time progressed it
less and less appreciated by the literary critics. In his essay "The Unseen Universe," Donal
goes so far as to term it a "ghastly poem," while in his "Introduction to Whitman Picked," R
Creeley acknowledged that he was "embarrassed" that his "grandmother" might recite thi
for him.

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