Generalitat de Catalunya Departament dEducaci SIN Pla Marcell

ACTIVITAT_B_English_Group_3_B: Walt Whitman's O Captain, My Captain

O Captain! My Captain!
By Walt Whitman Exercise 1. Read while listening to the comments. Pay attention to pronunciation and intonation. Walt Whitman's O Captain, My Captain! O Captain my Captain! our fearful trip is done, The ship has weathered 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 ribboned 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 anchored 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. Exercise 2. Read the translation of the poem into Spanish. Projecte Cooperatiu de 3r d'ESO Poesia Viva Poetes Morts 2n trimestre 2011-2012

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Oh, Capitn! Mi Capitn! De Walt Whitman Oh Capitn, mi Capitn: nuestro azaroso viaje ha terminado. Al fin venci la nave y el premio fue ganado. Ya el puerto se halla prximo, ya se oye la campana y ver se puede el pueblo que entre vtores, con la mirada sigue la nao soberana. Mas no ves, corazn, oh corazn, cmo los hilos rojos van rodando sobre el puente en el cual mi Capitn permanece extendido, helado y muerto? Oh Capitn, mi Capitn: levntate aguerrido y escucha cual te llaman tropeles de campanas. Por ti se izan banderas y los clarines claman. Son para ti los ramos, las coronas, las cintas. Por ti la multitud se arremolina, por ti llora, por ti su alma llamea y la mirada ansiosa, con verte, se recrea. Oh Capitn, mi Padre amado! Voy mi brazo a poner sobre tu cuello. Es slo una ilusin que en este puente te encuentres extendido, helado y muerto. Mi padre no responde. Sus labios no se mueven. Est plido, plido. Casi sin pulso, inerte. No puede ya animarle mi ansioso brazo fuerte. Anclada est la nave: su ruta ha concluido. Feliz entra en el puerto de vuelta de su viaje. La nave ya ha vencido la furia del oleaje. Oh playas, alegraos; sonad, claras campanas en tanto que camino con paso triste, incierto, por el puente do est mi Capitn para siempre extendido, helado y muerto.

Projecte Cooperatiu de 3r d'ESO Poesia Viva Poetes Morts 2n trimestre 2011-2012

Generalitat de Catalunya Departament dEducaci SIN Pla Marcell

Versin de Nicols Bayona Posada (http://amediavoz.com/whitman.htm)

Exercise 3. Read the poem O Captain! My Captain! by Walt Whitman again. Think about the authors feelings about President Lincolns assassination. The author is very sad about the death of the president and mourns writing this poem for him.

Exercise 4. Have a look at the following presentation on Abrahan Lincoln and his importance of being President of the United States. Exercise 5. Now try to answer the following questions. You can help yourself wih the translation into Spanish and/or Catalan. Remember to write the ideas in English. 1. Who is Whitman referring to as the captain? He is referring to President Lincoln. 2. What does the ship represent in this poem? It represents the time Lincoln has been president, with all the difficulties and struggles. 3. What is the prize that is sought and won referring to? It is everything that Lincoln accomplished during his time as a president. 4. How does the author feel about the captain? Projecte Cooperatiu de 3r d'ESO Poesia Viva Poetes Morts 2n trimestre 2011-2012

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He is very loyal to him, and wants to express that writing this poem. 5. What does The ship has weathered every rack mean? It means it has gone through every difficulty and survived. 6. Why wont My Captain answer? Because he is dead. Exercise 6. Once you know a little bit about why and how Whitman wrote his poem, O Captain, My Captain!, you will need to choose one of the three parts into which it is divided. Read it carefully, help the computer specialist to find images related to the poem, make a selection of lines, record them with your voices (remember you can mix Catalan, Spanish and English) and be original in your presentation.

Projecte Cooperatiu de 3r d'ESO Poesia Viva Poetes Morts 2n trimestre 2011-2012