"O Captain! My Captain!" by Walt Whitman (poetry reading)

[OriensVG]

This is simply amazing...

[cwcwful]

Only five days after the civil war ended Lincoln was killed, by John Wilkes Booth. This is Painful to even think about, even though it was almost 150 years ago.

[TheSarge5445]

Why does this have so many dislikes? This is one of the greatest poems ever written, and whoever read it has a pretty good voice.

[cwcwful]

@TheSarge5445 I can answer your question. It called a lack of education.

[rpVerlaine]

mesmerising performance to stirring words

[IsagOnzali]

is truely beautiful :)

[cwcwful]

@IsagOnzali It's a great poem, but I would not say beautiful. After all it's about the Murder of Abraham Lincoln. Murder by it's nature is never beautiful.

[SpacyAngel]

I first heard of this poem when I saw the movie 'Dead poets society', about two months ago. I'm so glad to hear it now, how does it really sound! I'm not from England or America, so I don't now much of the foreign poetry, but still I find it incredible, to discover new poets (well...'new' is perhaps not the best word :-D). Polish poetry is really beautiful, but polish translations aren't that good. I think it's always best to read poetry in original - as long as it is possible of course :-)

[HPHSGermany2010]

@SpacyAngel I appreciate your response. I speak English and German, but really like Polish poetry--Milosz, Anna Swir, Symborska. Milosz and the American poet, Leonard Nathan, edited an anthology called Polish Post-War poetry. It focused on the Polish poetry from the late 1940s through the early 1980s. It is one of my favorite collections. I really like Tzadeuz Roshewitz (I think that's how they spelled it).

[Tomacatos]

@HPHSGermany2010

It's Taduesz Rożewicz my dear western neighbour.

[jamierourketen]

the usa in the time of lincoln wasn't in any mood to celebrate...they just went through a horrific war that killed way to many of it's young men,lincoln kept on saying it was for the freedom of black american slaves!...no such reality...for nearly another hundred years blacks were still treated like shit on white folks shoes....

[eternal8song]

i have always love this poem.

[knitesvball243]

i love these because i have to memorize poems for class and they help so much

[hisdarqness]

Actually, more than the Americans but Israel has accepted Uncle Walt's extended metaphor in tribute of Lincoln's. For example, Israel plays a song version of "O Captain, My Captain" every anniversary of Yitzhak Rabin's assassination.

And, as you've alluded to, OCMC is categorized as an "extended metaphor." One would expect no literal reference to the intend subject matter...otherwise, it wouldn't be a metaphor...

[deannasanders1]

Whos voice is this reading???? Its pure Beauty!!

[LegsMachinima]

I absolutely adore this poem. That's not the reason for my commenting though. Respect to you, dear sir, you just just won it while I read your astute comments and description. Made me smile :) MsDictionairy on the other hand didn't achieve as much.

[MorriganBella]

Love this aud-video clip and am glad it does not have a stupid copyrighted notice all over as others do.

[sevenonpaper1]

this was the BEST reading of this poem I have ever heard. When I read the poem myself, I can HEAR how it should sound in my head. I just can't make my voice do it. But you could.

[Hula666hoop]

Thank you!

[TaniaYk]

I Love it!!!!

[Jewlysses]

@nyterabyte Yes, the allusions to Lincoln--for example, the vessels--are easy to see once you have the idea of a tribute to Lincoln in mind; however, SpokenVerse was, I believe, trying to indicate this:

If you were to present this poem to someone who extensively studied American History, they would have a difficult time associating the poem with Lincoln, because there are no obtrusive allusions to Lincoln or his presidency.

[ImGoingToBeAnMD]

I love this poem. It's the only poem I love by Walt Whitman. I have a very morbid taste in poetry. I love poems with desolation, apprehensions, sadness, or no hope. Walt Whitman doesn't really give that sort of mood. Especially with "Miracles."

Your voice is still so sweet! I am still perplex about the picture of Abraham Lincoln. I'll thing about it long and hard.

[sparuto117]

great! simply great!

[awcrap1999]

Great!