Std 10 English chapters › Unit 4
In short: An elegy by Walt Whitman on the death of President Abraham Lincoln, pictured as a ship’s captain who dies just as his ship reaches home in victory.
(राष्ट्राध्यक्ष अब्राहम लिंकन यांच्या मृत्यूवर वॉल्ट व्हिटमन यांनी लिहिलेले शोकगीत; विजयी होऊन जहाज बंदरात पोहोचत असतानाच मरण पावलेल्या कप्तानाच्या रूपात लिंकन दाखवले आहेत.)
- Type: Poem (elegy: a poem of mourning)
- Poet: Walt Whitman
- Written after: The assassination of US President Abraham Lincoln in April 1865, just after the American Civil War
- Speaker: A sailor on the ship
- Unit: 4
4.3 O Captain! My Captain!: English Workshop Question Answers
Answers to every activity in the Std 10 English Kumarbharati textbook (Maharashtra Board), written by a practising English teacher. Read the poem in your textbook first, then try each activity here before you check the answer.
Chit-chat: games and captains
✍️ Discuss with your classmates first.
Show sample answers
- Cricket, kabaddi, kho-kho, volleyball and football are played in our school.
- Write the names of your own school’s team captains here.
- A team captain: leads and motivates the team, plans the strategy, sets the batting or playing order, keeps discipline and talks to the referee or umpire.
- A ship’s captain: commands the ship and crew, plans the route, watches the weather, keeps passengers and cargo safe and takes the final decision in an emergency.
Warming up: Words hidden in the grid
Across: board · brave · navigation · salute · compass · light · martyr · soldier
Down: steer · cruise · battle · anchor · funeral · sailor · victory
16 words = “Genius”!
Short questions from the poem (margin questions)
- What is the location of the battle ship?
It is near the port, after its fearful trip, with the bells ringing on the shore. - How are the people waiting to welcome the captain?
They are ringing bells, flying flags, blowing bugles and holding bouquets and ribboned wreaths. Crowds stand on the shore with eager faces. - Why is the speaker filled with grief?
His beloved Captain lies on the deck, fallen cold and dead, at the very moment of victory. - In what state does the captain lie on the deck?
He lies cold and dead, his lips pale and still, with no pulse.
Q1. Word register: words related to “ship”
(a) port (b) keel (c) vessel (d) deck (e) voyage (f) trip (g) anchored (h) ship
Q2. Complete the sentences
- The Captain lies on the deck fallen cold and dead.
- The Captain doesn’t answer as his lips are pale and still.
- The Captain does not feel anything as he has no pulse nor will.
- The bugle and flag are for the Captain: the flag is flung and the bugle trills for him.
Q3. Match the symbols with what they refer to
👉 Choose the meaning of each symbol, then tap Check my answers.
Answer key
| Symbol | Refers to | Pair |
|---|---|---|
| 1. the ship | United States of America | 1 – c |
| 2. the fearful trip/voyage | the deathly Civil War | 2 – e |
| 3. the port | peace after winning the war | 3 – g |
| 4. the bells ringing | celebrating victory | 4 – f |
| 5. Captain | the President of USA | 5 – b |
| 6. anchored safe | victory in the war | 6 – a |
| 7. no pulse, nor will | lifeless/dead | 7 – d |
मराठी टीप: जहाज = अमेरिका, कप्तान = अब्राहम लिंकन, भयानक प्रवास = यादवी युद्ध.
Q4. Figures of Speech: Question Answers
Q4 (A). Apostrophe: lines where the poet directly addresses…
| Addressed to | Lines |
|---|---|
| (a) the dead Captain | 1. “O Captain! My Captain! our fearful trip is done” 2. “O Captain! My Captain! rise up and hear the bells” |
| (b) the grief in his heart | 1. “But O heart! heart! heart!” 2. “O the bleeding drops of red” |
| (c) the sea-shore | 1. “Exult, O shores, and ring, O bells!” |
Q4 (B). One example of each figure of speech
| Figure of speech | Example |
|---|---|
| Personification | “Exult, O shores” (the shores are asked to rejoice like people) |
| Alliteration | “for you the flag is flung” (f sound); “safe and sound” (s sound) |
| Repetition | “But O heart! heart! heart!” |
| Exclamation | “O Captain! My Captain!” |
| Tautology | “its voyage closed and done” (two words with the same meaning) |
| Antithesis | “Exult, O shores, and ring, O bells! / But I, with mournful tread” (joy and sorrow side by side) |
👉 Quick check: tap the figure of speech.
"But O heart! heart! heart!"
Answer: Repetition. The word “heart” is repeated.
"O Captain! My Captain!"
Answer: Apostrophe. The poet speaks directly to the dead Captain.
Q5. Answer in your own words
- Signs of celebration: Bells are ringing, flags are flying, bugles are playing, and people carry bouquets and wreaths.
- How the crowds wait to felicitate the Captain: They crowd the shores, call out for him and turn their eager faces towards the ship.
- Signs that the Captain has died: He lies cold on the deck with bleeding drops of red; his lips are pale and still; he has no pulse and does not answer or feel the speaker’s arm.
- Why the arm under his head: Out of love and respect, like a son holding his father. He also hopes that the Captain is only hurt and will wake up.
- The speaker’s grief: His heart bleeds. While the whole nation celebrates, he cannot. He walks the deck with mournful steps beside his dead Captain, whom he loved like a father.
Q6. Whom does the speaker address?
In the first two stanzas, the speaker addresses the Captain (“O Captain! My Captain!”). In the last stanza, he addresses the shores and the bells (“Exult, O shores, and ring, O bells!”) and speaks about the Captain instead of to him.
Q7. Qualities of a ship’s captain and a nation’s leader
| Ship’s captain only | Common qualities | Nation’s leader only |
|---|---|---|
| naval expert knowledge of weather signs |
courage · integrity · confidence · humane · self-disciplined · sympathetic · leadership · foresight · positive attitude · role model · selfless service | visionary good administrator |
Q8. Choose from the alternatives
👉 Tap the correct answer.
(a) The rhyme scheme of the poem is…
Answer: aabbcded. done–won (aa), exulting–daring (bb), then heart, red, lies, dead (cded).
(b) The line repeated in every stanza is…
Answer: Fallen cold and dead. “O Captain! My Captain!” is not in the third stanza.
(d) The stanza in which the speaker does not address the Captain is the…
Answer: Third. In the third stanza, he speaks about the Captain and addresses the shores.
(e) The poem is a/an … because it is written in memory of a dead person.
Answer: elegy. An elegy is a poem of mourning.
(c) The steady rhythm has a pattern of four beats in most of the long lines.
Writing Skills: Question Answers
Q9. A Maratha leader’s grief after winning a fort
The great Maratha leader was Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, and the brave captain killed in the battle was Tanaji Malusare. In February 1670, Tanaji led the attack to win back the fort of Kondhana near Pune from the Mughals. His soldiers climbed the steep cliff at night, and the Marathas won the fort, but Tanaji was killed fighting Udaybhan Rathod. When Shivaji Maharaj heard the news, he said in grief, “Gad aala, pan sinha gela” (The fort is won, but the lion is lost). In memory of Tanaji, the fort was renamed Sinhagad, the Lion’s Fort.
Q10. Consoling the Captain’s son
✍️ Write your own paragraph first.
Show a model paragraph
Dear friend, I am deeply sorry to hear about the death of your father. He was a brave and great Captain, and the whole nation is in grief with you. Death is an act of God, and no one can change it. Your father did not die in vain: he led the ship safely through the storm and won the victory for all of us. His courage and selfless service will always be remembered. I know nothing can fill the empty place in your heart, but you must be strong. Your father would want you to carry his dreams forward. Take care of your mother and family. Remember that you are not alone; all of us are with you. May God give you strength to bear this great loss.
Q11. Poem Appreciation: “O Captain! My Captain!”
“O Captain! My Captain!” is an elegy written by the American poet Walt Whitman. It was written in memory of President Abraham Lincoln, who was assassinated in April 1865, just after the American Civil War was won. The poem has three stanzas of eight lines each, and the rhyme scheme is aabbcded. The poet uses an extended metaphor: the ship is America, the fearful trip is the Civil War and the Captain is Lincoln. The ship reaches the port safely, and people celebrate with bells, flags and bouquets, but the Captain lies dead on the deck. The speaker cannot share the joy and walks the deck with mournful steps. My favourite lines are “Exult, O shores, and ring, O bells! / But I, with mournful tread”, because they show joy and sorrow together. The poet uses apostrophe, repetition, exclamation, personification and antithesis. The language is simple and the tone is sad and emotional. The repeated line “Fallen cold and dead” deepens the grief. The central idea is the sorrow of losing a great leader at the very moment of victory. I like this poem because it beautifully expresses love and respect for a great leader.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who wrote 'O Captain! My Captain!'?
The poem was written by the American poet Walt Whitman, often called the father of free verse.
Who is the Captain in 'O Captain! My Captain!'?
The Captain stands for Abraham Lincoln, the President of the USA, who was assassinated in April 1865 after the American Civil War was won.
What do the ship and the fearful trip stand for?
The ship stands for the United States of America, and the fearful trip stands for the American Civil War.
What is the rhyme scheme of 'O Captain! My Captain!'?
The rhyme scheme is aabbcded.
Why is 'O Captain! My Captain!' called an elegy?
It is an elegy because it is a poem of mourning, written in memory of a dead person, Abraham Lincoln.
Summary in English
The speaker tells his captain that their dangerous voyage is over: the ship has come through every storm and won the prize it sought. As it nears the port, bells ring and crowds cheer on the shore.
But the captain lies on the deck, cold and dead. The speaker begs him to rise and hear the bells, the flags and the cheering crowds that are all for him, and holds his head, hoping it is only a dream.
The captain does not answer. The ship is safely anchored and the voyage is complete, yet the speaker cannot celebrate. While the shores rejoice, he walks the deck in sorrow where his captain lies dead.
मराठीत सारांश (Summary in Marathi)
कवी आपल्या कप्तानाला सांगतो की त्यांचा धोकादायक प्रवास संपला आहे: जहाज प्रत्येक वादळातून पार झाले आहे आणि ज्यासाठी निघाले ते बक्षीस मिळवले आहे. बंदर जवळ येताच घंटा वाजत आहेत आणि किनाऱ्यावर लोक जल्लोष करत आहेत.
पण कप्तान डेकवर थंड, निष्प्राण पडलेला आहे. कवी त्याला उठून घंटा, झेंडे आणि त्याच्यासाठीच जमलेल्या गर्दीचा जल्लोष ऐकण्याची विनंती करतो आणि हे फक्त स्वप्न असावे अशी आशा करत त्याचे डोके आपल्या हातात धरतो.
कप्तान उत्तर देत नाही. जहाज सुरक्षितपणे नांगरले आहे आणि प्रवास पूर्ण झाला आहे, तरीही कवी आनंद साजरा करू शकत नाही. किनारे आनंदाने भरलेले असताना, जिथे त्याचा कप्तान मृत पडला आहे त्या डेकवर तो दुःखाने फिरत राहतो.
Theme and Message (मध्यवर्ती कल्पना)
Grief for a great leader who dies at the very moment of victory: the joy of success is mixed with deep personal sorrow.
विजयाच्या क्षणीच निधन पावलेल्या महान नेत्याबद्दलचा शोक: यशाच्या आनंदात खोल वैयक्तिक दुःख मिसळलेले आहे.
Figures of Speech (अलंकार)
- Apostrophe (संबोधन): the speaker speaks directly to the dead captain.
- Metaphor / Extended metaphor (रूपक): the whole poem presents the nation as a ship and Lincoln as its captain.
- Repetition (पुनरावृत्ती): the cry to the captain and the line about him lying dead are repeated to deepen the grief.
- Exclamation (उद्गार): exclamations show the speaker’s strong emotion.
Tip: for the appreciation question, pick your favourite line from the poem in your textbook and say which figure of speech it uses.
What the Symbols Mean (प्रतीकांचा अर्थ)
| The Captain | President Abraham Lincoln |
| The ship | The United States of America |
| The fearful trip | The American Civil War |
| The prize won | Victory, the Union saved and slavery ended |
| The port | Peace after the war |
Useful Words (शब्दार्थ)
| Word | मराठी अर्थ | Use it in a sentence |
|---|---|---|
| elegy | शोकगीत | The poet wrote an elegy for his friend. |
| voyage | सागरी प्रवास | The ship began a long voyage. |
| exulting | जल्लोष करणारे | Exulting crowds filled the streets. |
| mournful | शोकाकुल | A mournful song was sung at the funeral. |
| anchored | नांगरलेले | The ship was anchored in the harbour. |
| victor | विजेता | The victor was given a trophy. |
For the Exam (परीक्षेसाठी)
- Be ready to explain the symbols in the table above, and why the poem is called an elegy.
- Key devices for the appreciation: apostrophe, extended metaphor, repetition and exclamation.
Think and Write (विचार करा, लिहा)
- Write a short tribute to a great Indian leader.
- Why can’t the speaker enjoy the victory?
- Describe a moment when you felt both happy and sad at the same time.
🎮 Practice Games: O Captain! My Captain!
Extra practice for revision, beyond the textbook activities. Play every game, then check your total score and stars! (उजळणीसाठी खेळ.)
🚢 What does it stand for?
🧩 The poem is an extended metaphor. Match each image with its real meaning.
Image → real meaning
🔤 Word meanings
🎯 Tap the English word and its Marathi meaning.
English ↔ मराठी
⚡ Quick quiz
👉 Tap the correct answer.
Who wrote the poem?
Answer: An elegy on the death of Abraham Lincoln.
An elegy is a poem of ___.
Answer: It expresses grief.
What is the contrast in the poem?
Answer: Victory and death come together.
‘O Captain! my Captain!’ is an example of ___.
Answer: The speaker addresses the dead captain directly, and repeats the words.
⚖️ Joy or sorrow?
🗂️ Does the image show joy or sorrow?
Classify the image
Online test · 15 questions
4.3 O Captain! My Captain!: Lesson Test
Multiple choice · instant score with answers · certificate for 80% and above · free, no login
शिक्षकांसाठी: धडा शिकवून झाल्यावर ही test वर्गाला पाठवा. प्रत्येक विद्यार्थ्याचे गुण तुम्हाला आपोआप मिळतील.
These are original study notes and answers by englishresources.in to help you revise. Read the poem in your Balbharati textbook first: these notes do not replace it. Only short lines from the poem are quoted, for reference.