O Captain! My Captain!

by Walt Whitman (1865) — a poem card from Justes Mots

A nation's grief for a fallen leader, victory and loss tangled in the very same breath.

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.…

Themes: grief · admiration