Poetic Apostrophe
In poetry, an apostrophe is a figure of speech in which the poet addresses an absent person, an abstract idea, or a thing. Apostrophes are found throughout poetry, but they’re less common since the early 20th century. Poets may apostrophize a beloved, the Muse, God, love, time, or any other entity that can’t respond in reality.
The word O is often used to signal such an invocation.
Some examples:
When will you ever, Peace, wild wooddove, shy wings shut,
Your round me roaming end, and under be my boughs? [Gerard Manley Hopkins]
O holy virgin! clad in purest white,
Unlock heav’n's golden gates, and issue forth; [William Blake]
O cunning Love! with tears thou keep’st me blind,
Lest eyes well-seeing thy foul faults should find. [William Shakespeare]
Walt Whitman wrote about the death of Lincoln.
O CAPTAIN! my Captain! our fearful trip is done; |
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The ship has weather’d every rack, the prize we sought is won; |
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The port is near, the bells I hear, the people all exulting, |
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While follow eyes the steady keel, the vessel grim and daring: |
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But O heart! heart! heart! |
5 |
O the bleeding drops of red, |
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Where on the deck my Captain lies, |
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Fallen cold and dead. |
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2 O Captain! my Captain! rise up and hear the bells; |
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Rise up—for you the flag is flung—for you the bugle trills; |
10 |
For you bouquets and ribbon’d wreaths—for you the shores a-crowding; |
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For you they call, the swaying mass, their eager faces turning; |
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Here Captain! dear father! |
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This arm beneath your head; |
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It is some dream that on the deck, |
15 |
You’ve fallen cold and dead. |
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3 My Captain does not answer, his lips are pale and still; |
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My father does not feel my arm, he has no pulse nor will; |
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The ship is anchor’d safe and sound, its voyage closed and done; |
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From fearful trip, the victor ship, comes in with object won; |
20 |
Exult, O shores, and ring, O bells! |
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But I, with mournful tread, |
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Walk the deck my Captain lies, |
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Fallen cold and dead. |
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