Great Poetry Reading Day and Kiss-Your-Mate Day – April 28
April 28th
Great Poetry Reading Day and Kiss-Your-Mate Day
Always kiss my mate so that part is covered….but the great poetry reading…I enjoy poetry but it’s not been my big fortes in reading, however…
The following poem at first reminded me of Boromir from Lord of the Rings Book One – The Fellowship of the Ring. I am sure that Tolkien and Walt Whitman were fans of each other, one way or another. Even if not, it still reminded me of the character of Boromir in the movie The Fellowship of the Ring. You remember the scene? When Boromir was dying and the conversation between Aragorn and Boromir?
I would have followed you my brother … my captain … my King. Boromir to Aragorn – The Fellowship of the Ring movie – winter-minds Tumblr
O Captain! My Captain!by Walt Whitman1O CAPTAIN! my Captain! our fearful trip is done;
The ship has weather’d 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.2O 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 ribbon’d 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.3My 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 anchor’d 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.
O Captain! My Captain! – Famous Poets and Poems
Yeah, I know. It’s not truly related, in fact the roles are almost reversed, but there are similarities between the poem and the movie in the feelings they both invoke.
In the poem, the Captain is the one who dies, but there are still the same feelings; tragedy, loss, reverence, affection, brotherhood, love.
In the movie, Boromir gives his allegiance to ‘my brother, my captain, my King.’ at the point of death, as Aragorn gives an oath he would not have given in times past. A terrible fate for such a hero, despite his being lured by the ring off and on during the journey. I think everyone knew it was the ring and that he wouldn’t have done that otherwise. A failing that he more than made up for by giving his life defending Merry and Pippin. Of course, it was also the turning point for Aragorn as he begins his long journey to become King; a fate he would not have previously chosen for himself.
Am I the only one who made some connection between these two upon seeing the movie?
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