In “My Sad Captains’, Gunn portrays the legends of history as the epitomes of determination but without any social inclination or purpose. Like stars in the sky, they continue to shine in the universe of history; but their existence serves no purpose. These sad captains thus thrive in a nihilistic arena were no meaningful role can be attributed to them. They are distant and disinterested as stars. The poem thus verges on Sartrean existentialism. They are in total opposition and contrast to the motorcyclists in Thom Gunn’s “On the Move” who found meaning in their attitude and the journey that they undertook. The title can be traced to Antony and Cleopatra. It echoes the predicament of Antony living for the sake of the present, without focusing towards the future. He is forced to move forward without having anything to look forward to; as he has lost the company of Cleopatra. The title is also significant as a captain is the leader of the ship; he steers all the people on board to their prescribed destination. Here, the captains are sad because they do not possess any practical value any longer.

The poet seems to suggest the randomness of thought and situation as he states that the stars began to appear one by one.…