O Captain My Captain Analysis

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“O Captain, My Captain” is a poem written by Walt Whitman after the Civil War had ended. Based on earlier readings, such as “I Hear America Singing,” we know that Walt Whitman is an extremely patriotic man with a strong connection to America and its leaders. These traits transfer over into this poem and turn into the foundation of it. The actual poem is about a sailor who finds his influential leader dead on the deck of the ship. The sailor mourns the captain’s death while delivering the message that their long, treacherous journey has ended and they’re victorious. He pleads desperately to the captain to awaken and see the astonishing sight of all the people cheering just for him. Yet the captain, a father to the entire nation, remains still and unmoving. It’s as if it’s an unbelievable dream in which the brave leader dies at the exact moment of victory. The entire poem is a metaphor of the devastating death of Abraham Lincoln after the incredible win over the South in the Civil War. The captain represents Abraham Lincoln himself and the event of his death almost immediately after the war. The ship represents the United States, and the journey translates into the Civil War. This being known, the meaning of the poem becomes visible. The poem honors the leadership of Abraham Lincoln and his ultimate sacrifice of himself for us. Reading with this mindset, the poem interprets into an important moment of history. The war has just ended. The entire nation is cheering for Abraham Lincoln and the unbelievable idea that the North has actually won the war. However, soon after this, Abraham dies and the narrator mourns his death by honoring his feats. The speaker articulates this poem with a notion of grief of unexplainable sadness. It reminds me of a funeral eulogy, paying tribute and honoring Abraham Lincoln, while remembering and mourning his death. This is shown
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