Whitman's "O'captain! My Captain!" Is Essay

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Whitman creates an almost lyrical poem to help his readers understand that Lincoln, as a great man, will go down in history followed by lyric and song, just as a sailor sings songs about his ship and captain. Whitman is asking his readers to take pride in Lincoln and his accomplishments as well as the fact that everyone has the power to create and destroy and that the U.S., post Civil War, is a place of much potential. The stanzas also reflect a song or lyric, as Whitman may have expected his poem to be turned into a song or some sort of patriotic verse. It is metered like a song, and this meter is meant to capture the hope, praise, and great relief; while at the same time acting as a final farewell.

The melancholy of the poem also speaks to Whitman's personal sadness over Lincoln's death. He is asking, quite uselessly, for the Captain (Lincoln) to stand up and receive his praise.

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This cannot happen because Lincoln is dead, perhaps killed before he could be recognized for his great deeds. Whitman was trying to convey the fact that the great Captain was slain before his accomplishments could be appreciated, even though the rest of the ship's crew (Americans) have survived the storm because of the Captain's actions. Whitman is asking his readers to reflect on the accomplishments of a man who cannot be thanked, but who is responsible for the existence of the Union and the United States in a post Civil War world. He, like many others are sad to see Lincoln, the father of the Union, killed at the height of his popularity and accomplishments, and he wants the readers and everyone in the nation be know that Lincoln was the Captain that saved them all from a terrible fate......

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