O Captain! My Captain!

Poetry | Walt Whitman
Download all Elements
Back to Hub
Contents

What is the background of the poem “O Captain! My Captain!?”

Premium

What is the background of the poem O Captain My Captain NU O Captain My Captain is a famous elegy by Walt Whitman - It was written to mourn the death of Abraham Lincoln the th president of America The poem is based on the historical event of the assassination of Abraham Lincoln in just after the victory in the American Civil War - Let us discuss the background of the poem below Historical Background O Captain My Captain was first published in soon after Abraham Lincoln was assassinated At that time America had just gone through the terrible Civil War Lincoln led the Union to victory in the war The war ended slavery When the war ended people were hopeful about peace But suddenly their joy was broken by the murder of the president Abraham Lincoln On April th Lincoln was shot by a well-known actor and negrophobe John

Wilkes Booth at Ford s Theatre Lincoln died the next morning Abraham Lincoln was not only a political leader but also a symbol of freedom democracy and humanity Symbolic Meaning So O Captain My Captain is a symbolic poem Here the captain is the symbol Abraham Lincoln The ship represents America The fearful trip is the American Civil War - O Captain my Captain our fearful trip is done The captain of the ship lies dead on the deck after safely guiding the ship to the shore This is the death of Lincoln after the victory in the Civil War For Whitman Lincoln was like a savior who guided the nation during its darkest time That is why the poet calls him the Captain of the ship In fine the background of the poem is deeply connected with American history the victory in the Civil War and the loss of the nation s great leader Abraham Lincoln

Continue Reading

Sign in and subscribe to unlock the full content

Login Subscribe
From this writer
W
Walt Whitman
Literary Writer
More Notes

from O Captain! My Captain!