How does Whitman express his grief over the death of the captain?
How does Whitman express his grief over the death of the captain NU Walt Whitman s - poem O Captain My Captain is an elegy written for Abraham Lincoln after his death The captain of the ship is a symbol of Lincoln The ship represents America Here is how Whitman expresses his grief over the death of the captain Deep Sorrow At the beginning the poet says their fearful trip is done He does not yet realize that the captain is dead The ship has weathered the storm and reached the port It means the deadly Civil War - is over and the nation is united Suddenly the poet notices that the captain of the ship is dead Where on the deck my Captain lies Fallen cold and dead The captain s dead body is on the deck Whitman feels shock and deep sorrow As he says But O heart
heart heart O the bleeding drops of red These lines show Whitman s deep pain over the death of the captain He cannot believe that the captain has died just as the journey ends Shock and Disbelief The poet is so shocked that he thinks it is a dream He tells the captain to wake up and hear the victory bells He tells him that people are waving flags and bringing flowers to honor him However the captain does not answer He lies cold and dead on the deck So the poet s sorrow is mixed with shock and disbelief Loneliness We also see that Whitman is feeling lonely The captain ensured victory for the people Everyone on the shore is celebrating the victory But the poet is lonely on the deck where the captain lies Fallen cold and dead With this loneliness the poet is also expressing the deep sorrow in his heart In short Whitman expresses his grief for Lincoln captain through sorrow shock and disbelief He also shows love and respect by calling him father