Jim Richert

Mr. Murphy
AP English 3 (2)
3 January 2011

O Captain! My Captain!

The poem “O Captain! My Captain!” by the romantic poet Walt Whitman is one of

Whitman’s most well known poems, if not one of the most well known poems in American

literature overall. The poem was written in the year 1865, the year that the American Civil War

between the Union and Confederacy ended. The Union was victorious and slavery was soon to

be abolished with the passing of the Thirteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution.

The victory was due largely to President Abraham Lincoln’s leadership. He was likable and

admired for his actions in restoring the nation. However, Lincoln was not without enemies. On

April 14, 1865, Abraham Lincoln was assassinated by John Wilkes Booth. Shocked at this

unfortunate event, the nation was in grief. America had lost its great leader. Walt Whitman wrote

“O Captain! My Captain!” as an homage to the late president.

The theme of “O Captain! My Captain!” is that of a soldier telling his captain that they

have achieved their hard-fought victory. Although the soldiers have won the battle, their captain

is dead. The captain was an admired individual who was popular with the masses. The admirers

come to mourn for him. His grave is adorned with bouquets, ribbons, and wreaths. The bugle is

played and the bells ring as a flag is flown in his honor. The captain is a metaphor for President

Abraham Lincoln. Just as the captain had led his troops to victory, so had Abraham Lincoln led

the Union to a victory over the South. Also, like the captain, Lincoln died at the end of his war.

Abraham Lincoln was popular with the people of the United States, and many citizens mourned

his death, just like the mourners of the captain in Whitman’s poem.

Richert 2
 The Battle Hymn of the Republic was written by Julia War Howe during the American

Civil War. The song was written to become an inspirational battle march for Union soldiers. It

makes several allusions to the Bible. The song declares that God’s divine judgement will be

loosed on his enemies. Answering the call to battle was seen to be answering the call to do God’s

will. Perhaps one of the strongest statements that the song makes is how just as Christ died to

make men holy, they will die to make men free. The soldiers gave their lives for the freedom of

all peoples. This song enhances Walt Whitman’s “O Captain! My Captain!” It enhances the Civil

War setting and the importance of what these men where fighting for. The battle for the abolition

of slavery and the restoration of the United States were important issues for the Union, and it is

because Abraham Lincoln led the accomplishment of these goals that he was so revered by

Americans. Soldiers such as the captain fought for the ideals mentioned in the Battle Hymn of

the Republic.

Works Cited Page

www.poemhunter.com/poem/, “O Captain! My Captain!”

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/, “The Battle Hymn of the Republic”

www.loc.gov, “The Assassination of Abraham Lincoln”

www.us-civilwar.com/, “The American Civil War”