Matthew A Young

10/20/18

D. Plummer

ENGL 211C

Rhetorical Analysis: O Captain! My Captain!

The contents of any literary piece are the driving force behind the idea’s the writer is trying to

communicate. The words of a poem are how the poet communicates their intentions and beliefs onto

us, the reader. “O Captain! My Captain!,” by Walt Whitman is a poem that communicates tragedy and

celebration in equal measure. The poems content and organization create a parallel structure that

switches back and forth between mourning and celebration throughout the poems length. By the end

we all gather in celebratory mourning for the fallen captain.

O Captain! My Captain! was written by Walt Whitman in 1865 as a tribute to the late president

Abraham Lincoln. The poems constantly reference’s the titular captain who is Whitman’s stand in for

Lincoln. Throughout the poem we are torn between solemn mourning with the captain lying cold and

dead on the deck of the ship as it sails into port with crowds of people cheering their return. This is an

allusion to the end of the civil war, as Whitman tries to allude the joyous return of the ship to the end of

the Civil War, while also mourning the death of Lincoln who was assassinated only a few days after the

war was declared over. As the poem continues the stanzas constantly switch between the celebration

on the shore and the crew in mourning on the ship. As the poem carries on it is almost as if we can

follow the ship arriving a port and the crew and crowd join together in celebration and mourning for the

late captain.
 O Captain! My Captain! conveys a powerful message, but who is that message meant for? The

message and ideas of O Captain! My Captain! are universal in its audience. The meaning may be lost on

a younger person who has not experienced loss on this scale. However anyone who has lost a person

they deeply respect be it an actor, a president, or even their own parent can understand the intent and

message behind Walt Whitman’s words.

The purpose of this poem was to instill in the read a sense of “mournful hope.” This sense that

“While our captain may have fallen we have achieved a great victory.” Whitman clearly had great

respect for Abraham Lincoln and that is translated well into the poem. In stanza 4 line 1 Whitman refers

to the captain as ‘dear father’ a sign of clear and deep respect for the man who saved a nation. In stanza

3 lines 2 and 3, Whitman heeds the captain to rise for the bugles that trill for him and that the wreaths

of flowers and crowds of people are all for him. The captain was clearly meant to be celebrated for

being a wonderful leader and the emotion that he is never going to see those celebratory cheers and

horns makes the poem all to more mournful. This poem could also be used as an allusion to any great

leader or figure that has passed on while leaving a celebrated legacy behind. Look at figures like Ghandi

who helped free India from British rule or Nelson Mandela who suffered for decades in prison to end

apartheid in South Africa. Even people who could be more mundane like the late Steve Irwin whose

documentaries and energy helped educate hundreds on the importance of ecological conservation. All

these great people could be seen as “The Captain”. While these great captains have fallen, their

message, much like a ship, will carry on. Whitman’s poem is universal in its intent and has spanned the

centuries for its powerful message.