19 pages • 38 minutes read
Walt WhitmanO Captain! My Captain!
Fiction | Poem | Adult | Published in 1865A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Further Reading & Resources
Related Poems
"When Lilacs Last in the Dooryard Bloom’d" by Walt Whitman (1865)
In this elegy for Lincoln, Whitman again mourns the loss of the Abraham Lincoln. In many ways, this poem is like “Oh Captain!” It is a metaphorical elegy about Lincoln that progresses from mourning to acceptance, though in a much more explicit way than “O Captain!” This poem is more typical of Whitman’s style. It is longer, has lengthy lines, and is written in free verse—Whitman’s typical style. In the poem, Whitman uses imagery of lilacs, falling stars, and birds to create natural illustrations lamenting the loss of Lincoln.
"Hush’d Be the Camps To-Day" by Walt Whitman (1865)
Another lament of Lincoln’s death, this poem specifically mentions the commander’s death as the speaker addresses soldiers. The poem asks soldiers to rest and celebrate the life of Lincoln, and it celebrates the fact that Lincoln will no longer have to deal with the hardships of life and war. The poem ends with the speaker asking the poets to sing for Lincoln as he rests in the ground. The least known or recognized of Whitman’s Lincoln poems, Whitman wrote it immediately following the assassination.
"This Dust Was Once the Man" by Walt Whitman (1871)
In this short poem, Whitman again comments on Lincoln’s death. The last of his Lincoln poems and written six years after the assassination, the poem recognizes Lincoln as dead and does not comment on him in life. The speaker says Lincoln saved the Union from the worst crime in history, though this line has an ambiguous meaning. The poem has not been extensively studied nor recognized by scholars.
Further Literary Resources
The Walt Whitman Archive edited by Matt Cohen, Ed Folsom, and Kenneth M. Price
This archive hosted by the University of Nebraska-Lincoln compiles an extensive amount of information by and about Walt Whitman. It contains all his published works, his letters, journals, biographies about his life, pictures, sounds, and other resources—including an extensive list of websites and publications dedicated to Whitman. The archive is the best place to visit to learn more about Whitman and to study his life and works.
Walt Whitman Quarterly Review by The University of Iowa
This open-access, online-only journal is a peer-reviewed periodical dedicated to academic papers about Whitman. Featuring a vast collection of articles, this journal provides loads of academic sources about Whitman and his poetry. It is an excellent resource for people wishing to read academic criticism about the poet.
Dead Poets Society directed by Tom Schulman
One of Robin Williams’s most well-known movies, Dead Poet’s Society is about an English instructor who goes to work at a private school and inspires his students to read and write poetry and to pursue their passions. In one pivotal scene, the students stand on their desks and recite the refrain from “O Captain!” as the administration forces Williams's character to leave the school. The scene has become almost more well-known in American society than the original poem, and as such, the poem is just as connected to Williams as it is to Whitman.
Listen to Poem
Doug Barron reads Whitman’s poem in a forceful and powerful voice.
Related Titles
By Walt Whitman
