In the poem “O Captain! My Captain!” by Walt Whitman, the poet brings out his loneliness at the end. The poem is an elegy dedicated to the late President Abraham Lincoln, and it uses the metaphor of a ship and its captain to symbolize the United States and Lincoln’s leadership during the Civil War. The captain represents Lincoln, and the ship represents the country.
At the end of the poem, the tone shifts from celebratory to mournful as the poet realizes that the captain, who led the ship to victory, has fallen in battle.
“Exult, O shores, and ring, O bells!
But I, with mournful tread,
Walk the deck my captain lies,
Fallen cold and dead”
The lines convey the poet’s deep sense of loss and sorrow. He feels isolated and lonely as he walks the deck of the ship, knowing that his captain, who represented hope and guidance, is no longer there.
The loneliness expressed by the poet in these lines reflects the broader sentiment of grief and mourning felt by the nation after Lincoln’s assassination. It highlights the personal connection the poet had with the captain and emphasizes the profound impact of Lincoln’s death on the poet and the country as a whole.
The poem “When Lilacs Last in the Dooryard Bloom’d” by Walt Whitman, serves as an extended meditation on death and mourning. This elegy is also dedicated to the memory of Abraham Lincoln.
“O comrades mine and I in the midst, and their memory ever I keep — for the dead I loved so well”
The lines indicate the poet’s profound sense of loss and longing for the deceased. The poems emphasize the profound impact of Lincoln’s death on the poet and the country as a whole.
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