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Patriotism In Walt Whitman's 'O Captain ! My Captain'

990 Words4 Pages

When I was a middle school student, I had seen the movie "Dead Poet Society" which was one of my favorite movies. I have vividly remembered the last scene : a teacher is fired and he interrupts the class to collect personal articles; before he leaves, a student stands on his desk and salutes the teacher with the words "O Captain! My Captain!" Throughout the movie, I have learned "make your lives extraordinary", the Latin expression "carpe diem" by heart.
"O Captain! My Captain!" is an extended metaphor poem written in 1865 by Walt Whitman, about the death of American president Abraham Lincoln. First of all, I analyze the themes of the poem with four words : (1) admiration : Abraham Lincoln is a standard and well-recognized hero for many Americans. …show more content…

Back on land, the people share in the speaker's admiration and cheer the ship into the harbor. I understand the end results of his admirable actions: he's steered through rough seas and sacrificed his life to ensure the safety of the ship. (2) patriotism : "O Captain! My Captain!," Whitman celebrates the bond that patriotism creates between the average citizen and the leader of the people. The captain is portrayed as a patriot who has risked his life in some mission for the people on shore. The masses on shore celebrate the captain's success, and the ship's return, with all the trappings of patriotism: flags, bugles, and bells. (3) suffering : the …show more content…

My Captain!," is to think about how much faith myself and other people in the country put into their leaders. Walt Whitman had a lot of faith in Abraham Lincoln. His essay "The Eighteenth Presidency" called for an ideal leader like Lincoln to rise up from the common people so as to guide the nation to maturity. I have learned how to use my trust to take my life to the next level. From this poem I learned how a leader helps others to roar. With help of a great leader, I will rise in the world. I will raise my voice to make myself heard. Challenge others and the system, if I truly believe in something. I don't give up

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