O Captain! My Captain! : Characters
O Captain! My Captain! is a notable literary work by Walt Whitman. A complete discussion of this literary work is given, which will help you enhance your literary skills and prepare for the exam. Read the Main texts, Key info, Summary, Themes, Characters, Literary devices, Quotations, Notes, and various study materials of O Captain! My Captain!.
Characters
Characters
- The Speaker (Poetic Persona): He is the voice of the poem. He appears like a sailor or a crew member who addresses the Captain of the ship. Although there is national joy in victory, he is personally broken with deep grief because his leader has been killed.
- The Captain (Abraham Lincoln): This is a symbolic character. The Captain here represents President Abraham Lincoln. He has saved the nation (the ship) from the horrors of the Civil War and brought it safely to the harbor. But at the end of the voyage, he is “fallen cold and dead.”
- The Ship (America): The ship is a symbol of the entire United States. After a long and fearful journey, it has finally reached the harbor. This means that the Civil War is over and the Union remains preserved.
- The Crew and the Crowd (American People): The crowd and the crew symbolize the common American people. They are celebrating the nation’s victory—bells ringing, flags waving, and joy everywhere. Yet, within this celebration lies deep sorrow, because they have lost their leader.