Poem analysis: "O Captain! My Captain!"

Dramatic situation can be distinguished after gaining some background information. In the poem, Whitman, the author, is memorializing Abraham Lincoln after his death. The narrator is one of the sailors on a ship which the captain lead. There is extended metaphors within the poem. The captain is Abraham Lincoln, the ship is the union, the fearful trip is the civil war.The poem has a structure that that amplifies the mood and tone. The first two stanzas present a happy tone and the following lines reveal the sadness and disappointment with the captains death. Whitman uses phrases that reveal his respect for Abraham Lincoln as a leader. Phrases like "grim and daring" and "fearful trip". The central tone of the piece is proud/respectful. The repetition of the word heart reveals the narrator's grief over the death of his captain.