Which American poet wrote the poem 'O Captain! My Captain!'?

Walt Whitman wrote the poem “O Captain! My Captain!” The poem was composed in 1865 as a response to Abraham Lincoln’s assassination and uses an extended metaphor: a ship reaches port after a difficult voyage, but its captain lies dead on the deck. The ship represents the United States after the Civil War, while the fallen captain represents Lincoln.

Whitman had lived in Washington, D.C., during the war and volunteered in military hospitals, experiences that deepened his connection to the conflict. The poem first appeared in The Saturday Press on November 4, 1865, and was later included in editions of Leaves of Grass. Its regular rhyme and song-like rhythm made it unusually accessible compared with Whitman’s more characteristic free verse.

A common mix-up is assuming the poem names Lincoln directly; it never does. Its association with him comes from its historical context and symbolism. The poem was Whitman’s most popular work during his lifetime, although later critics often preferred his more experimental poems. It also gained renewed popular recognition through the 1989 film Dead Poets Society.