The poem that I chose is "O' Captain, My Captain!" by Walt Whitman. Walt Whitman was born on May 31, in 1819 in Long Island, New York. Walt Whitman wanted to reflect American society and allow readers to realize themselves and the nature of the American experience (Bio.). The poem that I chose to read is basically about a man on a ship, so maybe he is part of the crew or something. He talks about how he is coming home from a long and hard voyage. The people waiting for them at the port are very happy to see them, but he is in mourning because even though he is happy to be returning, his captain is dead. "My Captain does not answer, his lips are pale and still,My father does not feel my arm, he has no pulse nor will,The ship is anchor'd safe and sound, its voyage closed and done,From fearful trip the victor ship comes in with object won;" (Whitman). This is when he is talking about being happy about how the voyage turned out and being very sad because of his captain being gone.
This relates to Emerson and Thoreau because both of them have experienced hard times in their life and have dealt with death. For example, when Emerson first got married, his wife was diagnosed with tuberculosis. She passed away just a year or two after they were wed. He talks about how he was heart broken and devastated (Vetter). He also talks about how he was sad because they would no longer be together, at least not in this world. I feel bad for Emerson and also the man on the ship. I liked this poem very much because it was simple and short, but you could interpret it in many ways. That is how I think this poem relates to Emerson. Doing all of these blogs on Emerson and Thoreau was actually very interesting. I have learned a great deal about their philosophies and what they stood for.
"O Captain! My Captain!, by Walt Whitman." Poetry Archive. Web. 09 Mar. 2012.
"Walt Whitman Biography." Bio.com. A&E Networks Television. Web. 09 Mar. 2012.
"Marriage | Emerson - Living Legacy." Harvard Square Library. Web. 09 Mar. 2012.
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