Whitman's 'O Captain! My Captain!' and Leaves of Grass Analyzed
Antonio Prete and Anita Romanello examine Walt Whitman's poem 'O Captain! My Captain!', the first line of a piece dedicated to the memory of President Lincoln. The poem belongs to 'Leaves of Grass', a collection that grew through editions from 1855 to 1892, the year of Whitman's death. The authors compare Whitman's life's work to Leopardi's 'Canti' and Baudelaire's 'Les Fleurs du mal', noting differences in poetic form and sensibility. They highlight affinities between Leopardi and Baudelaire in treating poetry as a sound of untimely thought, both meditative and corrosive, and as a language exploring the intimate and visible while critiquing modernity.
Key facts
- The poem 'O Captain! My Captain!' is dedicated to the memory of President Lincoln.
- The poem is part of 'Leaves of Grass', which was published in multiple editions from 1855 to 1892.
- The final edition of 'Leaves of Grass' was published in 1892, the year Whitman died.
- Whitman's 'Leaves of Grass' is compared to Leopardi's 'Canti' and Baudelaire's 'Les Fleurs du mal'.
- Leopardi and Baudelaire share affinities in treating poetry as a sound of untimely thought.
- Both Leopardi and Baudelaire use language that explores the intimate and visible while critiquing modernity.