Admiration

Admiration

During the 18th century, the population of the United states was attacked by a series of very tragic events. The United States at this time was divided in 2 parts. There were the northern part, with the white and well educated people and there was the southern part with their black people and less educted people. Slavery was part of the american's life. Black persons were exclude completly from the rest of americans, they were in the U.S.A. only to work.

As years went by, some citizens of the United States decided that this form of free work and separation

between white and black was enough. So it created a war. This war is now known as the American Civil War. The caracter who was leading the conuntry during that war was Abraham Lincoln (1809-1865). Most of the americans were in admiration towards this president. He was a determined opponent of the expansion of slavery. At the end of the war, he introduced measures that resulted in the abolition of slavery. Unfortunatly, President Lincoln was assassinated

right after the war ended at the age of 56.

During the same period of time lived an american poet named Walt Withman. Mr.Withman, like most of the U.S. citizens, liked Mr.Lincoln very much. To demonstrate his admiraiton towards him and also his sadness towards his assasination, he decided to write a poem at his honour.

In the poem O Captain, My Captain, Mr.Withman uses the war and the context which surrounds

it to express his opinion towards this situation. Also to prove his point without being involved too much in the story, he decided to really put emphasis on President Lincoln, but it is clear that Mr.Withman hides hiself behind his mentor????