Question

Walt Whitman wrote a poem that, while seemingly about a ship and its captain, is actually about the assassination of Abraham Lincoln. If a book editor wanted to select a picture that was in keeping with the tone of the poem but also reveals the subject of the poem's historical importance, which would the editor MOST LIKELY choose?

A)
a picture of a sailors heading off to sea


B)
a picture of a sailboat at Ellis Island


C)
a picture of Lincoln's presidential funeral procession


D)
a picture of the White House

Answer 1

C) a picture of Lincoln's presidential funeral procession

Answer 2

C)  a picture of Lincoln's presidential funeral procession

The poem is titled "O Captain! My Captain". In the poem, the speaker uses an extended metaphor of a captain in charge of a ship. The actual captain is Abraham Lincoln and his ship is the Union. It shows the speaker's devotion and sadness at the loss of this great man. The best choice would be the picture of Lincoln's presidential funeral, since the poem is actually about the death of a president. It is not about the white house, an actual boat, or sailors.