Question

What makes "O Captain! My Captain!" an elegy

Answer 1

Because the speaker expresses his relief that the ship has reached its home port at last and describes hearing people cheering. In the final stanza, the speaker juxtaposes his feelings of mourning and pride. And well that's what makes it elegy, because of the mourning. I hope this helps! :) definition for elegy: a mournful, melancholy, or plaintive poem, especially a funeral song or a lament for the dead.

Answer 2

It was written in memory of someone who died.

Step-by-step explanation:

The poem "O Captain! My Captain!" has been written by Walt Whitman. He has written the poem after the assassination of the president of America, Abraham Lincoln. It is because of this reason that it is said to be an elegy. An elegy is a poem that is written about the death of a person to remember him and to mourn at his death.