Final answer:
The poem "O Captain! My Captain!" was written by Walt Whitman as an elegy to President Abraham Lincoln after his assassination in 1865. Whitman's tribute is celebrated as a poignant reflection of the nation's loss and a notable piece of American poetry.
Step-by-step explanation:
The poem "O Captain! My Captain!" about President Abraham Lincoln, which was published in 1865, was written by Walt Whitman. This work is one of the most renowned pieces Whitman wrote, and it marks his status as a national poet. It is an elegy to the fallen president, representing the end of the Civil War and Lincoln's assassination through the metaphor of a ship's captain who has died just as his ship reaches safe harbor after a treacherous voyage.
Walt Whitman, an influential figure in nineteenth-century American poetry, often celebrated the common language and experiences of everyday people. His ability to connect significant national events to the emotions of the general populace made his work greatly appealing. Whitman first gained recognition with his publication of Leaves of Grass in 1855, and over his lifetime continued to expand his work, leaving behind a hefty legacy of more than 400 poems.