Literature

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Character
Theme development in a literary work is contributed by choices, actions, words, thoughts, and consequences. A character in a story symbolizes certain qualities; courage, love, justice, and malice among others. Most literary works are character driven implying that they focus on the characters personality while character and plot drive others.
In Walt Whitman’s poem on ‘O Captain! My Captain!’ The character is considered an American citizen who was present during the death of President Abraham Lincoln. He/she is not happy with the death of the president and mourns him. The character is an interesting character based on the way he/she uses metaphor to illustrate the themes on the poem (Death), the characters love for the president is unique, he/she mourns the president and even call him the father (Whitman, 15). The character decides to use the ‘Captain’ and ‘the father’ which are the metaphor for President Lincoln, ‘The ship’ to represent America, ‘the journey’ to imply Civil war. ‘The prize’ was winning the war which was to save the union and in turn free the slaves. The author uses the metaphor (a figurative language) to bring out the theme of Death.
The character is internally disturbed by the pain of losing a loved one (Captain). The figure is concerned because they will lose the battle of the civil war since the captain is dead. The poem is at the death scene for the president, it portrays the character as an emotional person based on how he/she mourns the president and at the same time caring person due to his/her worry on civil war by then, the setting of the story teaches the reader that once you have started fighting for something important never give up no matter what happens even if it is death.

Again, it is clear that we will lose our loved ones and the most important thing is on how one rises after the loss.
Work cited
Whitman, Walt, and Thomas Johnson. O Captain! My Captain! Albert M. Bender, 1935.