Throughout the history of poetry and literature, many works have been published, had some success then faded away. These works of literature were either not powerful or meaningful enough resonate in the minds of society. "O Captain! My Captain!" by the great Walt Whitman, does just the opposite. This touching and emotional poem is still read and studied by many students, professors and everyday people throughout the world. "O Captain! My Captain!" not only helped an entire society heal after the death of a beloved leader, but also grew to become one of the most popular poems in the history of American literature. Through intense imagery that identifies shifts in tone, which reveal multiple attitudes of shock, disbelief and finally reverence, the speaker gives future generations a glimpse into the emotions of the American people immediately following the death of President Abraham Lincoln. 

When one reads "O Captain! My Captain!" for the first time, they will notice many shifts in tone throughout the poem. These shifts reveal the multiple attitudes of the speaker in each stanza. These shifts can be found through the changes in the imagery found within each stanza. In the three stanzas there are four clear shifts of tone from the speaker, revealing three distinct attitudes. The first shift comes in the stanza one, line five when the speaker switches from a joyful tone with a sense of relief, to one of shock and fear. The shift becomes evident as the speaker describes the scene in the last lines of the stanza one: "O the bleeding drops of red! / Where on the deck my captain lies, / Fallen cold and dead." ("Whitman" 6-8).  This description displays the speaker's attitude of shock and despair as his captain is senselessly murdered before him. The second shift comes in stanza two, as the speaker switches from a tone of mourning to questioning and disbelief. Once again in the final lines of the stanza, the speaker reveals his second attitude: "This arm beneath your head; / It is some dream that on the deck / You've fallen cold and dead." ("Whitman" 14-16). The speaker has now developed an attitude of disbelief, and imagines he's sleeping and the death of his captain is just a bad dream. His death was such a shock that our speaker has not yet been able to accept it as reality. The final two shifts are found in stanza three. The tone changes from one of solemn remembrance to one of attempted joyfulness, then once again back to remembrance. The first two line of the last stanza provide the image of a funeral with phrases such as " ... .his lips are pale and still / My father does not feel my arm, he has no pulse nor will." ("Whitman" 17-18). The speaker's attitude is one of remembrance, but he then shifts to one of celebration. Our speaker goes on to encourage the audience to celebrate the victory, but is only able to do so for so long until he shifts his attitude for the final time and remembers his captain once more:

Exult, O shores! and ring, O Bells!

But I, with silent tread,

Walk the spot my captain lies

Fallen cold and dead. ("Whitman" 21-24) 

The speaker switches back to a final attitude of remembrance and reverence for the great captain who led the ship to its goal but never made it back to port. 

In order to better grasp the meaning and attitude of a poem, it is important for the audience to find out as much about the speaker as possible. Questions such as, who they are or represent, where they are in relation to the topic of the poem, their situation and the kind of person they are, are all excellent ways to discover more about a speaker. The speaker in "O Captain! My Captain!", represents the American society immediately following the death of President Lincoln. The poet, Walt Whitman rose through the social ranks of American culture, the second of nine children, grew up poor and eventually worked his way to upper-class. He wrote for the common man and could relate to people from all walks of life (Hochman 1). When discussing where the speaker is throughout the poem, it is evident he is following the time line of events after the death of the captain. He is there when the Captain is murdered, when he is mourned and when he is remembered. Our speaker's situation is one in which an important figure and possibly close friend has died in front of his eyes. Our speaker's three different attitudes about the captain's death: shock, disbelief, and the celebration as well as remembrance of the captain's life, represent the conflicting emotions of the American society immediately following President Lincoln's death (Gunderson 1). While our speaker does not represent a single person, rather a society as a whole, it is easy to imagine what kind of person they would be. Based off of the context of the poem, it seems our speaker would be deeply emotional and strong, yet somewhat dependent on a great leader. Even though our speaker is greatly affected by the death of the captain, we see them eventually work through their emotions and succeed in overcoming this tragedy all while being able to remember the captain's great life. 

In conclusion, imagery and shifts in the poem reveal the multiple attitudes of the speaker which represent the immediate confusion following the death of President Abraham Lincoln. By using imagery to identify shifts, Whitman is able to clearly show the multiple attitudes of American Society during this time. He doesn't force anything on the audience, but rather leads and guides them through the poem to reveal the speaker's attitudes on the subject at hand. 

