My captain

 

Here Captain : dear father:

This arm beneath your head : It is some dream that on the deck, You've fallen cold and dead

 

These lines show the profound attachment which the poet felt towards the Captain. The poet compares the President to the Captain The Nation is the ship. The ship on its journey overcomes many hurdles. The Nation similarly overcomes obstacles of disunity and disintegration under the guidance of Lincoln. The people are overjoyed at the victory. They are eagerly awaiting the Captain's return to honour him. But in vain the Captain undertook the pains in bringing success but he did not live to share the fruits of his own efforts. He was shot dead by Booth. His death was a tragic blow to the Nation. It was a personal loss to the poet. He refers to him as "dear father". Lincoln was like a father to the Nation. His responsibility was to look after his people with love and care, as a parent would do. The poet tries to support the Captain's head with his arm. It's of no use. The poet does not want to believe that the Captain is dead. He wants to think that the Captain is just sleeping and dreaming. He wants to think it a dream and the captain would get up. But everything is in vain. Reality has got to be faced. The Captain is lying cold and dead, the poet mourns the death of the Captain whom he calls 'dear father'.