"O Captain! My Captain!" is an extended-metaphor poem written by Walt Whitman in 1865 about the death of U.S. president Abraham Lincoln. Well received upon publication, the poem was Whitman's most popular during his lifetime. Whitman was employed by the federal government in Washington, D.C., through much of the Civil War, and, though he never met Lincoln, Whitman felt a connection to him and was greatly moved by his assassination. "My Captain" was first published in The Saturday Press on November 4, 1865, and appeared in Sequel to Drum-Taps later that year. He later included it in the collection Leaves of Grass and recited the poem at several lectures on Lincoln's death. Critical opinion has shifted since the mid-20th century, with scholars deriding its conventionality and unoriginality. In popular culture, the poem experienced renewed attention after it was featured in Dead Poets Society (1989), and is frequently associated with the star of that film, Robin Williams.

Read more: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/O_Captain!_My_Captain!

_______________________________ Today's selected anniversaries:

1860:

New Zealand Wars: A property dispute between the colonial government and Māori landowners in Waitara instigated the First Taranaki War. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_Taranaki_War

1957:

A plane crash (wreckage pictured) on the slopes of Mount Manunggal killed Philippine president Ramon Magsaysay and 24 others. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1957_Cebu_Douglas_C-47_crash

1991:

In a referendum, nearly 70 percent of voters in nine Soviet republics agreed that the Soviet Union should be preserved. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1991_Soviet_Union_referendum

2011:

First Libyan Civil War: The United Nations Security Council adopted Resolution 1973, authorizing military intervention in Libya to protect civilians. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Nations_Security_Council_Resolution_1973

_____________________________ Wiktionary's word of the day:

clarsach: (music) A small triangular wire-strung harp of Gaelic origin; a Celtic harp. https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/clarsach

___________________________ Wikiquote quote of the day:

O Liberté, que de crimes on commet en ton nom! O Liberty, how many crimes are committed in thy name!   --Madame Roland https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Madame_Roland