Artists, Poets, and Presidents

This week the nation was stunned to learn that entertainer Robin Williams had died. There have been many tributes to the beloved actor/comedian, many which reference some of his most memorable roles. One is "O Captain! My captain!" The line comes from the film Dead Poets Society but it originally came from a Walt Whitman poem. 

Walt Whitman wrote distinctlively about American and is one of the most influential poets in American literature. He lived through the American Civil War and was a strong supporter of abolishing slavery. 

When Lincoln was assassinated in 1865, the nation was stunned. The war had ended only a week earlier and no other president had been killed while in office. The South held no love for Lincoln, but the North did and mourned for him. Whitman, along with other literary figures, wrote a poem to honor the president. His eulogy for Lincoln was "O Captain! My captain!" 

Thus, it is fitting that the world bids adieu to Robin Williams with this poem, recalling how the film reminded us of Whitman and Lincoln. Artists, actors and poets, as well as political leaders, can have a deep impact on human society.