O Captain, My Captain: Whitman’s Lincoln

O Captain, My Captain: Whitman’s Lincoln takes us to the Camden, New Jersey home of one of America’s most influential and original voices, Walt Whitman. Often called the father of free verse, Walt Whitman was much like his writing: bold, enigmatic, and always captivating.

It is the spring of 1887, and Whitman is preparing to tour the country with a solo performance of his works based on the 16th President of the United States, Abraham Lincoln. Whitman has gathered a group of his closest friends and associates (the audience) in the parlor of his home for a final "dress rehearsal" prior to his first public performance in New York City. What follows is the tragic, yet ultimately triumphant, story of Lincoln’s legacy as told through the words of Whitman himself.