Final answer:
The poetic form of 'O Captain! My Captain!' is elegy, a mournful poem that expresses grief and pays tribute to the deceased. Walt Whitman's poem is a lament for President Abraham Lincoln's death.
Step-by-step explanation:
The poetic form of "O Captain! My Captain!" is elegy.
An elegy is a mournful poem that is typically written in response to the death of a person or a group. It expresses the poet's grief and often pays tribute to the deceased. In this case, Walt Whitman's poem is a lament for President Abraham Lincoln, who was assassinated.
Here is an example from the poem:
O Captain! my Captain! our fearful trip is done
The ship has weather’d every rack, the prize we sought is won
The port is near, the bells I hear, the people all exulting
While follow eyes the steady keel, the vessel grim and daring;
But O heart! heart! heart!
O the bleeding drops of red,
Where on the deck my Captain lies,
Fallen cold and dead.
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