Answer:
This is an excerpt from<em> "O Captain! My Captain!",</em> a poem written by Walt Whitman. In this poem, Whitman addresses the death of Abraham Lincoln. The speaker of the poem is a sailor who is talking to his captain. This is, clearly, a metaphor for Whitman's conversation with the late Lincoln. The captain represents the president, while the ship represents the United States of America. The sailor refers to 'captain' as his father, which demonstrates Whitman's respect for Lincoln. The trip mentioned in the poem represents the Civil war. Although the poet expresses his relief that the war is over, the tone of the poem is dark. At the beginning of the poem, Whitman writes that<em> "our fearful trip is done" </em>and<em> "the prize we sought is won"</em>, but the mood is quickly changed with the line<em> "You've fallen cold and dead" , </em>which symbolizes Whitman's sadness and grief over Lincoln's death.
In my opinion, the correct answer is <span>c. were published to be read by common people. The invention of the printing press a century earlier was the driving force of literacy, which was becoming more widespread than ever. Books were cheaper and affordable to members of the growing middle class. Also, the middle-class people started dictating the literary taste, so there was no need for employing sublime styles and topics that would appeal to the educated aristocracy. In the 16th century, Giorgio Vasari wrote his "Lives of the Artists" - an easily read and extremely interesting account on lives of secular people - the major artists of the age. This book quickly became a bestseller, which means it was read by common people.</span>
