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Featured articleWalt Whitman and Abraham Lincoln is a featured article; it (or a previous version of it) has been identified as one of the best articles produced by the Wikipedia community. Even so, if you can update or improve it, please do so.
Featured topic starWalt Whitman and Abraham Lincoln is the main article in the Walt Whitman and Abraham Lincoln series, a featured topic. This is identified as among the best series of articles produced by the Wikipedia community. If you can update or improve it, please do so.
Main Page trophyThis article appeared on Wikipedia's Main Page as Today's featured article on November 18, 2021.
Did You Know Article milestones
DateProcessResult
March 4, 2021Good article nomineeListed
March 18, 2021Good topic candidatePromoted
April 12, 2021Peer reviewReviewed
September 5, 2021Featured article candidatePromoted
Did You Know A fact from this article appeared on Wikipedia's Main Page in the "Did you know?" column on February 4, 2021.
The text of the entry was: Did you know ... that although Walt Whitman and Abraham Lincoln never met, Whitman once wrote "I love the President personally"?
Current status: Featured article


before the mid-19th century?

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I am perplexed by the statement in the intro that "O Captain! My Captain!" was particularly popular before the mid-19th century, when it was written in 1865, which is more than halfway through the century. I don't know enough about the subject to be able to tell what might be meant here, but from a glance at the article on the poem, it had a shift in critical opinion in the mid-20th century - could this be a date error? In any case, the statement as it stands seems chronologically impossible. MW691 (talk) 04:43, 4 February 2021 (UTC)[reply]

Typo, good catch. Eddie891 Talk Work 12:50, 4 February 2021 (UTC)[reply]

Feedback for Eddie

[edit]

Hi, Eddie. You can more or less consider this an informal peer review. As usual, feel free to reply here with any queries, or reach to me where we usually chat about content.

Structural feedback:
  • Background focuses too much on Whitman. I think splitting background into two subheadings—Abraham Lincoln and Walt Whitman—is probably the most straightforward way to give biographical background on both of them.
  • The alternative is to reconsider the article's specific scope. Right now, Walt Whitman and Abraham Lincoln is pretty wide, and signals to me that it should be about both of them. But Walt Whitman's poetry about Abraham Lincoln has a much tighter scope, with Whitman and his poetry as the actual subject. The reason I suggest that is because that's essentially what the article is. The headings (reception, analysis) indicate that this isn't about their relationship (they didn't have one); it’s about the poetry, why it was written, critical responses to it.
Content feedback:
  • Honestly, Eddie, the content is all there. I don't think you need to worry about content. I've reviewed the PR and GOCE and I don't think either gave this article what it actually needs, which is all structural—what I said above. Things renamed. I think this quote needs to be massively shrunk (if you want it, consider a quote box on the side?)
"heroic, shrewd, fully-informed, healthy-bodied, middle-aged, beard-faced American blacksmith or boatman come down from the West across the Alleghanies [sic], and walk into the Presidency, dressed in a clean suit of working attire, and with the tan all over his face, breast, and arms; I would certainly vote for that sort of man, possessing the due requirements, before any other candidate"
  • Why couldn't it be:
In 1856, Whitman wrote a lengthy description of his ideal president, described by Whitman biographer Justin Kaplan as a "Lincolnesque figure". Whitman desired a "heroic" figure, cunning and bold in temperament and knowledgeable about the world. He also opined on this hypothetical president's physical attributes: bearded and dressed in "a clean suit of working attire". Whitman explicitly mentions blacksmiths and boatmen as ideal precursor occupations.
  • Just trimming down that excess would do so much to give the article a better general feel.

Other than these? I think the article's pretty good. IMO, it’s not far off FAC. I think, if you were going full-throttle, it'd probably only take you a day to get it ready? An image would be good for Reception (a first edition cover of Leaves of Grass would work IMO). Don't fret about this. Give me a shout when you need another look over. I don't want to C/E it in case this prompts any big changes, but I'm around! — ImaginesTigers (talkcontribs) 20:48, 14 June 2021 (UTC)[reply]

Thanks, ImaginesTigers, what do you think about it now? The only reason I don't want to move it to Walt Whitman's poetry about Abraham Lincoln is because there's a decent amount of content that doesn't fit under that narrower scope, including his lectures and Whitman's obsession with Lincoln during the latter's life-- I think it would be limiting to tie the story solely to poetry. Let me know what you think and thank you so much again for all your work. Eddie891 Talk Work 15:56, 18 July 2021 (UTC)[reply]
Give me until the weekend? I'm moving this week so my Wiki time is very very limited! — ImaginesTigers (talkcontribs) 12:35, 19 July 2021 (UTC)[reply]
ImaginesTigers, no rush at all, but any idea when you might get to this? Eddie891 Talk Work 22:25, 30 July 2021 (UTC)[reply]
@Eddie891: I'm so sorry, Eddie. I just don't have any time to edit right now (have just started my first post-uni job, and I'm exhausted after work finishes). I gave the article another look and think it’s looking decent. But if I want to review at FAC I don't think I have time to assist again. tl;dr: I think you should find someone with FAC experience who hasn't seen this article yet, ask them to run some eyes over it, then (if all is good) nominate. Really sorry, Eddie, but I don't know when I'll be editing again properly and I don't want to leave you in a liminal space forever. — ImaginesTigers (talkcontribs) 00:25, 1 August 2021 (UTC)[reply]

Semi-protected edit request on 18 November 2021

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WHitman's picture clearly not from 1860. 90.40.139.184 (talk) 19:07, 18 November 2021 (UTC)[reply]

 Not done: it's not clear what changes you want to be made. Please mention the specific changes in a "change X to Y" format and provide a reliable source if appropriate. (CC) Tbhotch 19:11, 18 November 2021 (UTC)[reply]