Lincoln is alluded to in the poem as the captain who led the American ship away from civil war. In line thirteen, the speaker addresses the captain as "dear father" to emphasize the speaker's link with the deceased man, which is so strong that the barrier between the leader and the family is blurred. Dear father also shows that the captain was like a father to the speaker. Lincoln led his crew on board the USS Congress during the Civil War. The ship was used for military purposes but also served as a place where missionaries would travel to foreign countries. Lincoln was a good captain because he wanted everyone on board to be happy and he did everything he could to make them feel comfortable. He showed himself to be a kindhearted man by giving up his cabin to a sick passenger and by apologizing when he accidentally fired a gun during a battle. In conclusion, the captain was called dear father because he was like a father to his crew members. Not only did he take care of their needs but he also shared his knowledge with them. Most captains were fathers who lived on board the ship so they could be with their children; this was not the case with Lincoln but he still wants to be seen as a good father even though he was dead.