"Crossing Brooklyn Ferry"

Mauricio Rubio

10/11/09

645

"Crossing Brooklyn Ferry"

Walt Whitman’s “Crossing Brooklyn Ferry” displays not only “the overflow of powerful feelings”, but it also embodies a sense of tranquility, easiness, and appreciation towards natural phenomena. Whiteman’s clever use of imagery and figurative language such as apostrophe, anaphora, and symbolism make “Crossing Brooklyn Ferry” a poem that transcends time and place. Aiming to portray a theme of equality, in which every individual is part of a compact “scheme”, is Whitman’s main theme that is achieved in a very valuable manner by portraying a set of powerful emotions that ultimately make a strong bond between the speaker and its readers allowing them to understand the importance of natural phenomena.

Whitman’s first lines rely on the use of apostrophe, allowing a deep sense of connection between the individual (speaker) and nature: “Flood-time below me! I see you face to face! Clouds of west-sun there half and hour high- I see you also face to face.” Here, the immediate connection between the speaker and nature establishes a sense of unity due to the fact that the speaker addresses nature is if it was alive; providing a sense that everything is part of a whole. Introducing the poem in this manner reinforces Whitman’s main theme throughout the poem. Anaphora is then heavily used throughout the poem, “ Just as you feel when you look on the river and sky, so I felt. Just as any of you is one of a living crowd, I was of a crowd. Just as you are refresh’d by the gladness of the river and the bright flow, I was refreshed.” This technique is used as repetition to slowly draw the readers into the speaker’s world.

Having already established the idea to the central theme, Whitman subsequently displays a feeling of brotherhood; this is done in order to solidify a sense of belonging that is established at the beginning. “ It avails not, time nor place—distance avails not. I am with you, you men and women of a generation, or ever so many generations hence.” From these lines, the readers conclude that Whitman is with them; that he sympathizes with their sorrows, happiness, and experiences as well. Whitman, therefore, employs a strong use of imagery to unfold his world before the readers’ eyes: “ The flags of all nations, the falling of them at sunset, the scallop-edged waves in the twilight, the ladled cups, the frolicsome crests and glistening, the stretch afar growing dimmer and dimmer, the gray walls of the granite storehouses by the docks.” Offering such descriptive images enables the readers to see Whitman’s world as he sees it himself.

After Whitman establishes a sense of belonging between himself, nature, the readers, and generations to come, he then says that there is nothing different between them; they all share the same emotions even if these emotions are tempting or disrupting: “ It is not upon you alone the dark patches fall, the dark threw its patches upon me also”…”Nor is it you alone who know what it is to be evil, I am he who knew what it was to be evil.” Finally, Whitman has bonded nature, individuals, and himself to let them know that despite time, he shall be present for everyone to think of him.

Throughout the poem Whitman builds a connection, a sense of brotherhood and belonging. As he persuades its audience of such, he conveys strong emotions and feelings, showing Whitman’s sympathy towards all individuals. At he end, he acknowledges the importance of every individual—nature, humans, and cities—to form a compact scheme: “ We use you, and do not cast you aside—we plant you permanently within us, we fathom you not—we love you—there is perfection in you also, you furnish you parts toward eternity, great or small, you furnish you parts towards the soul.”