When I first was assigned Walt Whitman’s poem Crossing Brooklyn Ferry, I was amazed at how long a poem about a ferry ride could be.  However, once I started reading, not only could I understand how, but I was also able to relate.  First off, when Whitman says, “Crowds of men and women attired in the usual costumes, how curious you are to me” (Pg. 24 stanza 2), it reminded me so much of my rides on trains and buses.  I have always taken public transportation to get to school or wherever else I had to go, and what helps the ride become less dreadful and long is watching the people around me. I am so interested in these strangers and even try to figure out what their stories are and/or the type of people they are.  Another thing we share, to my surprise, is the wonder of how many people will get on and off the train or bus I’m riding, just like Whitman does with the ferry.  In addition, his comment, “It avails not, time nor place—distance avails not, I am with you, you men and women of a generation, ever so many generations hence…” (Pg. 25 stanza 2), brings a feeling of comfort to me as well.  His suggestion that we are all alike makes me feel less alone.

It seems that the purpose of this poem is to shed light on the idea that all people share a bond.  Whitman even takes it a step further and talks about how people are similar emotionally.  He starts off talking about the bad person he once was and all the bad things he used to do.  This is probably relatable to most people because, for the most part, all people at some point in their lives have done things that they were not proud of.  What I like most about this poem is the amount of honesty that exists.  He says things that most people would think twice about saying out loud. Besides his talk about the person he once was and his extreme curiosity, he discusses his negative views on people when he says, “Appearances, now or henceforth, indicate what you are…” (Pg. 33 stanza 2).

Our assignment for Monday’s seminar class was to read Crossing Brooklyn Ferry by Walt Whitman and express our various feelings in a blog post. First off, when I first was introduced to this poem, in high school, I remember it to be a lot shorter in length; I guess that was because my class and I only read an excerpt from the entire piece of work. However, when I began to read it again, I immediately started to vividly remember the various discussions and connections we made with this poem and the concept of life. It seems to me that repetition of words was used frequently because I think it enabled the reader to grasp the full concept of what the speaker is trying to portray. By using the same word again within a stanza, I felt a different emotion than one without repetition.

At first glance, it seems to be a story of what a man sees and thinks, while aboard the ferry on his way home from work. However, once I was finished dissecting the poem in its entirety, I came to the realization that the meaning, is in fact much deeper than what meets the eye. Mr. Whitman categorizes everyone in a very similar manner, particularly those who use the ferry as a form of transportation. For example, in stanza four he said, “These and all else were to me the same as they are to you,” which directly relates to the idea that we all go about our daily processes in nearly the same way. We, as passengers aboard the ferry have sat where people before us have sat, and people after us, will sit where we have sat. All humans are connected physically, and spiritually. Walt uses the ferry as one example that displays his belief.

This poem definitely made me start to think how similar the basis of my life is with everyone else. We all experience hardships and tribulations, whether we look at humans before our time or what is to come. In stanza three, it reads, “Just as any of you is one of a living crowd, I was one of a crowd.” This very quote strengthens his ideals, for we may feel sometimes distant from everyone else, but in fact we are all one, and operate in a similar fashion.

I think this poem in a way relates to Ways of Seeing by John Berger because we notice everyone aboard the ferry but don’t actually see them for who they are and what they represent. By delving deeper, we come to the realization that all humans are related in some way, and not until you “see” it, will you understand where Walt Whitman is coming from. This poem opened up my eyes to a different way of thinking, and I am developing a new fondness for poetry.

After wrapping up our discussion about “The Heiress,” we moved on to the topic of poetry. We started out with the poem “Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening” by Robert Frost. This was a good introductory piece, since most of us were familiar with it, and, therefore, could discuss the style in which it is written.

For this blog, we were asked to read the poem “Crossing Brooklyn Ferry” by Walt Whitman. Walt Whitman was a famous NY poet, widely known for his vivid depictions of Manhattan during the 1800’s. In this poem, Whitman describes the views and various people that are riding with him from Brooklyn to Manhattan. He is very intrigued about the crowd, dressed in their costumes (attire) going to or home from their various jobs around the city. He is very curious about how these people interact as a crowd, and how everyone seems to be “tied together.” All of a sudden, it seems to occur to him that all of these people are related because they, as well as their ancestors before and after them, will have crossed that same river at one time or another. He feels this simple shared experience bonds them. I would never have thought of that! While there is no single “Brooklyn Ferry” today, there are several ferries that run people into and out of Manhattan from various places. Anyone who has taken a ride on the Staten Island Ferry, for example, has experienced the same views, clouds, sunset, birds overhead, or swooshing of the water. While the people change, the common experience remains the same. Little has changed since the poem was written all those years ago, and little is expected to change in the future.

After reading this poem, a classic disco song, “Native New Yorker,” immediately popped into my head. I find it to be quite similar to what Whitman was describing about NYC. The song starts off, “You grew up ridin’ the subway, running with people, up in Harlem down on Broadway.” It continues, throughout the song, to point out all of the common experiences of being a native New Yorker. It is a bond of experiences among total strangers.

This monday we were assigned to read the poem Crossing Brooklyn Ferry by Walt Whitman. The poem first beings with the narrator describing the ferry on his way to Manhattan. What makes this part so interesting to me is that he truly focuses on his surroundings on his ferry ride. Usually, many people do not do this. They take advantage of the beautiful scenery and do not admire it like the narrator is doing in this particular poem. By describing the motion of the water below him and the types of people that surround him, he notices everything. He even says in the first stanza “Clouds of the west-sun there half an hour high” which makes me believe that he is riding the ferry early in the morning just as the sun is rising.

One important factor that  noticed about the language of the poem was that the narrator uses the words “I too” very often. For example, the narrator states “I too lived, Brooklyn of ample hills was mine, I too walk’d the streets of Manhattan island, and bathed in the waters around it.” This makes me believe that the narrator used to live in New York and is telling a fellow ferry rider of his past experiences in the city. It is almost as if he is visiting New York after some years of being away from the great city. He also reminisces about his old life in New York and refers to Manhattan and Brooklyn as “admirable” and “beautiful”.

This poem makes me realize how much I take the Staten Island Ferry ride for granted. I never truly notice or gaze at my surroundings nor do I analyze the people around me. New York is truly a beautiful place and I feel that this poem reminds us all of that. Since we all live in the city, we never admire the places or things around us because it is considered “nothing special” since we see it very often. Now, after reading this poem, I will make sure to look at New York’s beauty on my next ferry ride.

I usually have a hard time establishing a connection between my personal life and a work of poetry.  Once in a while, I am given a poem that I can connect to, like Crossing Brooklyn Ferry.  This poem frequently reminded me of my experiences on the Staten Island Ferry.

Every time I use the Staten Island Ferry, I look around and wonder what the other people on the ferry are up to.  Walt Whitman seemed to have shared my nosy characteristic,”the hundreds and hundreds that cross…curious to me.”  I assume that many others do the same when they are on a busy ferry but it is nice to know that I share this characteristic with a famous poet.

Another thing that I have in common with the poem is that Walt Whitman and I see the people in a ferry as part of a larger organism.  When I sit in the ferry, I have a tendency to sit back and think of how every person on the boat has a role to play in society.  I appreciate that this poet seems to have done something very similar, “simple, compact, well-join’d scheme…every one disintegrated yet part of the scheme.”

There are so many more connections I have with this poem but I feel like there is only one more worth talking about.  Whenever I am on the outer parts of a ferry, such as the balconies, I often stare at the passing water.  Something odd occurs when this happens; I tend to be very calm and relaxed on the ferry yet the passing water currents make me feel as if I am in a hurry. I am glad I am not the only person that experienced this, “Just as you stand and lean on the rail, yet hurry with the swift current, I stood yet was hurried.”

Crossing Brooklyn Ferry was an enjoyable read and provides strong motivation to start reading more poems revolving around New York City life and art.