Tonight’s homework assignment was to read the poem, Crossing Brooklyn Ferry, written by Walt Whitman.  My initial thought upon looking at the poem was, “Wow, this is long.  How much could he possibly have to write about riding the ferry?”  But as I read the poem, I realized that he is very observant in his writing and makes the ferry ride a more interesting experience than any other New Yorker.

I think one of Whitman’s main points of the poem is the unity and the bond shared by all people, and most specifically by all New Yorkers.  There is a certain personality and attitude shared by native New Yorkers, and you can tell just by looking at someone that he or she is from the city.  One of the first lines that stood out to me regarding this theme is in the second stanza: “every one disintegrated yet part of the scheme.”  It is as if he is saying that everybody is different and has their own thoughts and opinions, and yet, by living in New York City, you fit into a certain demographic, a certain culture in and of itself.  One of the other lines that I particularly noticed in accordance with this theme was in the sixth stanza; Whitman writes, “Lived the same life with the rest, the same old laughing, gnawing, sleeping.”  It seems to me that he is pointing out that New Yorkers share a common bond, there is a common thread that makes many New Yorkers able to relate to one another.  He continuously uses the phrase, “I too,” as if grouping himself in with this subculture of New Yorkers that he has created.

Not only does Whitman write about New Yorkers being able to relate to one another in the present day, he also reflects on the fact that New York does not only contain native New Yorkers, but that it is a “melting pot,” as the city is most commonly referred to, and that people of different nationalities can also relate to one another.  He so clearly points this out in the third stanza, with the phrase, “The flags of all nations.”  In addition, Whitman introduces the point that New Yorkers, both native New Yorkers and immigrants, can relate to those who came before them, their ancestors.  To Whitman, there is not much difference between their struggles and their lives and those of the current population.  He makes this very clear at the beginning of his fifth stanza, “What is it then between us? What  is the count of the scores or hundreds of years between us? Whatever it is, it avails not -distance avails not, and place avails not.”  I think that Whitman, at this point and even at other points in the poem, broadens the scope beyond New York to include all of humanity.  There is a common bond between all of humanity, personalities, traits, and experiences that bring us all together and make us one with each other.  I think that this poem is not so much describing the ferry ride to and from the city, but describing how an experience such as the ferry ride joins other experiences in creating unity among people of different ages, genders, cultures, ethnicities, etc.

There is something about New York; it is a symbol of hope and adventure for many people, young and old, from all different parts of the world.  I think this is another aspect of the poem that Whitman ties in with the other two themes I spoke about.  In the ninth stanza, he writes, “Cross from shore to shore, countless crowds of passengers! Stand up, tall masts of Manhattan! stand up, beautiful hills of Brooklyn!”  No matter where you come from, these landmarks are recognizable and they symbolize many things for many people. Walt Whitman used this poem to speak about the unity of people, and he incorporated New York into that unifying bond.  I think the poem is powerful and very well-written and I like the fact that it applies to the “melting pot” population of the city, taking into account all of time and space.