Prior to reading the poem “Crossing Brooklyn Ferry” the first thing that stood out was the title. It seemed to be so pedestrian, nothing about it screams outlandish or peculiar. In its simplicity, it actually became more intriguing for me.
As I began reading the poem I must say that some of it puzzled me. It seems to me like the poet decided to write down literally all of the thoughts that came to his mind as he crossed the Brooklyn ferry. At first he is compelled to thoroughly describe his surroundings. He makes sure to state that though this ride seems to intrigue him, in reality it is a ferry ride that many people have taken and that many people will continue to take in the future. It seems like maybe he is trying to make everyone more aware of their surroundings. This truly got me thinking about the everyday experiences I go through and how many others around me are possibly doing the same things. This really makes me wonder about the way that I drive from day to day. On most occasions, I feel compelled to allow others to pass me when at a stop sign, or I signal for the other person to turn first when at a light. In hindsight, I see how this can really have an affect on someones day. I do it so often I almost forget when I am doing it, analyzing it now, however, I see that my act of kindness could mean nothing to someone or to the contrary have a great influence on their day.
With the first two pages of the poem I could not help but imagine a grandfather talking to his grandchildren, describing the wonders of day to day experiences. In great detail, the poet notes the way this ferry ride triggers his sense of sight. It was, in my opinion, extremely rushed and cluttered with details. The constant use of repetition of certain words at the beginning of a sentence also contributed to the feeling I got when reading this poem. I felt as though the only proper way to read it was with a fast pace. Apparently, this consistent repetition oozed a sense of anxiousness with me. It seems to me like the poet is trying to convey that once you question things in your life that are seemingly simple, you soon notice they they in fact have an impact on our lives.
The point in the poem that truly confused me was on page 30, stanza 7. It lead me to assume that this poem was written about a pregnant woman. I think this thought was triggered with “the closer I yet approach you” which in my eyes was a woman who was months along in her pregnancy.
The end of the poem essentially went back to the beginning and personified the poet’s opinion of encouraging all these wonderful things surrounding him to continue on.
