See all 4 formats and editions hide other formats and editions. Others will enter the gates of the ferry and cross from shore to shore, others will watch the run of the floodtide, others will see the shipping of manhattan north and west, and the heights of brooklyn to the south and east, others will see the islands large and small. But i knew hearing the words had a completely different effect on my understanding of the text. Walt whitman asks himself and the reader of the poem, crossing brooklyn ferry, what significance a persons life holds in the scope of densely populated planet. Perfect for acing essays, tests, and quizzes, as well as for writing lesson plans. Walt whitman lauren pipitone refers to the mysteries of life, people, and the world which sustain and interest the speaker everyone in the world makes up life, even though we all dienothing changes this freeflowing stanza, with only commas, no. Crossing brooklyn ferry first appeared in the second edition of leaves of grass under the title sundown poem. We handed out copies of the book and i imagined how individuals would open that book, find things they had never considered before. The mournful tones express whitmans metaphysical concern over a physical, bodily dilemma.
It is impossible now to measure the newness of those first. This poem first appeared in the 1856 edition and received its final modifications for the 1881 edition. Apr, 2012 others will enter the gates of the ferry and cross from shore to shore, others will watch the run of the floodtide, others will see the shipping of manhattan north and west, and the heights of brooklyn to the south and east, others will see the islands large and small. Crossing brooklyn ferry import stephane furic format. It describes the ferry trip across the east river from manhattan to brooklyn at the exact location that was to become the brooklyn bridge the speaker begins half an hour before sunset, and continues into the evening with a description comparing the tides to the attraction of new. On the ferryboats the hundreds and hundreds that cross, return ing home, are. A summary of starting from paumanok in walt whitmans whitmans poetry. Crossing brooklyn ferry also combines the industrial new york with nature personal whitman makes a point to you apostrophes as much as possible so it.
As you read whitmans rhetoric about a great soul and the solidarity of all peoples, keep in mind that the nation was in the process of splintering into deadly rivals. That will come later, in poems like crossing brooklyn ferry, when lilacs last in the dooryard bloomd, and song of myself. Whitman wonders what he means, as an individual, to the strangers he sees. Essay about crossing brooklyn ferry by walt whitman bartleby. Of course, he doesnt solve the problem in this poem. It is a book about how transformative creativity can be when it questions assumptions and defies longstanding conventions. It is one of walt whitmans bestknown and bestloved poems because it so astutely and insightfully argues for whitmans idea that all humans are united in their common experience of life. Oct 29, 2014 october 29, 2014 clip of funeral service for ben bradlee this clip, title, and description were not created by cspan. In 1823, the family moved to brooklyn, where walt had his schooling 182530.
Crossing brooklyn ferry poem by whitman britannica. As he writes in crossing brooklyn ferry, one of his greatest poems, crowds of men and women attired in the usual costumes. Dessners brother aaron is also a member of the group. The famous poem crossing brooklyn ferry by walt whitman. Where did this genius come from, with this cosmic viewpoint from the. Whitman alternately deals with themes of individuality and collectivity throughout leaves of grass, but in crossing brooklyn ferry he seeks to understand both in the context of the other. Find all the books, read about the author, and more. The ferry moves on, from a point of land, through water, to another point of land. Walt whitman, leaves of grass crossing brooklyn ferry. Land and water thus form part of the symbolistic pattern of the poem. Crossing brooklyn ferry is nothing but a symbol that we are all connected. Learn exactly what happened in this chapter, scene, or section of whitmans poetry and what it means.
It is a sensitive, detailed record of the poets thoughts and observations about the continuity of nature and of brotherhood while. Crossing brooklyn ferry questions and answers discover the community of teachers, mentors and students just like you that can answer any question you might have on crossing brooklyn ferry. The methods that helped whitman grasp his own idea of the importance of life are defined with some. An analysis of crossing brooklyn ferry and out of the cradle endlessly rocking by austin cooley engl 2027 007 in crossing brooklyn ferry the story follows the narrators experience with life as he takes a beautiful ferry ride. In when lilacs last in the dooryard bloomd, whitman uses flowers, bushes, wheat, trees, and other plant life to signify the possibilities. Crossing brooklyn ferry cliffsnotes study guides book. Crossing brooklyn ferry is a poem by walt whitman, and is part of his collection leaves of grass. Rapid, regular plant growth also stands in for the rapid, regular expansion of the population of the united states. As you point out, it helps him reinforce the main themes of the poem, including the relationship between individual and collective identity and transcending temporal boundaries. Analysis of walt whitman s crossing brooklyn ferry 1271 words 6 pages. Virgil thomson crossing brooklyn ferry lyrics genius. The barriers between us that whitman refers to were very real in the late 1850s.
It symbolizes continual movement, backward and forward, a universal motion in space and time. Arthur sze on walt whitmans crossing brooklyn ferry transcription of commentary. Why would whitman build crossing brooklyn ferry toward a moment of mutual. Crossing brooklyn ferry by jennie fields goodreads. More on genius leaves of grass the untold want track info. In crossing he looks at ferries and ferry riding from a quite different perspective. Walt whitmans crossing brooklyn ferry was published in 1856 as the sundown poem in the second edition of leaves of grass and had its present title in 1860. Crossing brooklyn ferry, poem by walt whitman, published as sundown poem in the second edition of leaves of grass in 1856 and revised and retitled in later editions. Walt whitmans crossing brooklyn ferry walt whitman poems. A noiseless patient spider, and crossing brooklyn ferry would be three worth beginning with. On the ferry boats, the hundreds and hundreds that cross, returning home, are more curious to me. October 29, 2014 clip of funeral service for ben bradlee this clip, title, and description were not created by cspan.
Equality within differences in walt whitmans crossing brooklyn. In this crowd he brings together all of the strangers and finds a. Two new old books that show walt whitmans different. In these poems he will resolve the problem of death by. On the ferryboats the hundreds and hundreds that cross, returning home, are more curious to me than you suppose, and you that shall cross from shore to shore years hence are more to me, and more in my meditations, than you might suppose.
Crossing brooklyn ferrycrossing brooklyn ferry has long been regarded as one of walt whitmans greatest poems. Leaves of grassbook viii wikisource, the free online. Walt whitman was born in west hills, long island, new york on may 31, 1819. Feb 22, 2016 the final 1891 revision of walt whitmans 1856 poem crossing brooklyn ferry, read by will geer, recorded in 1957. Whitman wrote crossing brooklyn ferry in the years before the american civil war. However, some of the main and more apparent symbols are. It received its present title in 1860, and whitman revised the poem through the various editions. From 1830 to 1836 he held various jobs, some of them on newspapers in brooklyn and. While crossing brooklyn ferry, like most of whitmans poems, contains little in the way of a describable formal structure, it features a great deal of random internal patternings created by the repetition of words and phrases. Throughout whitmans poetry, plant life symbolizes both growth and multiplicity. Leaves of grassbook viii wikisource, the free online library.
The poem explores the difficulties of discovering the relevance of life. The speaker, a man on a ferry between manhattan and brooklyn, leans over a railing to look into the water below. You have waited, you always wait, you dumb, beautiful. I agree that repetition is one of whitmans most effective formal devices. The final 1891 revision of walt whitmans 1856 poem crossing brooklyn ferry, read by will geer, recorded in 1957. The period between 1852 and 1858 is widely understood to be whitmans moment of greatest genius a span of years in which he composed the poems that came to be known as song of myself. Themes spirituality whitman is often grouped with transcendentalist and in crossing brooklyn ferry the speaker gives an idea that theres a spiritual nature that lies under the natural world, whether it be religious or not is up to the reader. Howard nelson, crossing brooklyn ferry 1856 criticism. Crossing brooklyn ferry draws on this december 1849 newspaper piece. Bryce david dessner born april 23, 1976 is an american composer and guitarist based in paris, also known as a member of the rock band the national. The poem relates to the theme of migration but cannot be contained by it. Though he is just one person i was one of a crowd, whitman nonetheless is awestruck as a single soul by the rushing water, the huge ships in the river, and the awesome sight of the vastness of new yorks buildings and bustling activity. Crossing brooklyn ferry crossing brooklyn ferry is a music festival curated by aaron and bryce dessner.
The currents and the tides the tides are the first thing that the speaker brings to light and it represents, of course, the flowing of the river but it also stands for the continuity of time itself and of the human spirit. Garland publishing, 1998, reproduced by permission. Jan 14, 20 we handed out copies of the book and i imagined how individuals would open that book, find things they had never considered before. Walt whitman with kitty katharine devereux and harry. A close reading of crossing brooklyn ferry crossing brooklyn ferry is a poem about a man taking the brooklyn ferry home from manhattan at the. It describes the ferry trip across the east river from manhattan to brooklyn at the exact location that was to become the brooklyn bridge. Crossing brooklyn ferry by walt whitman two periods aim. Walt whitman leaves of grass the untold want genius. Arthur sze reads walt whitmans crossing brooklyn ferry. Two new old books that show walt whitmans different selves. Either those, or a big book will give everyone the impression that youre. Whitman proposes a thematic connection between the subsequent verses in his collection and ancient epic poetry. Students look at several photographs of brooklyn transport from the era and read walt whitmans poem crossing brooklyn ferry. His father, walter, was a laborer, carpenter, and house builder.
It is a sensitive, detailed record of the poets thoughts and observations about the continuity of nature and of brotherhood while aboard a ferry between brooklyn and manhattan. Even as he stands in one place on the deck of a ferry crossing from. Feb 15, 2015 my own favorite loafing places have always been the rivers, the wharves, the boatsi like sailors, stevedores. Discuss whitmans understanding of individuality vs. Crossing brooklyn ferry by lauren pipitone on prezi. In crossing brooklyn ferry by walt whitman, walt whitman illustrates the arrival to endorse a connection with the american future. People in the city go about their business, adding vitality to the city.
Playd the part that still looks back on the actor or actress, the same old role, the. More on genius about crossing brooklyn ferry crossing brooklyn ferry explores the theme of the relationship of human beings to one another across time and space. What is whitman probably refering to in crossing brooklyn ferry when he writes about the impalpable sustenance of me from all things. Playd the part that still looks back on the actor or actress, the same old role, the role that is what we make it, as great as we like. He sees the clouds and the setting sun reflected there, and he addresses them as you, as he will address many other things in the poem.
Walt whitman uses the crisscrossing journey of the boat as a metaphor for a journey of the soul. View homework help crossing broklyn ferry from english 220 at whitman college. It shows whitman 18191892 at his most optimistic, yet also at his most reflective, as he uses local and biographical detail to express transcendental ideas. It is set in park slope in brooklyn, but its theme is universal. Crossing says nothing about the poets reason for crossing the river. Two dollars was a fair price for the first edition of leaves of grass. Crossing brooklyn ferry explores the theme of the relationship of human beings to one another across time and space. This latter criterion for immortality, for artistic greatness, is also what makes crossing brooklyn ferry walt whitmans don giovanni one of those rare bridges between the ephemeral and the eternal, swelling the river of time with absolute aliveness for every human consciousness that steps onto it through this gateway of mozarts genius, kierkegaard considers the nature of all. To learn about transportation in mid19thcentury brooklyn objective. The man talks about the meaning of his life to other people. Before the construction of the iconic brooklyn bridge, many new yorkers who worked in manhattan used to commute back home to brooklyn every night using ferryboats.
Walt whitman intended to make his book available on july 4, but the bookstores were closed that day. Spirituality whitman is often grouped with transcendentalist and in crossing brooklyn ferry the speaker gives an idea that theres a spiritual nature that lies under the natural world, whether it be religious or not is up to the reader. Crossing brooklyn ferry by walt whitman poetry foundation. Characters with traumatic pasts such as the heroine zoe with her dour, poor exjewish parents too fearful to love again after their years of horror and loss, jamie, in deep depression after a mistake made as a young man dented his fragile being to the point of breaking and keevan the. Emily bartons second novel is a marvelous if slightly improbable tale of women, ginmaking and the building of the first brooklyn. Equality within differences in walt whitmans crossing brooklyn ferry essay sample. The american dream establishes a journey to achieve a goal in order to start a new life. More on genius about crossing brooklyn ferry this piece for mixed fourpart choir takes its text from a heavily abridged version of walt whitmans poem of the same name. Kierkegaard on the spiritual and sensual power of music. Crossing brooklyn ferry is a great book for anyone who cares about neighborhood and continuity. Crossing brooklyn ferry was meant to be read aloud.
The trip takes place in winter the poem mentions the twelfthmonth seagulls, l. Crossing brooklyn ferry is a subtle, oblique attempt to transcend time and persuade the reader of the simultaneity of past, present, and future. Characters with traumatic pasts such as the heroine zoe with her dour, poor exjewish parents too fearful to love again after their years of horror and loss, jamie, in deep depression after a mistake made as a young man dented his fragile being to the point of breaking and. Essay about crossing brooklyn ferry by walt whitman. This is a solid post on whitmans use of repetition in crossing brooklyn ferry. Now of the older wardays, the defeat at brooklyn, washington stands. Saw many i loved in the street, or ferryboat, or public assembly, yet never told them a word, lived the same life with the rest, the same old laughing, gnawing, sleeping, 85. For walt whitmans 200th birthday, a cosmic poem goes on display. As i ponderd in silence is one of whitmans introductory poems in inscriptions, the first book in leaves of grass. Book depository books with free delivery worldwide. Crossing brooklyn ferry research papers on whitmans poem. On july 6, 1855, the first advertisement appeared in the new york tribune for the slender green book that changed the course of american poetry. Crossing brooklyn ferry is a poem about a man taking the brooklyn ferry home from manhattan at the end of a working day. Crossing brooklyn ferry summary the speaker, a man on a ferry between manhattan and brooklyn, leans over a railing to look into the water below.
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