Crossing Brooklyn Ferry: One And The Same

Part I of Essay
Walt Whitman asks himself and the reader of the poem, "Crossing Brooklyn Ferry," what significance a person's life holds in the scope of densely populated planet. The poem explores the difficulties of discovering the relevance of life. The methods that helped Whitman gra ....

Part II of Essay
.... the distinguishing characteristics are few. Whitman informs the audience that he has lead the same life as they, who lead the same life as their children will and their ancestors did. The poet questions the significance of a person's achievements by asking, "My great thoughts as I supposed them, were they not in reality meagre [sic]?" It would be hard for any person to measure their self-accomplishments on the planetary scale which Whitman is speaking of. The second verse of the poem introduces the metaphor of the world being a "simple, com ....