Meaning Of The Natural Imagery

“Crossing Brooklyn Ferry” by Walt Whitman tells the reader about the unified common experiences of humankind. The use of vibrant imagery in nature within the surrounding city symbolizes and links to the experiences of humans living specifically in New York. Imagery can be written in many different forms and can have different interpretations varying between us. The poetic words used in this story are filled with hidden messages pertaining to the broader message. Humans have a variety of common experiences no matter gender, location, or time period. The words say so much more than a description of a simple ferry ride. The poem covers the overhanging message that humans are slaves to their needs, the idea of working to survive and care for the ones you love. Whitman cleverly uses natural contradictory terms, natural symbolism, and shrewd punctuation placement to explain an inclusive generational story. All humans have challenging battles with oneself through experiences and thought, and the story represents these ideas with the use of natural imagery.

This idea is represented in the way Whitman uses contracting terms in the form of imagery to convey the message of the common human struggle. When the character is riding the ferry, he is enjoying the feeling of sun shining on his face, but his feeling quickly vanishes as the daily bustle of the ferry ride unveils in the words “I stood yet was hurried” (1) Whitman questions the motive behind humans partaking in the daily grind of city life. Human cannot stand while hurrying. Why do we not live as free as the clouds and water? He struggles to understand the humans from a critical lense almost blinded by his hunger to be free. He notices the 2seagulls, “Watched the twelfth-month Seagulls, saw them high in the air floating with motionless wings. ” (1), and realizes the seagulls have fallen victim to the daily grind. Wings are freedom with flight, but here, in the story, wings are motionless and keeping the character down in the grind. The motionless wings are contradictory terms representing the struggle of humankind. Repeating the same flight pattern for twelve months, the bird almost forgets it is alive, much like the humans, that are motionless and empty. This is common human challenge humans battle everyday.

When dealing with the term symbolism, we can define this foreshadowing, sensory, or a form of a literary device. Whitman distinctly uses sensory words in symbolism to prove the point that humans see, smell, taste, hear and feel the natural imagery of the world around us. With sensory symbolism being used on the last page, he describes the revelation of new hope for the human race. Experience is described as something you can relate to with sense, using just some of these “musically” (4), describing the urge to live bold, “divinest aromas” (4), conveying in the aspects of the passionate city. As well as “loudy, appearances, float, throb, and drench. ” (4) These are all fantastic examples of description words used to illustrate the natural scenery is the idea of sensory symbolism, Whitman uses the bold words and scenery around the city to reveal the message of hope. Something, he clearly depicts at the end of the poem.

The five senses and natural symbolism being the same, relay the common human experience of living in a city with newfound hope. 3Whitman’s use of shrewd punctuation throughout can be summed up to be very confusing much like the natural imagery and natural symbolism in this poem. Whitman used many question marks, exclamation marks and commas to relate the message that humans can often go through life confused with themselves. Page four, section nine, relates to the crazy emotions many humans go through when having hope and promise for a better future. The punctuation also relates to imagery being described during section nine as the city and river are also recounted with great excitement and visions of reality. The punctuation can also take the shape of humans in the poem. With the exclamation point describing Whitman finding answer, the question mark being Whitman confused about his surroundings and the commas leading to new ideas and thought processes. Looking through this poem with a critical lense tells us many things about Whitman’s intent with “Flood-tide below me! See you face to face!” (1).

At first glance, it's the vision of water and a reflection of the reader. However, it is clearly a reference filled with the emotion of happiness and joy, with the punctuation being a bold and powerful choice. Whitman starts the poem off with a feeling of excitement enforcing the message of human happiness with nature, as we are apart of nature. The natural imagery makes connections to the punctuation used in the poem. The city is described with a romanticized veil after Whitman comes to many revelations. This connects to common human thoughts, much like the internal struggles we face each day when we question, solve and inspire. The punctuation symbolizes this on multiple levels. “Crossing Brooklyn Ferry” by Walt Whitman is clearly about the common human experiences empathized with natural imagery. Contradictory terms with the seagull pertaining to Whitman's opening remarks of seeing the world for what it is and humans being trapped in a 4vicious cycle, to live your best life and survive. The symbolism in nature links very well to the five senses common to all human experiences as stated by Whitman numerous times. Lastly, shrewd punctuation placement, makes connections with the poem's setting, and the daily battles we have daily with our thoughts. Humans do have challenging battles with themselves through experiences and thought, and the imagery in nature in this story does represent the common human life. Feed Back: My feedback was to look closer at the text. Then from there develop a stronger thesis, points and develop an essay with more connection to the actual text.