Response # 2

Obviously people have interpreted Walt Whitman's poem "Crossing Brooklyn Ferry" as being related to, or somewhat symbolic of, the Brooklyn Bridge, not because they are "assuming" or "misreading" as Haw suggests but beacuse of the clear parrallels between the two. Why is the poem called "Crossing Brooklyn Ferry" hes crossing the East River not the ferry so people most definitely, especially ensuing the opening of the Brooklyn Bridge, think of "Crossing Brooklyn [Bridge?]" it certainly is an understandable mentality as the majority of people reading this poem probably have more experience with the Bridge and not the ferry. Whitman writes about "hundreds that cross, returning home..from shore to shore" this is still the case today with the Bridge and therefore it can be understood why people might think of the Bridge when they read this and form a link between the poem and the bridge even if none was intended. Whitman's imagery evokes thoughts of crossing the bridge like when he writes "Be firm, rail over the river, to support those who lean idly, yet haste with the hasting current;" the only difference on the bridge is that the rails prevent you from the ebb and flow of traffic instead of water, you still see sea birds flying and much of the imagery Whitman proffers. the main reason people might read this poem and associate it with the bridge is because whether you are walking the Bridge or reading the Whitman poem youre still crossing the river into Brooklyn.