CROSSING BROOKLYN FERRY (EXCERPT)
“Sun-Down Poem.” (1856). Renamed “Crossing Brooklyn Ferry” in the 1860-61 edition of Leaves of Grass.
FLOOD-TIDE of the river, flow on! I watch
you, face to face,
you, face to face,
Clouds of the west! sun half an hour high! I see
you also face to face.
you also face to face.
Crowds of men and women attired in the usual
costumes, how curious you are to me!
costumes, how curious you are to me!
On the ferry-boats the hundreds and hundreds
that cross are more curious to me than you
suppose,
that cross 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.
years hence, are more to me, and more in my
meditations, than you might suppose.
The impalpable sustenance of me from all things
at all hours of the day,
at all hours of the day,
The simple, compact, well-joined scheme—my-
self disintegrated, every one disintegrated,
yet part of the scheme,
self disintegrated, every one disintegrated,
yet part of the scheme,
The similitudes of the past and those of the
future,
future,
The glories strung like beads on my smallest
sights and hearings—on the walk in the
street, and the passage over the river,
sights and hearings—on the walk in the
street, and the passage over the river,
The current rushing so swiftly, and swimming
with me far away,
with me far away,
The others that are to follow me, the ties between
me and them,
me and them,
The certainty of others—the life, love, sight,
hearing of others.
hearing of others.
Others will enter the gates of the ferry, and cross
from shore to shore,
from shore to shore,
Others will watch the run of the flood-tide,
Others will see the shipping of Manhattan north
and west, and the heights of Brooklyn to the
south and east,
and west, and the heights of Brooklyn to the
south and east,
Others will see the islands large and small,
Fifty years hence others will see them as they
cross, the sun half an hour high,
cross, the sun half an hour high,
A hundred years hence, or ever so many hundred
years hence, others will see them,
years hence, others will see them,
Will enjoy the sun-set, the pouring in of the flood-
tide, the falling back to the sea of the ebb-
tide.
tide, the falling back to the sea of the ebb-
tide.
It avails not, neither time or place—distance
avails not,
avails not,
I am with you, you men and women of a genera-
tion, or ever so many generations hence,
tion, or ever so many generations hence,
I project myself, also I return—I am with you,
and know how it is.
and know how it is.
Just as you feel when you look on the river and
sky, so I felt,
sky, so I felt,
Just as any of you is one of a living crowd, I was
one of a crowd,
one of a crowd,
Just as you are refreshed by the gladness
of the river, and the bright flow, I was
refreshed,
of the river, and the bright flow, I was
refreshed,
Just as you stand and lean on the rail, yet hurry
with the swift current, I stood, yet was hur-
ried,
with the swift current, I stood, yet was hur-
ried,
Just as you look on the numberless masts of ships,
and the thick-stemmed pipes of steamboats, I
looked.
and the thick-stemmed pipes of steamboats, I
looked.
I too many and many a time crossed the river,
the sun half an hour high
the sun half an hour high