This poem was originally called “Sun-Down Poem” (1856), and the present title was given it in 1860. It was substantially revised in 1881.
The major image in the poem is the ferry. It symbolizes continual movement, backward and forward, a universal motion in space and time. The ferry moves on, from a point of land, through water, to another point of land. Land and water thus form part of the symbolistic pattern of the poem. Land symbolizes the physical; water symbolizes the spiritual. The circular flow from the physical to the spiritual connotes the dual nature of the universe. Dualism, in philosophy, means that the world is ultimately composed of, or explicable in terms of, two basic entities, such as mind and matter. From a moral point of view, it means that there are two mutually antagonistic principles in the universe—good and evil. In Whitman’s view, both the mind and the spirit are realities and matter is only a means which enables man to realize this truth. His world is dominated by a sense of good, and evil has a very subservient place in it. Man, in Whitman’s world, while overcoming the duality of the universe, desires fusion with the spirit. In this attempt, man tries to transcend the boundaries of space and time.
The ferry symbolizes this spatial and temporal movement. It is also associated with the groups of men and women who ride it, who have ridden it, and who will ride it. The coming together of these men and women symbolizes the spiritual unity of men in this world.
The poet first addresses the elements—the tide, the clouds, and the sun—saying, “I see you face to face.” He next observes the crowds of men and women on the ferryboats: “How curious you are to me” he says, for he thinks of these people in relation to those who “shall cross from shore to shore years hence.” The poet meditates on the relationships between the various generations of men.
This first section establishes the setting of the poem. The poet is on the bank, and he observes the ferry as well as the passengers, whom he expands to symbolize the large united self of mankind. The tide, the cloud, and the sun become integral characters in this spiritual drama between the poet and the elements. The poet first responds to natural objects and then to people with the ultimate aim of bringing about an imaginative fusion between himself and the reader.
In the second section, the men and women on the ferryboat become the eternal “impalpable sustenance” of the poet. He thinks of “the simple, compact, well-join’d scheme” of the universe and believes himself to be “disintegrated yet part of the scheme.” He thinks again about all the people of the future who will enter the gates of the ferry and cross from shore to shore.”
The poet thinks about his role in relation to the nature of the universe. To him, the universe seems compact, harmonious, and well-adjusted. He is part of the multitude of men, part of the eternal processes of birth, life, and death. Whitman probes into the future and identifies himself with persons who will cross the river “a hundred years hence.” Thus a link is established between the poet and the “others”—including future readers.
In section 3, Whitman declares that neither time nor place really matter, for he is part of this generation and of many generations hence. He speaks to future generations and tells them that their experiences are not new: “I too many and many a time cross’d the river of old,/Watched the Twelfth-month sea-gulls, ... /Saw the reflection of the summer sky in the water.” He, too, saw the ships arriving, “the sailors at work,” and “the flags of all nations.” He, too, saw “the fires from the foundry chimneys burning high and glaringly into the night.”
This third section reveals the poet’s desire to transcend time, place, and distance in order to establish contact with people of future generations. His own experience is similar to that of the reader years from now.
The description of the journey on the river is very vivid. The movement of the day from morning until midnight is parallel to the movement of the poet from one side of the river to another and from the physical to the spiritual.
In section 4, Whitman declares his deep love for the cities, the river, and the people. This section is transitional and marks the beginning of the change of the poet’s attitude toward men and objects. For the first time (in this poem) he becomes emotionally involved in his relationships with other people and things. The reference to the future is prophetic and anticipates the growth of spiritual kinship between the poet and the reader.
The poet, in section 5, poses a question about the relationship between himself and the generations to come. Even if there are hundreds of years between them, they are united by things which do not change. He, too, lived in Brooklyn and walked the Manhattan streets. He, too, “felt the curious abrupt questionings” stir within him. He believes that his body, his physical existence, has become a ferry uniting him with all mankind.
